For most people, life is pretty smooth, without any major hiccups. You work, play, rest, and life goes on. However, for some of us, life is more challenging. Mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and major disorders can impact up to 20% of the general population. Other problems such as eating disorders, substance abuse, overspending, and obsession and compulsion in various areas can have a major impact, too.

That’s why therapy can be important if you experience any of these issues. Whether it’s client-centred or more traditional therapy with a mental health professional with a Graduate Certificate in Mental Health, finding the type of therapy that works best for you is a process of trial and error.

This article will provide an overview of person-centred therapy — what it is, its key concepts, how it works, what it can help with, and its benefits.

So, if you’re interested in this topic, continue reading to learn more.

What is Client-Centred, or Rogerian, Therapy?

Client-centred therapy, also known as person-centred therapy or Rogerian therapy, is a form of talk therapy where you act as an equal partner in the therapy process. This type of therapy is a non-directive form of talk therapy in which the client acts, as we described above, as an equal partner in the therapeutic process while your therapist remains non-directive. This means they don’t pass judgment on your feelings or offer suggestions or solutions. This allows you the time and space to explore the issues you’re facing with the gentle support of the therapist.

This approach was developed by a humanist psychologist called Carl Rogers during the 1940s and 1950s. Rogers is widely regarded as one of the most influential psychologists of the 20th century. He believed that people are the best experts on their own lives and experiences and that centering them in the therapy process could be incredibly beneficial.

Rogers also suggested that humans have a self-actualising tendency or a desire to fulfil their potential and become the best that they can be. Rogerian therapy was intended to allow clients to fulfil that potential by relying on their strengths to make changes in their lives.

Initially, Rogers called his technique “non-directive therapy.” Much like the groundbreaking psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, whose models are still used today, Rogers believed that the therapeutic relationship could lead to insights and lasting changes in clients if it took a non-directive form.

When is Rogerian Therapy Used?

Person-centred or Rogerian therapists tend to work with individuals or groups and with both adults and adolescents. This type of therapy can be long-term or short-term, depending on the needs and preferences of the client.

The Rogerian approach can benefit people who are seeking to gain more self-confidence, a stronger sense of their identity, actuality, or authenticity, as well as those hoping for greater success in establishing interpersonal (platonic or romantic) relationships and developing more trust in their own decisions.

The unique approach, working either alone or in combination with other types of therapy, can help those dealing with problems such as anxiety and depression as well as grief or other difficult life circumstances, such as abuse, breakups, professional anxiety, substance abuse, compulsion, obsession, or perhaps family stressors.

Since the client must take the initiative in person-centred therapy, those who are more motivated to change are likely to be more successful than those who are content being stuck in a rut without the motivation to get out.

The Key Concepts of Person-Centred Therapy

Mental health professionals and therapists who use this approach strive to create the conditions needed for their clients to change and empower them to do so. Client-centred therapy means creating a therapeutic environment that is simultaneously comfortable, non-judgemental, and empathetic, which is achieved through three key features:

• Genuineness and congruence
• Unconditional positive regard
• Empathetic understanding

By using these three techniques, client-centred therapists can help clients grow psychologically, become more self-aware, and change their problematic behaviours via self-direction.

Remember that in this type of therapy, the client is positioned as an expert in their treatment, with the therapist acting to empower them to make changes and support them throughout the process. In this type of environment, a client feels safe and free from judgment and is given the space and capacity to grow and change.

What Can I Expect in This Type of Therapy?

Person-centred therapy is a type of talk therapy where the client does most of the talking. The therapist will not actively direct conversation in the sessions or even judge or interpret what you say. Still, they may ask you to restate or reframe your words to fully understand your thought process and feelings (and then do this to help you do the same).

When you hear your own words repeated back to you in this way, in a calm, non-judgemental, and professional manner, you may then wish to self-edit and clarify your meaning. This can actually happen a few times throughout a therapy session until you decide you have expressed exactly what you’re thinking and how you feel. This can help you work through your problems and come to a new understanding of yourself and your place in the world.

In person-centred therapy, there may be moments of long silence and thought to allow your thoughts and emotions to sink in. This client-focused process is intended to facilitate the client’s self-discovery and self-acceptance and provide a space for healing and positive growth that you direct.

Benefits of Client-Centred Therapy

This type of therapy is designed to help you improve your self-concept, self-esteem, and thoughts and feelings. At times, your self-concept is congruent or aligned with reality. In other cases, your self-perceptions are unrealistic or not in line with what actually exists in the real world. While most people inevitably distort reality to at least a small degree, when self-concept is in stark contrast with reality, self-incongruence can result.

For example, imagine someone who views themselves as uninteresting and a poor conversationalist or a boor, despite the fact that other people find them fascinating, polite, and quite engaging. Because this person’s self-perceptions are askew with reality, they may experience poor self-esteem. Client-centred therapy could help this person discover who they really are and that their self-concept is at odds with reality.

What to Consider for This Type of Therapy

For client-centred therapy to be truly effective, you need to be willing and able to share your internal thought processes, feelings and experiences with your therapist without their direct guidance or advice. As the name suggests, you will act as an equal partner during the therapy sessions, often determining the course of your sessions and what path the therapy takes. However, your therapist may also ask questions or seek clarification, as we mentioned above.