'person-centered' originates from the combination of 'person' and 'centered', where 'person' refers to an individual human being and 'centered' means focused or concentrated on.

'person-centered' evolved from the concept of 'client-centered therapy' developed by Carl Rogers in the 20th century, emphasizing the importance of focusing on the individual.

Initially, it was used in therapeutic contexts, but over time it has been applied to various fields emphasizing individual focus.