Person Centered Approach
One major difference between humanistic counselors and other therapists is that they refer to those in therapy as 'clients' or 'guests', not 'patients'. This is because they see the therapist and client as equal partners rather than as an expert treating a patient. Unlike other therapies, the client is responsible for improving his or her life, not the therapist.
We let the client consciously and rationally decides for themselves what is wrong and what should be done about it. The therapist is more of a guide or counselor who listens and encourages on an equal level. Our focus is on the quality of the relationship between client and therapist. We promote and encourage therapists to be warm, genuine and understanding.
We believe that clients would be better helped if they were encouraged to focus on their current subjective understanding rather than on some unconscious motive or someone else's interpretation of the situation.
Core Principles
Person-centered therapy operates according to three basic principles that reflect the attitude of the therapist to the client:
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The therapist is congruent with the client.
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The therapist provides the client with unconditional positive regard.
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The therapist shows empathetic understanding to the client.