My Counselling Approach

Counsellors often use a variety of approaches while working with clients. Each develop a personal preference during initial training and continuously extend their skills base through the medium of personal and professional development in line with their ethical obligations.

Person Centred and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

My personal approach involves the culmination of person centred and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy(CBT). The former was developed Carl Rogers whose core conditions for growth within the therapeutic relationship involved the counsellor possessing unconditional positive regard, empathic understanding, and congruence. These he described as essential to the helping relationship because clients need to be treated as individuals, who could express both positive and negative feelings to another human being who would neither judge or condemn them but would understand and accept them unconditionally. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy used in conjunction with the Person centred approach allows clients to further understand their assumptions and core beliefs by searching for the evidence and then testing it. Negative assumptions are often based on past experiences and clients may not be aware of them, by fully focusing on the present moment, clients can accept themselves more fully and change from what they are at present to what they want to become. When this process is carried out in a safe climate of trust, clients can use self exploration to shift emotional blocks that were hindering growth.

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