The person-centred approach to counselling and psychotherapy is closely associated with the research and writings of the American psychologist Carl Rogers. His ground-breaking research into the relational qualities that facilitate growth and personality change led to the development of a radical alternative to the dominant therapeutic modalities of the mid-twentieth century. In fact, the principles and values that inform the person-centred approach – the promotion of personal freedom and personal power – remain radical to this day.
While the person-centred approach has been hugely influential and has many branches, my practice is classical, sometimes known as client-centred therapy. The cornerstone of this practice is humility. I believe that with the right support, you, as the expert in your own life, can locate the resources within yourself to find the answers and solutions you need to your own unique problems and challenges. My priority is to be alongside you at every step of the way in therapy, but not impose my own direction or agenda on the work.
The stance I take is one of principled nondirectivity. To quote therapist and theorist, Barbara Brodley, ‘the nondirective attitude in client-centred work exists in the therapist’s intentions to experience the values of respect and trust as consistently and deeply as possible and to act in relation to clients only in ways that express those values’.
By offering an opportunity for you to feel heard, supported, understood, and known, I believe that you’ll find your way to making more fulfilling and satisfying choices in your life and relationships.
It is fundamentally an ethical approach. In the words of Rogers, ‘The counsellor says in effect, “To be of assistance to you I will put aside myself – the self of ordinary interaction – and enter into your world of perception as completely as I am able. I will become, in a sense, another self for you – an alter ego of your attitudes and feelings – a safe opportunity for you to discern yourself more clearly, to experience yourself more truly and deeply, to choose more significantly.”’.
My aim as a client-centred therapist is to listen closely, to understand empathically and accurately, and to respond with genuineness, warmth, and careful attunement to your unique personal meanings as they emerge and evolve.