Encounter groups

Began: 1960s
Who: Carl Rogers and others · La Jolla and Esalen
Connection to Circling: Named as an early influence (Coutts; the Circling Guide)
In the catalogue: Yalom & Lieberman 1971

Encounter groups, 1960s

Named as an early influence · Their world, Welcome all, Takes part and Impact · behind it: Humanistic psychology.

Groups for personal encounter, linked above all with Carl Rogers in the 1960s. Circling’s own histories name them among its early influences; Coutts says Circling’s first hosts ran encounter groups from 1991.

A full comparison with Circling isn’t written yet.

Moves it shares with Circling

Their world · The facilitator listens closely to each person, to understand what they mean. (Rogers, 1970) Behind it: Humanistic psychology.

Welcome all · The facilitator accepts the group exactly where it is. (Rogers, 1970) Behind it: Humanistic psychology.

Takes part · The facilitator takes part and says what they feel as it arises in the group. (Rogers, 1970)

Impact · Feedback on specific behaviour, given only as a feeling the speaker owns. (Rogers, 1970)

Grew out of

Humanistic psychology; the human potential movement at Esalen.

Sengstock has warned against mixing encounter-group methods into Circling.