Your Personal Guide to Person-Centred Therapy

Life can be a tough journey sometimes. You may find yourself overwhelmed by stress, anxiety or difficult life experiences. You might be considering seeking some support to help you navigate your way through things.

Perhaps you've heard the term 'person-centred' before and you're curious about what this means and how person-centred therapy works. You might be wondering how it can help you or if it is really the right approach for you.

This is why I wanted to write this blog post, to help guide you through an overview of what person-centred therapy is, how it works, and how it can help lead to meaningful personal growth.

Whether you are considering therapy for the first time or looking to deepen your understanding of the process, this guide will hopefully offer you some valuable insights so that you can make the decision that feels right for you and what you need.

Well, What is Person-Centred Therapy?

Person-centred therapy was first developed by psychologist Carl Rogers in the 1940s. This therapeutic approach takes a radical stance to therapy by placing the power and control of therapy in your hands, rather than the therapists. Person-centred therapy treats you as an equal and places a deep trust in you and your ability to self-direct, even when you may feel lost and confused and unable to trust in yourself in moments.

This might sound strange and unnerving - to be trusted so deeply when you may not even feel like you can trust yourself. So much of modern society and culture teaches us that we cannot value or trust our own judgements. That we should look to external forces and people to tell us how to behave, what to believe, and who we are. This is why the person-centred approach is a radical approach to therapy - it encourages you to learn to trust in your own thoughts, feelings and instincts and to truly connect with your concept of who you are, and what you believe in.

Working in this way encourages deep self-discovery and personal growth. You start to build more confidence in your own internal judgements and references and develop acceptance of yourself. Your inner thoughts and feelings, start to reflect more accurately your outer experiences.

In person-centred therapy, your individual worldview and experiences are at the centre of each session. We will work in a non-directive and non-judgemental way where you can express yourself freely without being forced or directed to talk about something or explore a specific issue. You will have the freedom to explore or speak about whatever feels right for you without any fear of being rushed, pressured, criticised or judged.

Working together, we place a deep trust in you and your process - that you will find the right direction for yourself, even when you might feel the most lost. That deep down, you are the person who understands and knows yourself the most, even when you doubt it.

The therapeutic relationship we build together will have an active role in this process of coming in to your Self. I will be there each step of the way listening empathically, offering genuine affection and care, and accepting you no matter what you bring. I will support you with reflecting on your experiences to gain a better understanding of yourself and your situations.

Who Can It Help?

Person-centred therapy is a therapeutic approach that can be used to support a wide variety of individuals and issues like -

• Depression

• Anxiety

• Bereavement

• Trauma i.e. childhood trauma, intergenerational trauma, cultural trauma etc.,

• Gender related issues i.e. women's issues, men's issues, gender dysmorphia etc.,

• LGBTQI+ issues

• Racism and discrimination

• Identity issues

• Relationship problems

• And many more

Person-centred therapy is quite a universal approach able to support diverse client groups, with each person-centred therapist specialising in supporting individuals and issues that interest them. Therapy is not just for those in crisis. It can be beneficial for anyone looking to improve their well-being, or understand themselves better and each therapy journey is a unique process.

What Are The Benefits of Person-Centred Therapy?

Engaging in person-centred therapy can lead to a number of benefits. Person-centred therapy has been shown to help individuals strive towards their potential and flourish even after trauma. It is an approach that can help you to feel more in control of your life so that you can live more authentically and cope with the varying challenges of life better.

When you feel more aligned with your concept of self, you feel more connected with your experiences. Deep understanding and acceptance of oneself, has been found to support people with processing difficult memories and experiences, and to also grow from distress and adversity. But person-centred therapy is not just about unpacking trauma and difficult experiences. It is also about helping you to unlock your inner tools so that you can grow and flourish despite the challenges that you may face in life.

Here are a few other benefits person-centred therapy can lead to:

Improved Self-Awareness

Person-centred therapy encourages self-reflection and self-acceptance. By openly discussing your thoughts and feelings in a safe non-judgemental space, you have the opportunity to really connect with yourself and your experiences to help you feel more authentic and aligned.

Building a strong therapeutic relationship is a key facilitating element in this as when you feel accepted and understood by others, you start to feel more accepting and understanding of yourself.

Embracing Your Emotions

Many people struggle with accepting and feeling their emotions. We are often taught to ignore, avoid or dismiss many of our emotions, to the point where we become so detached from what is even going on for us and shut off from our emotional responses. For example, we might say that we are fine with something, when deep down we are not. We may ignore our anger or go along with things we don't agree with.

Therapy can help you learn how to process and be with these feelings and emotions in healthy ways. Your emotions and experiences will be accepted as they are helping you to sit with the emotions that arise for you and make sense of where they are coming from.

When you are able to recognise and accept what you are genuinely feeling, it helps you to understand your experiences better. It offers you validation that your emotions are real and normal reactions to what you are going through.

This can help you feel more accepting of yourself and your emotions. This can also lead to improved relationship connections as you are able to understand, reflect and communicate your authentic feelings more.

Relationship Connections

As you become more connected with your concept of who you are, you may find that your relationships with others also improves. When you feel deeply and empathically understood from your perspective, you feel more able to also understand other people from their perspective too.

You may find yourself being able to communicate your genuine thoughts and feelings better. This can make you feel more understanding of the feelings and perspectives of others which can strengthen connections with friends, family and partners, leading to healthier and more fulfilling relationships.

Safe Space for Expression

Therapy gives you a space dedicated to you and your journey. It is a confidential and non-judgemental environment where you can express your thoughts and feelings freely without worrying.

Many of us might not have a space in our lives where we can be the sole focus. Therapy can help you to feel unburned by giving you the space and time so that you can feel understood, held and supported.

This can be incredibly liberating and freeing. It can help you feel more able to cope with the challenges of life as you are carrying less of an emotional burden and thus, have more capacity to deal with things.

Enhanced Self-Esteem

Therapy is a non-judgemental environment encouraging you to not judge yourself and reduce feelings of shame, blame, and guilt. As you work through your feelings and issues and understand yourself better, you might find yourself experiencing a boost in self-esteem and confidence. You will be able to look at your life more realistically, acknowledging both the good and the bad and realising that you have always been a person of value and importance.

Therapy helps you reflect on your achievements, as well as your difficulties and this can be an empowering process as you learn to acknowledge and accept all the parts of you. This can help you to access inner tools, perspectives and abilities within you. You can develop a more internal sense of self-worth that relies less on the acceptance and validation of others, and more on the acceptance and validation of yourself.

Long-Term Growth

Therapy is not a quick fix only focused on addressing trauma and past experiences. Therapy is a process that promotes long-term personal growth and resilience by facilitating you to recognise and own your power and control.

When you are able to recognise your personal power and your intrinsic abilities, this will help you to feel more in control of your life in the long term. You will feel a shift from passively coasting through life, to feeling like you are an active participant in your life. This can help you to set healthier boundaries and make choices that feel more authentic to you.

Therapy takes time. You were not created in a single moment, but through a process of evolution, growth and aging. In this same way, working on yourself and giving yourself the space and support you need will be a journey with many ups and downs. When you are able to embrace life as an ongoing journey, rather than a final destination to be reached, you will feel more emotionally resilient to the challenges of life.

Final Thoughts: Embracing the Journey

Therapy is a personal and transformative experience. It requires courage to seek help and a commitment to self-discovery and it can be a powerful tool for personal growth and emotional healing.

As you embark on this journey, remember that it is okay to take your time. Healing is not a linear process, and everyone moves at their own pace. Celebrate your progress, no matter how small, and be gentle with yourself along the way.

Therapy is not a quick solution. It takes time and effort to see results. Personal growth is a lifelong journey, and therapy is a part of that process. Embrace the process, and allow yourself to grow.

If you are considering therapy, you are not alone on this journey. With the right support, you can overcome challenges and embrace a more fulfilling life and I would love to hear from you to talk about how I can help.

Contact

Nipa

@therapytalkswithnipa