You can't get to your future,
while your past is still present.
Person-Centred Counselling
What Is Person-Centred Counselling?
In the 1950s, American psychologist Carl Rogers proposed a form of therapy that focused on the client’s experience of themselves, as opposed to the counsellor telling them what to do, or what was wrong with them. He believed that when clients are able to direct the counselling themselves, they generally make better progress than when they are told what to focus on and what to talk about.
Person-centred counselling (PCC) is different from other counselling as it entrusts the client with the expertise instead of with the counsellor. The theory suggests that clients would be better helped if they were encouraged to focus on their current subjective understanding (personal interpretation), rather than on some unconscious motive or someone else’s interpretation of the situation. In other words, focussing on their own feelings or opinions, rather than on someone else’s.
By exploring their conscious perception of themselves and their troubles will help the client to find their self-worth and potential. By focussing on the insight arising from their thoughts and feelings, the client's 'free will' increases. Free will is the idea that a person has the ability to make their own choices and determine their own fate.
PPC is not determined by a fixed amount of sessions. Some people come to counselling for a short period, such as 6 sessions, while others come for a longer period depending on their needs and wishes.
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How Does PCC Work
PCC doesn’t use techniques. Instead, it offers a theoretical approach which relies on the personal qualities of the counsellor to build an understanding, non-judgemental, honest, friendly, and empathetic professional relationship.
The main focus of the counselling will be decided by you. The problem-solving and decision-making, will be your own. It will stand you in good stead to build a better way of life, a life which you will be happier with.
Life experiences can block our ability of self-perception. I will guide you through your sessions, asking questions to clarify what you are thinking, how you are feeling etc, helping you to explore and utilise your own strengths and weaknesses. I will help you to realise your desire and ability to self-actualise, to realise your full potential, to use all your abilities to achieve and be everything that you possibly can, and everything that you deserve to be. This will help you to find your own way to move forward and progress.
By reading this, by thinking of seeking help, you have already begun the process of change. It won't be my aim to change you, but to help you to change your thoughts, feelings, beliefs and behaviour yourself. I’m not saying what you think, feel, believe or do right now is wrong. It’s not wrong. It’s right. It’s right for you, right now!
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What The Counsellor Needs To Do
PCC emphasises the quality of the relationship between the client and the counsellor, seeing this as the most important thing to help the client share what is troubling them and determine the right way forward for themselves. It doesn't involve the counsellor giving the client advice or telling them what they think they should do. The counsellor works to help the client learn to trust themselves and realise their potential.
According to Carl Rogers, the person-centred counsellor must meet the following 'core conditions' (essential qualities that a counsellor needs to be able to facilitate a therapeutic relationship) in order to help their client's positive therapeutic development.
Genuineness
Genuineness is the most important skill for a counsellor. It comes from their desire to help clients find solutions to their issues and concerns. It means the counsellor being themselves and being able to relate to their clients in a sincere and non-defensive manner. It means the counsellor being truthful, saying what they mean and meaning what they say, rather than pretending to feel and think things that they don’t.
Genuineness in the counsellor will show clients that they are professional, enforcing the client’s belief in the confidentiality of their counsellor. A counsellor’s genuineness can help defeat negative attitudes or conditions of worth and value that others may have placed on a client, in turn this builds self-esteem and trust in their own judgement.
Clients can often tell whether a counsellor is being genuine or not, so it is crucial that a client can see their counsellor is being 100% genuine, sincere, honest, and authentic. Any lack of trust will result in a client not being forthcoming with the issues they are experiencing, unable to explore their situation and make progress, also the therapeutic relationship will not develop and, inevitably, will be unsuccessful.
When a client recognises a counsellor is being genuine and true to themselves, they feel assured and are able to relate to the counsellor more effectively by acting in the same way. The client is more likely to tell the counsellor what is on their worried mind because they know the counsellor is trustworthy of their personal thoughts and feelings. This positive interaction ensures the therapeutic relationship is safely established.
If a counsellor is not genuine, they will not be able to demonstrate unconditional positive regard or empathy.
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Unconditional Positive Regard (UPR)
For a counsellor, having UPR for a client means suspending judgements about them, their beliefs or behaviour, and accepting that their client’s perception and interpretation of the way they look at the world is completely real and true for them.
For a person to be able to grow and achieve their full potential, they need to feel valued as themselves. A counsellor who has UPR for their client, values and respects them as a unique individual with their own free will. They show complete acceptance of them exactly as they are. This encourages the client to open up and speak freely about their difficulties without the fear of being criticised or judged.
People tend to judge others by their own values and beliefs. A counsellor who has UPR is non-judgemental and respectful of their clients beliefs and opinions, even if they differ from their own. If a client is feeling worried about something they might say could offend or shock the counsellor, they may not be forthcoming with what they really want to say, withholding information which is vital to the counselling relationship. So, it's essential that a client feels the counsellor believes what they are saying. This will help them to feel more at ease to be open and honest, and to share their feelings, thoughts, and behaviours with their counsellor without feeling like they are being judged.
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Empathy
Empathy is not sympathy. When someone expresses sympathy towards a person, they feel pity and sorrow for their misfortune. They might say, “I know exactly how you feel,” because they have experienced the same or a similar situation. Showing sympathy can hinder the counselling process by keeping a client stuck at a particular point, succumbing to self-pity.
Empathy is putting yourself in someone else’s shoes and accepting their thoughts and opinions. A counsellor who shows empathetic understanding, is able to see the world as their client sees it, and sensitively understand the thoughts, feelings, and emotions in their clients own ‘here and now’.
A counsellor shows empathetic understanding by listening and responding to their client. This helps them to understand what the client is trying to communicate. It also helps them to communicate their ideas with the client in a way that makes sense to them. A counsellor demonstrates empathetic understanding by accurately reflecting back to the client what they have said, and checking that they have understood correctly.
A counsellor won't tell their client what they think their problem is or how they believe they should solve it. They will respect what their client is saying, even if their opinion differs to their own. They will listen to and understand their point of view and opinions, and just because they may be different to their own, it doesn't mean they are wrong or can't be changed.
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As a person-centred counsellor, I will offer you genuineness, unconditional positive regard, empathy, and more. You will feel safe enough to access your own potential, enabling you to begin to become aware of and challenge your own conditions of worth, to move towards self-actualisation, and finding the answers within yourself.
You will re-connect with your true self, allowing you to grow and flourish to be the person you want to be, the person you really are inside, to not live your life for others, but for yourself, the way you want to live it.
Asking for help can be the hardest decision to make, but it could be your best decision and your first step to real change.
Please feel free to enquire about taking that first step to choosing the right path for you to change your life by accessing professional mental health service with Clear Mind Counselling by filling out the Contact Form.
