Person centred therapy was developed by Carl Rogers in the 1950’s. It is based on the idea that clients should be in a non judgemental, accepting relationship with a therapist who allows the client to express their feelings and emotions.
In person centred therapy the therapist assumes that the client is the expert on their experience. The belief is that the client will benefit from exploring their experience and although the therapist will be there to support you as you do this, the conversation and goals for the therapy are usually decided by the client.
During the session the therapist will often reflect back to the client their experience, to ensure they have the correct picture of what they are describing. At times, the therapist may highlight discrepancies in the clients experience or gently challenge the client. When this happens it is done so in a non judgemental manner, aiming to bring these points to the clients attention.
Carl Roger believed that if we are presented with the right conditions we will feel open and safe to discuss how we feel. Furthermore, if the therapist can offer empathy, be congruent and offer unconditional positive regard to the client then they can support the client in understanding their distress.
Some of the benefits of this type of therapy include its non directive nature. The client decides in each session how they would like to spend the time. This can be helpful for individuals who want to explore an aspect of their experience, or patterns in their thinking and behaviour.
Dr Patricia Barber 