From person-centered to humanistic-phenomenological psychotherapy: The contribution of Merleau-Ponty to Carl Rogers's thought

Abstract

This article describes a clinical practice, humanistic-phenomenological psychotherapy, that can be understood as a continuation of Carl Rogers's experiential phase (1957–1970), in which he drew closer to phenomenology. Although arising from Carl Rogers's theory, humanistic phenomenological psychotherapy, in line with developments in other experiential psychotherapies, is based on Merleau-Ponty's definition of humanism: a philosophy that focuses on the human being in his or her relationships with other human beings and the mutual constitution of a common history.