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The first empirically supported talking therapy was Person-Centred Counselling/Psychotherapy.

In the 1940s and 1950s, Carl Rogers and his colleagues audio-recorded therapy sessions to determine what led to effective therapy. They identified some key conditions for creating a safe space for clients. ​

For constructive psychological development to take place in an environment free of physical and psychological threats, six conditions must be met:

• Two people are in psychological contact

• The first, whom we shall term the client, is in a state of incongruence, being vulnerable or anxious.

• The second person, whom we shall term the therapist, is congruent or integrated into the relationship.

• The therapist experiences unconditional positive regard for the client.

• The therapist experiences an empathic understanding of the client’s frame of reference and endeavours to communicate this experience to the client.

• The communication to the client of the therapist’s empathic understanding and unconditional positive regard is, to a minimal degree, perceived.

For decades, these six conditions have influenced person-centred counselling/psychotherapy theory and practice.

Person-centred theory has influenced the language used to discuss counselling and psychotherapy in general. However, in our opinion, the person-centred approach is often oversimplified, even in counselling and psychotherapy communities.

Often, we feel, that this oversimplification overlooks the richness and complexity of working in a principled, person-centred way. Indeed, we would argue that if, as person-centred practitioners, we move away from our core values we lose a crucial element of our practice rather than gain something.

This community aims to challenge stereotypes and misunderstandings about what it means to be a person-centred counsellor/psychotherapist and consider person-centred theory and practice through a contemporary lens. We would love you to come join our community. Find us on all the usual social media platforms.