294 Part III Humanistic/Existential Theories
Wanting to expand his research and his ideas to psychiatry, Rogers accepted
a position at the University of Wisconsin in 1957. However, he was frustrated with
his stay at Wisconsin because he was unable to unite the professions of psychiatry
and psychology and because he felt that some members of his own research staff
had engaged in dishonest and unethical behavior (Milton, 2002).
Disappointed with his job at Wisconsin, Rogers moved to California where
he joined the Western Behavioral Sciences Institute (WBSI) and became increas-
ingly interested in encounter groups.
Rogers resigned from WBSI when he felt it was becoming less democratic
and, along with about 75 others from the institute, formed the Center for Studies of
the Person. He continued to work with encounter groups but extended his person-
centered methods to education (including the training of physicians) and to interna-
tional politics. During the last years of his life, he led workshops in such countries
as Hungary, Brazil, South Africa, and the former Soviet Union (Gendlin, 1988). He
died February 4, 1987, following surgery for a broken hip.
The personal life of Carl Rogers was marked by change and openness to
experience. As an adolescent, he was extremely shy, had no close friends, and was
“socially incompetent in any but superficial contacts” (Rogers, 1973, p. 4). He did,
however, have an active fantasy life, which he later believed would have been
diagnosed as “schizoid” (Rogers, 1980, p. 30). His shyness and social ineptitude
greatly restricted his experiences with women. When he originally entered the
University of Wisconsin, he had only enough courage to ask out a young lady
whom he had known in elementary school in Oak Park—Helen Elliott. Helen and
Carl were married in 1924 and had two children—David and Natalie. Despite his
early problems with interpersonal relationships, Rogers grew to become a leading
proponent of the notion that the interpersonal relationship between two individuals
is a powerful ingredient that cultivates psychological growth within both persons.
However, the transition was not easy. He abandoned the formalized religion of his
parents, gradually shaping a humanistic/existential philosophy that he hoped would
bridge the gap between Eastern and Western thought.
One of the tenets of Rogers’ theory of counseling is the need to be true to
oneself, authentic and honest. In this regard, Rogers practiced what he preached in
that he was open and honest about his own personal problems in an oral history
with David Russell toward the end of his life (Rogers & Russell, 2002). He was
candid about the problems he and his wife Helen had in their marriage over its
last 15 years or so, his need to have other romantic relationships, and his problem
with drinking in his 70s.
Rogers received many honors during his long professional life. He was
the first president of the American Association for Applied Psychology and
helped bring that organization and the American Psychological Association
(APA) back together. He served as president of APA for the year 1946–1947
and served as first president of the American Academy of Psychotherapists. In
1956, he was cowinner of the first Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award
presented by APA. This award was especially satisfying to Rogers because it
highlighted his skill as a researcher, a skill he learned well as a farm boy in
Illinois (O’Hara, 1995).