Frequently Asked Questions
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What is Counselling and How Can It Help Me?
Counselling can provide a safe and confidential space, within a supportive relationship, for you to talk through any issues or challenges that you may be experiencing. A counsellor will not give advice or offer the answers to your problems but will remain alongside you and help you find your own way forward. Sometimes simply being listened to and unconditionally accepted is empowering enough for positive changes to take place.
What is Person-centred Counselling?
Person-centred counselling is one of the humanistic modalities or approaches. It was founded in the 1940s by the American psychologist Carl Rogers who believed that, given the right conditions, a person can reach their full potential and become their true self, which he termed ‘self-actualisation’. This actualisation process is innate and accessible to everyone.
To help you achieve self-actualisation, the person-centred therapist will offer:
- unconditional positive regard (UPR) – accepting and valuing you
- congruence - being honest and transparent in how they experience you and your world
- empathic understanding – seeing your viewpoint as if they were you
When you’re attending counselling sessions with a person-centred counsellor, you’ll be encouraged to bring your own issues to the session – the counselling is led by you and not directed by the counsellor.
Many clients, with no prior knowledge of counselling, believe that the counsellor will sort their problems out for them. A person-centred counsellor will help you to explore your own issues, feelings, beliefs, behaviour, and worldview, so you can become more self-aware and achieve greater independence. [Source:https://www.bacp.co.uk/about-therapy/types-of-therapy/person-centred-counselling/]
Can you guarantee that I will feel better by the time I finish counselling?
What I can guarantee is that I will do my utmost to work with you on your understanding of yourself so that you are able face life’s challenges in a way that leaves you feeling okay about who you are and that you are able to access help and support when you need it. But how you feel when counselling ends will also be dependent on other circumstances personal to you and wherever possible we would look at these as part of the “ending our work together” process.
What are your qualifications to practice counselling?
- Certificate in Counselling Young People
- Certificate of Proficiency from BACP
- CPCAB Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling
- Enhanced DBS (Adults& Children)
- NCFE Level 3 Award n Counselling Skills and Theory
- NCFE Level 2 Award in Helping Skills
- NCFE Level 1 Award in Interpersonal Skills
