What is Person Centred Therapy

Person Centred Therapy is based on the concept that a person can be encouraged and facilitated by therapist by developing a trustworthy and unique relationship. The Therapist has a strong belief in the client’s capacity and potential that he can deal well with his personal issues.

Support and guidance is provided to facilitate the process of self-fulfillment. The focus is not on the problem but on the person.

In the therapy, people are not challenged or given direction by the Therapist; instead, they are allowed to express themselves in any way they choose to do so. The therapy believes that the answer to the questions of the client lies within himself and not in any external factor.

Role of Therapist

The role of Therapists is positive and non-judgmental, and they firmly believe that emotional and psychological forces are a result of personal experiences and choices. Therefore, the behaviour and choices of the people are not judged.

The choices and experiences of people are not compared as there is no one behavior considered to be the best. The clients are encouraged to talk about their problems in a non-judgmental environment.

History of Person-Centred Therapy

Therapy was developed by American Psychologist Carl Rogers in year 1950.

The counselling and therapy sessions provide an open and safe space and environment to discuss their issues. Therapists of this approach are taught to respond to the experiences of clients in a specific way. The basic principles of the therapy are vital for its effectiveness.

Essential Components of Person-Centred Therapy

Person Centred Therapy has been derived from the Humanistic Approach and the collaborative effort is practised by the client and Therapist. The values that the therapist aims to reflect during the therapy are as follows:

Congruence

Therapists naturally interact with the client, they do not demonstrate any facade and accomplishment. This is done in order to create an open and interactive environment to encourage the clients to speak up about their problems and develop realistic relationships with the clients.

The friendly and honest environment enables the Therapist to develop a trustworthy relationship with the client. This meaningful relationship yields effective results.

Unconditional Positive Regard

The clients are considered as the term “unconditional positive regard” by the Therapist. It means the client is accepted as they are open. They are not being judged, and unconditional attention and care are given to them by therapists.

The friendly atmosphere facilitates Self Acceptance and gives a valuable and safe environment for communication with the client.

Empathetic Understanding

In order to understand the client, the Therapist put himself in his shoes. They demonstrate empathy towards the client to validate and acknowledge their feelings and emotions. It further fosters a good connection with the therapists and good Mental health.

Two Assumptions of Person-Centred Therapy

The foundation of Person Centred Therapy is based on two assumptions

Human beings are continuously striving for a better future and development and are trustworthy
Man is free by nature and should deal with matters independently without any external influence and domination.

Issues that can be addressed with Person-Centred

Various issues of life can be addressed with the help of Person Centred Therapy. However, the main issues that are addressed with the therapy are

How many Sessions needed

Bereavement
Relationship issues
Work-related issues
Anger Management
Depression
Self-development transgender issues
Infertility
Issues around cancer
Sexuality
Confidence and Self-Esteem

Techniques Used in Person-Centred Therapy

There are different techniques used in Person Centred Therapy to help people feel better about their problems and help them deal with these problems effectively. These techniques are listed below:

1. The client can set clear boundaries

Clients can set their therapy according to their ease and their own pace. For example, they can freely decide about the number of sessions and topics they want to exclude from the conversation.

2. The client is aware of his problems

The client has a fair idea about his problems, and he knows the best way to solve them. Therapists need not explain it to them, and they must explain their problems by effectively identifying them

3. Facilitate as a good learner

The other technique that could be used with the client is to act as a good listener and listen to them attentively. After that Therapist can explain their thinking about what the client is trying to say. This technique has two folded benefits as it would help to understand the client’s perspective to you but would also let him understand his view point constructively.

4. Elimination of the word Judgemental

Many people fear that they are unable to meet the desired standards, and they need assurance at times that they are capable and will not face any rejection.

5. Let them make their own decision

Advice is not needed in this kind of therapy, and in most cases, clients are not ready to take charge, so caution is to be practised. They need constant reminders that they have to make decisions themselves, and they must not let others decide for them. However, therapists can guide and discuss the consequences of the options given by them.

6. Focus on Client Conversation

Most of the time, clients are not able to express their feelings. They are unable to deliver their exact thoughts and cannot communicate their issues. Hence, it is important to focus on what they are saying to understand their issues.

7. Be Real

Therapists must be real while dealing with the client and it will help them to discuss things freely with you.

8. Readiness to Accept Negative Emotions

Clients often have negative feelings about themselves and the people around them. It is, therefore, necessary to accept this negativity with open arms and not get offended by it.

9. Go Slow

Most of the time, it is highly recommended to take pauses during the session as it assists in reflecting, and the direction of the conversation can be determined and redirected.

Benefits of Person-Centred Therapy

There are several benefits of the therapy listed below:

Therapists can help clients realize the facilities available for them to solve their issues by taking the initiative by themselves. The confidence is given to the clients that they can solve their issues effectively. Hence, they are treated as experts.
Clients will not be judged upon their problems and a relationship of trust is built to support them in their difficult times. This support eventually leads to enhancing their self-confidence to discover their weaknesses and deal with them effectively
.Therapy focuses on the present rather than events that happened in the past. Clients are encouraged to think emotionally and psychologically in the present moment.
Therapy helps to inculcate many attributes in the client that help them in their lifetime, and they are capable of identifying and solving their issues confidently.
Therapy encourages honesty, authenticity, self-awareness, self-trust, and self-fulfilment.
There is less formality in the therapy, and it is not as structured as some of the other therapies.
Therapy gives the liberty to the client to move in the therapy according to their own pace.

Contemporary Branches of Person-Centred Therapy

Different other therapies have been developed from Rogerian principles and are successfully being applied by therapists.

Child-Centred Play Therapy	Virginia Axline and Garry Landreth,	The focus of the therapy is on inner growth and Healing.
Focusing-oriented psychotherapy	Eugene Gendlin	Awareness to their bodily Senses
Emotion-focused therapy	Leslie Greenberg	Person-Centred Principles
Dialogical/relational	Martin Buber’s “I-Thou” concept	Client is seen as infinitely foreign
Creative person-centered approaches	Arts, movement, music, and other creative modalities	Self-discovery and spontaneous expression

Person-centered Training And Supervision

Training

Clients are trained that

They have a built-in capacity for development. Sessions are highly flexible and self-directed.
The focus is on learning through experiments to enhance personal development and skill enhancement.
Feedback is based on assisting in developing Empathy, capacity, and listening skills.

Supervision

The prime role of the Therapist is of facilitator rather than authority.

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