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Person-Centered and Experiential 

Psychotherapy

What is person-centered psychotherapy?

Person-centered therapy, originating from the pioneering insights of psychologist Carl Rogers in the mid-20th century and also known as client-centered therapy, diverges from conventional psychotherapeutic methods by placing paramount importance on the individual's experience. This school of therapy assumes that people are inherently capable of solving their own problems. The client-centered psychotherapist has faith in the client’s abilities for growth and development.

The primary goal of therapy is not merely to solve specific problems, but rather to help you gain insight into the barriers preventing satisfactory solutions. I tune into your experiences, forming a precise understanding and reflecting this back to you. This process facilitates self-exploration, self-acceptance, and self-confrontation, focusing predominantly on the present and future rather than dwelling excessively on the past. Exploration of past experiences is only deemed relevant when they significantly impact your present reality.

Sessions are tailored to your specific needs and preferences, whether you're grappling with anxiety, depression, trauma, navigating relationship complexities, or simply pursuing personal development. Your insights and aspirations drive the direction of our sessions. As your therapist, I strive to create a nurturing and accepting environment where you can freely explore your thoughts, feelings, and experiences without fear of judgment. Rather than directing or prescribing, my role is to accompany you on your journey of self-exploration and growth, providing unwavering support and encouragement as you seek healing, inner wisdom, renewed vitality, and purpose.

Expect sessions to feel like intimate conversations, devoid of formality. I strive for an equitable relationship with you. Our interactions are characterized by respect, authenticity, and empathy, creating an environment conducive to self-exploration. You are viewed as the expert on your own psychological functioning, while I serve as a facilitator of the therapeutic process. You're encouraged to express your truth, confront challenging emotions, and discover new perspectives. I may incorporate elements of Focusing Therapy into our sessions to enrich your self-exploration process, helping you listen to your body's subtle messages and access the clarity, resilience, and coping strategies necessary for navigating life with greater ease.

More on person-centred couples therapy

What does a person-centered therapy look like?

To get a better understanding of person-centered psychotherapy, you may want to watch the following excerpt from a pedagogical TV program featuring Carl Rogers in a session with Gloria in 1965. It is a beautiful demonstration of the therapeutic method. Subtitles can be activated in different languages in the YouTube settings.


"Look at this hummingbird! Doesn't it symbolize the flexible attitude that characterizes our approach? This hummingbird has the ability not only to move forward like other birds but also to move backward. It manages to approach flowers, just enough to retreat if it's too close, to move forward again if it's too far away. At every moment, it can adjust its proximity and distance, at the very edge of flowers (or things), to avoid damaging them and to benefit from the nectar, to be in a presence that is not pressure, nor in a distance that would also be pressure by default."
- André de Peretti