The Therapeutic Value of Active Listening

Carl Rogers (1902 – 1987) was one of the founders of the humanistic approach to psychology, who developed his own particular approach known as client-centred therapy. Humanistic psychology emphasises an individual’s intrinsic desire for self-actualisation – the process of fully realising and manifesting one’s latent capacities. Rogers’ client-centred – or person-centred – approach, meanwhile, views…

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Addicted to Awe: Why Some People Turn Into ‘Wonder Junkies’

I read an interesting article titled How Traveling Abroad in Your Twenties Will Ruin Your Life and the clickbait title dragged me into what I thought would be a rant on how travelling will ruin your career prospects. But what the author delivers instead is a tongue-in-cheek and extremely relatable sentiment about how travel obsession. For some…

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Why Self-Acceptance and Self-Improvement Go Hand in Hand

Self-acceptance is often contrasted with self-improvement. While the former means embracing how things are, the latter is all about growing out of a state of stagnation and deficit. However, self-acceptance – while it involves accepting all aspects of yourself, both praiseworthy and unpleasant – is a process which has self-growth at its core. Moving from…

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Carl Rogers on Why a Fulfilling Life Depends on Realising Our Potential

The ways in which humans stand out from all other species is inexhaustible. Our very psychology speaks volumes about the ways in which we are unique and distinct from other animals. Perhaps one of the most fascinating ways in which humans stand out is to do with this idea of potential. The uniqueness of human…

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