HUMANISTIC COUNSELLING
Person-Centred Therapy/Gestalt Therapy/Transactional Analysis/
/Existential Therapy/Focusing
Humanistic Counselling, as opposed to its close cousin, Psychodynamic Counselling, is a very warm, non-judgemental and accepting form of counselling. At the heart of Humanistic Counselling is the belief that we are all created equal. I am not the expert. You are. My aim, therefore, is to respect who you are and what you bring to the counselling room. Nothing is too big, or too awful to lay down in front of me.
There are several different types of Humanistic Counselling, all with the same underlying principles. Each client will have different needs and different ways of being and therefore I tend to use different approaches to suit the individual clients. These different approaches are outlined below.
Person-Centred Therapy
Gestalt Therapy
Transactional Analysis
Existential Therapy
Focusing
Person-Centred Therapy
This focuses on an individual's self-worth and values. Being valued as a person, without being judged, can help an individual accept who they are and re-connect with themselves.
Gestalt Therapy
This focuses on the whole of the individual's experience, including their thoughts, feelings and actions. This is more directive than Person-Centred Therapy and could involve role-playing and other creative techniques.
Transactional Analysis
This provides a connection between an individual's past and how this influences present decisions and choices. By understanding the three ego states of 'Parent', 'Adult' and 'Child', the way in which individuals relate to other people can be seen and thus, readdressed.
Existential Therapy
This focuses on exploring issues from a philosophical perspective rather than using any techniques. It is helpful for clients who are looking to find a greater meaning within their lives.
Focusing
This is a technique where individuals are encouraged to get in touch with their 'felt sense' - to gain direct access to their bodies' knowledge. This helps to open up deeper feelings and intuition.