Cecil Holden Patterson (1912–2006) was an American psychologist and writer. He was an emeritus professor of psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the United States. He worked directly with Carl Rogers and practiced person-centered (Rogerian) therapy throughout his career.
Patterson was born June 22, 1912, in Lynn, Massachusetts. He originally planned to study for Christian ministry, but moved into sociology,
In 1956, Patterson joined the faculty of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and worked there for 19 years.
He was the author of many publications in the fields of educational psychology and counseling and continued publishing until the age of 91. and The Therapeutic Relationship: Foundations for an Eclectic Psychotherapy.
He died May 26, 2006.
Family
Cecil and Frances had seven children. His second-eldest child is Francine Patterson, a researcher who taught a modified form of American Sign Language to a gorilla named Koko.