What is Person-Centred Counselling?
Person-centred therapy is all about giving you the conditions you need to grow and thrive…
The founder of person-centred therapy, Carl Rogers, noticed that the potatoes stored in his family’s basement had grown long shoots even though they had no soil, water, sunlight or nutrients. He realised that if they could grow so big without these conditions, they would grow even bigger and stronger if they were outside in the soil with everything they needed to thrive.
Rogers compared the potatoes to humans, believing that we all have an inbuilt drive to thrive and grow (which he called ‘self-actualisation’) but, like the potatoes in the basement, we don’t always have the right conditions in which to do so.
He believed that empathy, unconditional positive regard (constant acceptance and non-judgement) and congruence (honesty and openness) are the conditions that humans need to self-actualise. For Rogers, the relationship between the counsellor and client is the place where these conditions are best offered, so this relationship is at the centre of the counselling process.
Counselling isn’t a quick fix, but it can help you to get to know yourself better, grow in confidence, process your thoughts and feelings, talk through issues and learn to accept yourself.
Counselling sessions are led by you, and you are seen as the only expert on yourself. I won’t give you advice and, in fact, empowering you to make your own choices and think for yourself is an important part of the process.
You can bring any issues to the session, and I will listen without judgement and help you explore your thoughts and feelings.