On Becoming a Person: A Therapist's View of Psychotherapy is written by Carl Rogers, largely considered one of the pioneers of the humanistic approach to counseling. Since his necessary conditions and person-centered approach are critically foundational to the field of psychotherapy, there are some sections of the book that most counselors will be familiar with, such as unconditional positive regard and the importance of accurate empathy. Throughout the pages, he explores in-depth each of the concepts that are the backbone to humanistic therapy and explains the reasoning, case studies, and research behind his methods. The book is lengthy because it is a collection of papers, lectures, and notes spanning many years of Rogers’ career; yet all of the entries are worth reading carefully.

The area of a counselor’s practice that can likely be impacted the most by this book is the conceptualization of both clients and the counseling process. Rogers’ authentic approach to counseling truly takes counselors back to the roots of the therapeutic relationship and the counselor’s presence of being.  As is one of the themes in Rogers’ book, counselors sometimes move too quickly in building the therapeutic alliance and neglect the foundational relationship that must often be built before conducting successful person-centered therapy. No matter how many years in the field, reading On Becoming a Person can be an eye-opening experience or a gentle reminder of the humanness we all share that takes us back to the basics of successful counseling.