Which work contributed to the shift toward humanistic, nondirective orientation in counseling?

• A. Client-Centered Therapy: Its Current Practice, Implications and Theory
• B. A Treatise on Psychology
• C. Principles of Psychology
• D. The Interpretation of Dreams

Answer: (A)

The shift toward humanistic, nondirective counseling centers on the idea that clients can guide their own growth when placed in a supportive, nonjudgmental relationship. Carl Rogers’ work, Client-Centered Therapy: Its Current Practice, Implications and Theory, crystallized this approach. It argues that therapy should be led by the client rather than directed by the therapist, focusing on the client’s subjective experience in the here and now. The therapist provides three core conditions: unconditional positive regard, accurate empathic understanding, and genuineness (congruence). When these conditions are present, clients feel safe to explore their thoughts and feelings, leading to greater self-understanding and self-directed change. This represented a move away from directive, interpretive methods typical of psychoanalysis or behaviorism, grounding the humanistic emphasis on growth, self-actualization, and the therapeutic relationship. Other works listed—rooted in broader psychological science or psychoanalytic theory—do not advocate this nondirective, client-led orientation.