An imperfect explanation of my PCI approach
I am a Person-Centred Integrative counsellor, which means I am grounded in a person-centred approach, but I integrate other philosophies and ways of working. But what does that mean, for myself and my clients, in practice?
I often find it difficult to properly explain my way of working in words, perhaps because it is more something you just know when you see it - or experience it. Also, as soon as I start explaining it I’m afraid it starts to all sound a bit pretentious and evangelical, which is the opposite of the stripped down humanity I seek to offer. (See, it’s already started!).
My approach is not about applying techniques or interventions, it is more a ‘way of being’. I may sometimes integrate my knowledge of ‘tools’ where these seem relevant to what the client is bringing to the session, but the main ‘work’ is simply being present and attentive to the client.
My foundation is the Person-Centred approach, a philosophy founded by Carl Rogers through which he moved away from the more medicalised psychiatry profession in which he practised. Rogers believed that therapeutic progress happens when the client (not patient), leads the recovery process and the therapist puts their ‘expert’ ego aside and adopts an attitude of empathy, congruence (authenticity), and unconditional positive regard (UPR) of the client.
“The task of the counsellor is to be the kind of companion who can relate in such a way that the client can access their own wisdom and recover self-direction.” (Mearns & Thorne, 2007)
‘Simply being’ while the client does all the therapeutic work sounds easy doesn’t it? However, the challenge comes from the complex balance and commitment to the three ‘conditions’ the therapist must offer.
Empathy
I aim to put myself in the client’s world, to understand their experiencing and feel what they feel. I demonstrate empathy when I have a felt (emotional and physical) sense of what is going on for the client and am experiencing what it might be like to be them and to ‘walk in their shoes’. I feel I am able to offer them a reflection of their internal world.
Unconditional Positive Regard
I ‘prize’ the client and accept them as they are, without judgement. The client is the most important person to me in the world while we are in the room together.
Congruence (Genuineness)
Being congruent demands that I bring my whole self to the relationship.
My congruence models for the client that it is good to be oneself. I am human and flawed and accept myself as I am. I act with honesty and candour. While I am not actively disclosing personal information (because this is rarely of benefit to the client), I wear my heart on my sleeve. I am open to being in relationship with the client and am ‘in the moment’ with them: my focus and mind is on them and not on other concerns.
I believe my way of being, when the client is able to accept it, is experienced by most clients as being ‘prized’; their experience understood; their worth and autonomy validated.
A Dynamic Relationship
I’ve heard Person-Centred therapy being criticized as too passive, but I really believe it is the opposite. Sometimes it is helpful to be a reflector of the client’s thoughts or to hold a silence. In some ways I take up less space in the room so that the client has the space to fill. But I am right in it there with them. There are two of us in a relationship of equals and there is a dialogue between us as we explore together the client’s thoughts, feelings and senses.
I believe it is the relationship itself that becomes the agent of change. A client who feels overlooked, dismissed, and undervalued in their personal life begins to experience genuine acceptance, respect, and care in the counselling space. Over time, this creates a safe foundation for them to question their internalised belief of being insignificant or unworthy. Gradually, they develop a stronger sense of self-worth, carry themselves with greater confidence, assert their needs, and experiment with new ways of navigating challenges in their daily life.
“… The aim … is for a person to discover, explore and experience his or her own shape, pattern and wholeness … In this way people can let themselves become totally what they already are, and what they potentially can become” (Clarkson, 1999)
This approach requires a great deal of trust—not only from the client but also from myself. Trusting that the process of being present, offering empathy, and cultivating a genuine connection is enough to create change. It’s not always easy to resist the urge to “fix” or steer the conversation, especially when someone is in pain. But I believe that true growth happens when clients are empowered to find their own answers, in their own time.
Counselling, as I see it, isn’t about being the expert who provides solutions. It’s about walking alongside someone as they navigate their path. Sometimes, this means sitting in silence, bearing witness to their struggle. Other times, it means celebrating their breakthroughs, no matter how small they might seem.
Every client is unique, and every therapeutic relationship unfolds differently. What stays constant is my commitment to being fully present, accepting, and authentic. Together, we create a space where they can feel seen, heard, and valued—perhaps for the first time in a long time.
Ultimately, my work is about supporting clients to reconnect with themselves. By experiencing acceptance and care in our sessions, they often begin to offer the same to themselves. And that, I believe, is where the real healing begins.
