Person-centred counselling or psychotherapy for adults
What is it and how long do the sessions last?
Person-centred counselling and psychotherapy is based on the relationship developed between the person-centred psychotherapist and the person (client) who decides to start working with a therapist. The dynamics of the relationship are clear; the client is at the ‘centre’ and determines the aims and the goals throughout the relationship. Through this process the client will explore her inner self and the issues that concern her.
Consequently, the client will determine the length of the therapeutic relationship, by choosing the person-centred counselling or the person-centred psychotherapy. More specifically, the person-centred counselling typically lasts for a specified number of sessions and usually focuses on specific goals that are determined and defined by the client. Person-centred psychotherapy is longer and goes ‘deeper’, covers more issues and incorporates more ‘goals’ than counselling.
Why should I seek therapy and what should I expect?
There are a variety of reasons that can lead a person to the decision to start therapy. Reasons such as interpersonal issues (e.g. involving parents, partner, children), past or recent traumatic experiences, failure to accept oneself or one’s experiences, sudden life changes, or symptoms that have a psychological cause, are some of them.
It is particularly interesting that often, even though the client starts the process by ‘bringing’ a problem that characterises it as ‘central’, after a few sessions she realises that the issue stems from or is related to a deeper, often suppressed matter.
That’s why counselling and psychotherapy is described as a dynamic process through which the client gradually discovers her inner self. Irvin Yalom describes this process as: “a transformational journey of self-discovery”. Therefore, it is only natural that this journey differs from one individual to another and to some extent and in some cases, it can be described as painful or even exhausting. But what it offers can be transformative, as through it the client become empowered, and gradually begin to change to a truer, more genuine and self-aware individual.
The following two videos analyse the process and the benefits of therapy.
References
Pisxos, X., 2021. Ιrvin Yalom: ‘The healing process is a never-ending journey of inner exploration’.. [online] PsychologyΝow.gr. Available at:
https://therapynetwork.eu/articles/31-megali-synentefksi-irvin-gialom-i-therapeftiki-diadikasia-einai-ena-taksidi.html
* For reasons of convenience the pronoun she or her was utilised in this article.