Person-centred counselling (PCA) is deceptively simple on the surface — and notoriously hard to do well in practice. Students often struggle to move from theory (core conditions, non-directivity, the actualising tendency) into real-world therapeutic work.
This page brings together the most reliable, widely recommended books for person-centred counselling, grouped by purpose:
classic theory,
skills and training texts, and
more advanced or contextual reading.
These are the books that consistently show up on counselling courses, training bibliographies, and supervisors’ bookshelves.
Carl Rogers Classics
On Becoming a Person – Carl Rogers
This is the emotional and philosophical heart of person-centred therapy. Rogers doesn’t “teach” PCA here so much as embody it. You’ll find reflections on the therapeutic relationship, authenticity, change, and what it actually means to trust the client’s process.
Best for:
PCA students who want depth, not just definitions
Therapists refining their therapeutic presence
Understanding why the core conditions matter
On Becoming a Person
Carl Rogers’ most influential work, exploring the therapeutic relationship, the core conditions, and the process of personal change. Essential reading for person-centred counselling students and practitioners.
View on Amazon →Client-Centred Therapy – Carl Rogers
This is the technical backbone of PCA. If you want to understand non-directivity, the therapist’s role, and the original clinical rationale behind the approach, this is the book.
Best for:
Counselling students writing assignments
Understanding Rogers’ original model
Tutors and trainees who want conceptual clarity
Client-Centred Therapy
A core Rogers text explaining client-centred therapy in depth, including the principles of non-directivity and the therapist’s role. Best for trainees who want the original theory and clinical implications.
A Way of Being – Carl Rogers
This is Rogers later in life — reflective, humane, and quietly radical. It’s less about how to do therapy and more about how to be a therapist.
Best for:
Qualified therapists
Long-term PCA practitioners
Deepening congruence and presence
A Way of Being
A reflective and personal work from Carl Rogers exploring what it means to live — and practise therapy — with authenticity, openness, and trust in the human tendency toward growth.
View on Amazon →Training & Practice Essentials
Person-Centred Counselling in Action – Dave Mearns & Brian Thorne
This is the go-to training text on many UK counselling courses. Clear, practical, and grounded in lived therapy examples.
Best for:
Diploma and degree students
Skills development
Linking theory to sessions
Person-Centred Counselling in Action
A core training text for person-centred counselling, linking theory to real therapeutic practice through clear explanations and clinical examples. Widely used on UK counselling courses.
View on Amazon →Developing Person-Centred Counselling – Dave Mearns
Focuses on therapist development over time — particularly helpful once the “what is PCA?” phase has worn off.
Best for:
Moving beyond beginner level
Reflective practitioners
Understanding relational depth
Developing Person-Centred Counselling
Explores the ongoing development of the person-centred therapist, focusing on relational depth, therapist self-awareness, and working at greater psychological depth over time.
View on Amazon →Skills in Person-Centred Counselling & Psychotherapy – Janet Tolan
Highly practical, skills-focused, and accessible. This is often the book students actually use between sessions.
Best for:
Skills practice
Placement preparation
Translating PCA into real conversations
Skills in Person-Centred Counselling & Psychotherapy
A highly practical skills-focused text, helping trainees translate person-centred theory into real therapeutic conversations. Particularly useful for placements and early practice.
View on Amazon →Person-Centred Therapy Today – Dave Mearns & Brian Thorne
Explores how PCA functions in modern therapeutic contexts while staying faithful to Rogers’ core principles.
Best for:
Contemporary practice
Qualified therapists
Updating PCA knowledge
Person-Centred Therapy Today
Explores how person-centred therapy is practised in contemporary settings, while remaining grounded in Rogers’ core principles. Ideal for qualified and advanced practitioners.
View on Amazon →Advanced / Contextual Reads
The Handbook of Person-Centred Therapy and Mental Health – Stephen Joseph (Ed.)
An academic, research-heavy text connecting PCA with mental health contexts, outcomes, and theory.
Best for:
Post-qual training
Research-minded practitioners
Essays and dissertations
The Handbook of Person-Centred Therapy and Mental Health
An academic and research-led overview of person-centred therapy in mental health contexts, exploring theory, evidence, and contemporary applications of the approach.
View on Amazon →The Life and Work of Carl Rogers – Howard Kirschenbaum
Essential for understanding how Carl Rogers’ personal life and experiences shaped the development of person-centred therapy.
Best for:
• Understanding how Rogers’ ideas evolved over time
• Counselling students wanting context alongside theory
• Placing person-centred therapy within its historical and personal background
The Life and Work of Carl Rogers
A comprehensive and accessible account of Carl Rogers’ life, ideas, and lasting influence on psychotherapy. Ideal for students and practitioners wanting context alongside theory.
View on Amazon →How Clients Make Therapy Work – Bohart & Tallman
A powerful counterbalance to technique-driven therapy, reinforcing the client’s active role in change — very PCA-aligned.
Best for:
Advanced conceptual thinking
Reinforcing non-pathologising approaches
Experienced therapists
How Clients Make Therapy Work
A research-informed exploration of how clients actively contribute to therapeutic change, strongly aligning with person-centred values of agency, collaboration, and self-healing.
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The Handbook of Person-Centred Psychotherapy and Counselling Paperback – 3 Oct. 2024
by Mick Cooper (Editor), Maureen O'Hara (Editor), Gina Di Malta (Editor), Yana Gololob (Editor)h.
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