What is person-centred counselling?
A gentle, supportive approach to therapy
If you have been looking for counselling, you may have come across the term person-centred therapy and wondered what it actually means.
Person-centred therapy is a humanistic approach to counselling based on a simple but important idea: you are the expert on your own life. Rather than the therapist telling you what you should do, giving you instructions or deciding what needs to change, person-centred counselling gives you a safe and supportive space to explore your thoughts, feelings and experiences at your own pace.
A relationship built on trust
Person-centred therapy was developed by psychologist Carl Rogers, who believed that people have the capacity for growth and change when they are offered the right conditions.
Central to this approach are three qualities: empathy, genuineness and unconditional positive regard.
In everyday language, this means that I aim to really understand your experience from your point of view, to be genuine and human with you, and to offer a space where you can talk openly without feeling judged.
For many people, simply having somewhere they can be completely honest can be surprisingly powerful.
What happens in person-centred counselling?
You bring to the session what feels important to you - there are no rules, no rigid programme you need to follow. - we can explore it together.
Sometimes you might not know exactly what it is you want to talk about, other times you will dive straight in because something isn’t feeling right. There is no right or wrong way to ‘do’ counselling. You may feel anxious, overwhelmed, stuck, unhappy in your relationships or unsure why you keep responding to situations in a particular way. You may have experienced a trauma or loss. Sometimes things will come up that you hadn’t realised were a problem, and that is OK too. Counselling gives you the opportunity to slow things down and begin making sense of what is happening.
Don’t worry that I will sit there silently, leaving you struggling to know what to say: Person-centred therapy is a collaborative process. I will listen carefully, reflect what I am hearing, ask questions when appropriate and help you explore patterns, feelings and experiences that may be difficult to see when you are in the middle of them.
What can person-centred counselling help with?
Person-centred counselling can support people experiencing many different difficulties, including:
Anxiety and worry
Low self-esteem and confidence
Grief and loss
Relationship difficulties
Loneliness
Life changes and transitions
Guilt and shame
People-pleasing and difficulty setting boundaries
Medical anxiety and difficult healthcare experiences
Feeling stuck, overwhelmed or simply not quite yourself
You don't need to have a diagnosis or even a clear explanation for why you are seeking counselling. If you just feel that something isn’t quite right and need time and space to work through it, you will find a gentle, down-to-earth, listening ear in my therapy room.
Person-centred, but flexible
Person-centred therapy forms the foundation of the way I work. However, I also work integratively, which means that where it may be helpful, we can draw on ideas and techniques from other therapeutic approaches.
The important thing is that therapy remains centred around you rather than trying to fit you into a particular method.
Good counselling isn't about somebody else providing all the answers. It is about having the time, space and supportive therapeutic relationship that allows you to understand yourself more clearly, recognise what you need and begin finding your own way forward.
If you are considering counselling and would like to see whether working together feels right, I offer a free 15-minute introductory call with no obligation to continue.