Person-centred Counselling

Core Principles of Person-Centred Counselling

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Unconditional Positive Regard

The therapist offers total acceptance and respect for the client, regardless of what the client expresses or feels. This means the therapist does not judge the client but fully accepts them as they are. The concept of unconditional positive regard is crucial for building trust and safety in the therapeutic relationship.

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Empathy

Empathy is the ability of the therapist to deeply understand and feel with the client’s emotional experience. The therapist actively listens and reflects the client's feelings, showing that they understand empathetic understanding helps clients feel heard and validated, which can lead to a sense of relief and self-awareness.

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Congruence (Authenticity)

Congruence refers to the therapist being genuine and transparent in the therapeutic relationship. Rather than adopting a professional or detached persona, the therapist is real and authentic with the client which fosters an environment of trust and openness, where the client can feel safe to express themselves without fear of judgment.

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Self-Actualisation

Person-centred counselling operates on the assumption that everyone has the potential for self-actualisation, which is the process of realising your fullest potential. People naturally strive to grow, change, and develop in positive ways and the therapist’s role is to help remove the barriers (such as self-doubt, shame, or external influences) that prevent clients from achieving growth.

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Client-Centred Approach

Unlike many other forms of therapy where the therapist gives advice or directs the sessions, person-centred therapy is non-directive where it is the client who leads the therapy, and the therapist’s role is to follow, facilitating the process through active listening and reflection. Person-centred counsellors believe the client is the expert on their own life.

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Person-Centred Counselling vs Other Therapies

In contrast to other therapies where the therapist may direct the conversation and provide strategies for change, person-centred counselling focuses on creating an environment where the client can process and discover solutions themselves.

Holistic Approach: Person-centred therapy is more focused on the emotional, experiential, and relational aspects of therapy, whereas other therapies may focus more on specific behavioural changes or thought patterns.