Person Centred Therapy

 

What is PCA? 

Carl Rogers (1902-1987) was the founder of Person Centred Approach otherwise known as Client Centred Therapy and this developed into Student Centred Learning and additional practices. He developed this method of counselling and therapy to counteract a patriarchal, dominant and overbearing and sometimes abusive power dynamic that therapists and teachers had in the past. He came from a Christian background in the USA and researched the data in order to find out which type of therapy helped the client to recover most from neurosis and even more serious mental illness. 

He discovered that all methods of therapy were beneficial if the counsellor portrayed three vital qualities - a non judgemental attitude, a genuine concern, and also had empathy for the client's problems. He did not attempt to diagnose or interpret aspects of the client, but gave patient support, and considered responses to show that he understood what the client was saying on a deep and caring attention. 

PCA is a humanistic and existential listening and reflecting method, and a caring response should be available to the client whatever this method is being used. The object of the therapy being to improve the client's life so they can have better relationships, be able to work, and enjoy their life to the full. When this is achieved, the client is said to be 'fully functioning'. 

For more information:  http://www.psychotherapy.net/data/uploads/5110340dadcda.pdf

 

Article: Wendy Stokes   https://wendystokes.co.uk