What is Counselling?
Clear Therapies offers Person Centred Counselling which is typically the most widely used form of counselling offered. Person Centred Counselling is regulated by British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP), of which all our therapists are active members.
Person Centred Counselling is rooted in the humanistic philosophy that each person has the ability to move in the direction of a more fulfilling and satisfying way of being and living their lives. It is based on a trust in the inner resources of the client to find their own answers and direction.
This is achieved when the client can fully understand how they interact with the world around them, and how they experience themselves in relation to that world. This leads to greater self-awareness and acceptance, thus empowering the client to make their own choices and take control over their own lives. It is the client who knows what hurts and has the capacity within the safety of a therapeutic relationship to begin a healing process.
The Person-Centred approach maintains that three core conditions provide a climate conducive to growth and therapeutic change. They contrast starkly with those conditions believed to be responsible for psychological disturbance. The core conditions are:
Unconditional positive regard means that the therapist accepts the client unconditionally and without judgement. The client is free to explore all thoughts and feelings, positive or negative, without danger of rejection or condemnation. Crucially, the client is free to explore and to express without having to do anything in particular or meet any particular standards of behaviour to ‘earn’ positive regard from the therapist.
Empathic understanding means that the therapist accurately understands the client’s thoughts, feelings, and meanings from the client’s own perspective. When the therapist perceives what the world is like from the client’s point of view, it demonstrates not only that that view has value, but also that the client is being accepted.
Congruence means that the therapist is authentic and genuine. The therapist does not present an aloof professional facade, but is present and transparent to the client. There is no air of authority or hidden knowledge, and the client does not have to speculate about what the counsellor is ‘really like’.
Together these three core conditions are believed to enable the client to develop and grow in their own way. This strengthens and expands their own identity, allowing them to become the person that they ‘really’ are independently of the pressures of others to act or think in particular ways.
Person Centred Counselling is rooted in the humanistic philosophy that each person has the ability to move in the direction of a more fulfilling and satisfying way of being and living their lives. It is based on a trust in the inner resources of the client to find their own answers and direction.
This is achieved when the client can fully understand how they interact with the world around them, and how they experience themselves in relation to that world. This leads to greater self-awareness and acceptance, thus empowering the client to make their own choices and take control over their own lives. It is the client who knows what hurts and has the capacity within the safety of a therapeutic relationship to begin a healing process.
The Person-Centred approach maintains that three core conditions provide a climate conducive to growth and therapeutic change. They contrast starkly with those conditions believed to be responsible for psychological disturbance. The core conditions are:
- Unconditional positive regard
- Empathic understanding
- Congruence
Unconditional positive regard means that the therapist accepts the client unconditionally and without judgement. The client is free to explore all thoughts and feelings, positive or negative, without danger of rejection or condemnation. Crucially, the client is free to explore and to express without having to do anything in particular or meet any particular standards of behaviour to ‘earn’ positive regard from the therapist.
Empathic understanding means that the therapist accurately understands the client’s thoughts, feelings, and meanings from the client’s own perspective. When the therapist perceives what the world is like from the client’s point of view, it demonstrates not only that that view has value, but also that the client is being accepted.
Congruence means that the therapist is authentic and genuine. The therapist does not present an aloof professional facade, but is present and transparent to the client. There is no air of authority or hidden knowledge, and the client does not have to speculate about what the counsellor is ‘really like’.
Together these three core conditions are believed to enable the client to develop and grow in their own way. This strengthens and expands their own identity, allowing them to become the person that they ‘really’ are independently of the pressures of others to act or think in particular ways.
What can it help with?Counselling can help with a numerous issues
This is of course not a exhaustive list of issues, if you have any queries please contact us. |