Perhaps the most empathic and humble of all psychotherapists, Carl Rogers  first and foremost focused on the client, the single entity in his office who desired changed. But more than that, Rogers recognized that most people simply want someone to embrace them for who they are, not who they ought to be according to society or the counselor. According to Jess and Gregory J. Feist, Rogers strove to simultaneously engage the client in a tender and positive manner while helping them discover how to thrive and develop into a happier, more fulfilled human being.

It’s seems like the most intuitive idea in the world: Listen to a client, express that you care, and avoid judging the client for their mistakes and their issues. But how many of us fail to do this in our everyday life? It’s easy for us to shun those who go against the grain, who disturb our our neat, schema-filled world. No matter what the client has to say or what struggles they’re dealing with, nothing will make them feel like they can belong again like a single person who welcomes them just as they are in the present moment. That’s not just effective psychotherapy; that’s complete hope.