Allison Brown Counselling

What is Counselling?

Carl Rogers, an influential therapist in the 20th century, emphasised the importance of the qualities of the counsellor and how they could promote understanding and change within clients. He wrote..

If I can create a relationship characterised on my part :

by a genuineness and transparency, in which I am my real feeling;
by a warm acceptance of and prizing of the other person as a separate individual;
by a sensitive ability to see his world and himself as he sees them;

Then the other individual in the relationship :

will experience and understand aspects of himself which previously he has repressed;
will find himself becoming better integrated, more able to function effectively;
will become more similar to the person he would like to be;
will be more self-directing and self-confident;
will become more of a person, more unique and more self-expressive;
will be more understanding, more acceptant of others;
will be able to deal with the problems of life more adequately and more comfortably;

Rogers (1961)

I believe that creating a non-judgemental and trusting relationship where clients can safely explore any issue that is important to them underpins successful counselling and I value the trust clients place in me as a counsellor. Such trusting relationships often allow many life experiences to be explored in counselling and such personal journeys can often be very powerful for people. I continually try to provide such a safe place for people to explore their many different thoughts and feelings and for me to be alongside them on their personal journeys.