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AbstractFor Carl Rogers, living the good life was the equivalent of being fully functioning. This meant living a life of growth, flow and change. Change happened because the fully functioning person was open to experience, information, ideas, and others. I present an elaboration of Rogers' views. People are seen as constantly changing on a moment-to-moment basis as they creatively cope with life's challenges. This feeds into change in personality over time. I cite research supporting this view. I consider how a particular form of openness—receptive openness—and holding constructs tentatively and productive agency may contribute to productive change. I then consider obstacles to receptive openness and how blocks to openness relate to psychopathology. Finally I look at how clients in psychotherapy exhibit the kind of creativity I have been discussing.

AbstractPerson-Centred Therapy in Focusby Paul Wilkins addresses common criticisms of person-centered therapy. These include criticisms having to do with issues of culture and difference; that person-centered theory has no theory of development; that the core relationship conditions are not ‘necessary and sufficient’ for therapeutic change—more is needed, such as techniques and interventions; that non-directivity is a fiction; that there is no theory of psychopathology; and that person-centered therapists are sloppy about boundaries. Wilkins fairly reviews and evaluates the controversies. He usually does not provide closure on any issue; rather, he writes to invite thought on the part of the reader.

AbstractTypical views of therapy are therapist-centric. Therapists and their interventions are portrayed as operating on client processes to create change. Some writers on client-centered therapy portray empathy responses as interventions designed to focus clients on feelings, access feelings or experience, deepen processing, and so on. An alternative to therapist-centric perspectives is offered. Clients are seen as active change agents who extract patterns of meaning from the therapy interaction, deduce implications, and use therapist empathy responses for purposes of self-support, validation, exploring experience, testing self-understanding, creating new meaning, and making connection with the therapist.