What Are The Influences From Humanistic Psychology That Influence Person Centred Approach

“There is something infantile in the presumption that somebody else has a responsibility to give your life meaning and point… The truly adult view, by contrast, is that our life is as meaningful, as full and as wonderful as we choose to make it.” (Dawkins, 2006, p. 360)

INTRODUCTION
This essay will discuss the influences from Humanistic psychology that have influenced the person centred approach. Firstly it will look briefly at the origins of both humanistic Psychology and the person centred approach. Secondly this essay will look in closer detail at two areas of humanistic psychology that influenced the development of Carl Rogers person centred approach, the theory of the self and self actualization. Lastly it will look at the applications of this approach in a modern setting.

HUMANISTIC PSYCHOLOGY
It started as a think tank led by Abraham Maslow where themes such as self actualization, creativity, intrinsic nature, being, meaning and individuality where discussed (Hara, 2012). By 1965 it had over five hundred members. It was an eclectic melting pot of thoughts at the beginning but in time the major ideas and leaders were to emerge. Among them were Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers and Rollo May (DeCarvalho, 1991). Today its concepts are taught in colleges and schools all over the world. The Association for Humanistic Psychology provides a forum for people from every corner of the world to share and discuss their ideas, thoughts and feelings on many humanistic