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How aMAZE Counselling Therapy Works
At aMAZE Counselling Therapy, we provide personalised counselling services that cater to a wide range of emotional and psychological needs. Our therapeutic approach is informed by Person-Centred Therapy, ensuring we can tailor our approach to suit your unique needs and experiences.
We provide individual counselling, which is one-on-one therapy for issues such as anxiety, depression, stress, and self-esteem.
What is Person-Centred Therapy?
Person-centred counselling is a therapeutic approach developed by Carl Rogers in the 1940s and 1950s. It's grounded in the belief that individuals possess the intrinsic ability to grow and overcome challenging life situations when provided with an environment such as one that aMAZE Therapists can offer.
The Principles of Person-Centred counselling
When we apply Person-Centred counselling we believe that our client is the expert of their own life. As therapists we are not the authority who diagnoses and prescribes solutions, but rather as a facilitator who supports our client's process of self-discovery. This makes clients stronger for longer.
In our therapy sessions we develop a therapeutic relationship by giving three key things:
One: Being genuine with our clients
This means we are open, authentic, and we do not put on a professional facade. We show our true self to our client.
Two: Being empathetic
We will always try to understand our client's experience and feelings as if they were our own. Through this experience we can communicate our understanding of the clients world back to our clients. This enables us to better understand the needs and requirements but also for our clients to receive a deeper understanding that is not usually experienced outside of the therapy.
Three: Unconditional Positive Regard
As therapists we accepts our client without any conditions or judgements. This means our client feels valued no matter what they say or do.
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In Person-Centred therapy we believe the client has the potential to realise their purpose. This is known as "Actualisation". This also means clients have an innate (natural) drive to achieve their fullest potential or "self-actualise". Given the right conditions (as experienced in therapy sessions), clients can move toward greater self-awareness and positive change.
Although the past/history of a client is important, in therapy we acknowledge the history but focus on the issues of the here and now. While past experiences and future concerns can be discussed, the therapy often emphasises the client's current feelings and challenges.
As therapists we are trained to listen. We often use reflective listening to ensure our client feels heard. This can involve mirroring back what our client tells us in order to clarify and deepen the client's understanding of their own experience.
One of the key principles of Person-Centred therapy is that we are "Non-directive". We will avoid leading our clients or giving direct advice. Instead, we encourage our clients to discover solutions and insights on their own (with our support).
We value the power and the quality of the relationship between our client and ourself. It is proven that the therapeutic relationship itself can be a healing factor.
We trust in our client's "Inner Resources". As therapists we believe that our clients have the inner resources needed for growth. Our clients are offered the right conditions to discover and make use of them.
To summarise, Person-Centred counselling is nothing like Behavioural Therapy (CBT), which is more structured and directive (and includes homework, and tasks). Its worth noting that the Person-Centred approach has been influential in the field of psychotherapy and has led to the development of other humanistic therapies.