About Person-Centred counselling
‘This process of the good life is not for the faint hearted. It involves the stretch and growing of becoming more and more of one’s potentialities. It involves the courage to be. It means launching oneself fully into the stream of life.’ Carl Rogers
Person-Centred theory was developed by Carl Rogers in the 1950’s, with the emphasis on identifying human capabilities such as the capacity for personal growth and choice. The main focus is how the individual perceives themselves in the here and now and the recognition of growth and self-awareness and to identify strengths by offering empathy and acceptance without judgment.
Person-Centred counselling strives to understand and explore the problems beneath the symptoms. The person-centred philosophy has a strong belief in the individual and the actualising tendency, in a safe environment and a caring, understanding relationship to survive, the potential to grow, problem solve and live satisfying lives.
Person-Centred therapy encourages the client’s innate drive toward self-actualisation, aiming to remove obstacles to growth and fulfilment, giving emphasis to the completeness and uniqueness of the individual as good and capable of growth to make positive changes and live fulfilling lives, focuses on how the individual perceives themselves in the here and now, and the recognition of growth, self-awareness and to identify strengths by offering empathy and acceptance without judgment. This promotes autonomy, encouraging the development of the client’s internal locus of evaluation to explore their inner judgments and choices rather than depend on others for direction. The client is their own expert and is able to focus on the self and work to increase their awareness.
We are deeply helpful only when we relate as persons, when we risk ourselves as persons in the relationship, when we experience the other as a person in their own right. Only then is there a meeting at depth that dissolves the pain of aloneness in both client and therapist.
You are the only expert on your experience and I am often amazed by the individual’s determination and courage to confront and accept painful experiences and feelings, to motivate, develop and move towards growth.
Follow this link for more on the Person-Centred Approach and Carl Rogers - https://www.bapca.org.uk