Person-Centered (Rogerian)

Therapy is a collaborative process and I see my role as a therapist to be a partner in to progress toward self-change. You are the expert in your own life. I am hear to take your lead and offer the tools I have for you to work toward the goals that are important to you. I strive to offer unconditional positive regard and to make sessions a safe place for those I work with. I am open to feedback to make therapy work for you.

I have been trained to help you determine whether to adapt to or accept situations by the way you interpret your emotions, cognitions, and behaviors. This helps you bring meaning to your life which leads to self-actualization. I have been helping people grow, develop, and learn to be autonomous. My non-directive approach here provides awareness to you through reflection and by helping you with effective information processing.

The therpeuctic alliance is the heart of the therapy process. A deep connection between the therapist and client provides a fertile ground for real change and progress.

To me, person-centered theory is a way of being, not just in counseling but in all aspects of life. Engaging in this perspective means I follow your lead. I'm honored to join you on your journey and shed light on patterns, needs, and values you may not have recognized before. You get to decide what pieces to keep or leave behind in order to recreate the you that feels most congruent and connected.

Utilizing unconditional positive regard, I help to create a safe space for clients. I work to de-pathologize the clients and view them as fellow human beings. I help clients feel safe to explore their marginalized identities. Empathy is a primary aspect of person-centered, and creating an authentic relationship with clients can be a powerful space for healing.

My primary theoretical orientation is person-centered. That means, I believe that you are the expert of your life and that I am a fellow traveler, here to help you identify and remove the roadblocks on your path to living as your most authentic self. I have trained during my master's degree toward being a person-centered counselor, and I like to use the techniques from this orientation the most in session with you, as it puts a big emphasis on you as a unique individual, which informs treatment.

I work from a Person-Centered perspective, I believe that you are the expert on yourself and my job is to provide a safe space for you to explore the idea of change. Sessions typically look like a conversation where I provide feedback and sometimes challenge you to explore ideas that maybe you haven't thought of previously. I treat all of my clients with unconditional positive regard, meaning that I will never judge your decisions or actions, rather we may examine what led to these decisions.

The person-centered approach is based on unconditional positive regard for the person. This factor has been strongly linked with successful outcomes in therapy. In my work, I focus on building rapport with clients and offering a safe, comfortable space for doing the difficult work ahead.

Rogerian approaches, today known as Person-Centered Therapy, is a non-directive approach that emphasizes empathy and genuine understanding, allowing clients explore their thoughts at their own pace. Grounded in the cornerstone of what evidence shows is need in effective therapy - the relationship and trust you have with your therapist. My main concern is that we work together to create a space for growth.

My doctoral studies and clinical training focused extensively on classical Client-Centered theory and therapy in the tradition founded by Carl Rogers. I teach Person-Centered therapy at the graduate level, contributing to clinical research and international conferences. I specialize in listening closely to convey empathic understanding of clients' experiences from their perspective. My goal is to create a relationship that helps clients access their inherent capacity for self-healing and growth.

Person-centered therapy, also referred to as Rogerian therapy, was developed and cultivated by psychologist Carl Rogers from the 1940s through the 1980s. The aim of person-centered therapy is to facilitate a client's innate drive toward personal growth and "self-actualization." This is done by providing the conditions now generally recognized by other therapeutic methods as necessary for change, including unconditional positive regard, therapist congruence (genuineness), and empathic understanding. Rogers is quoted as having said "I can't make corn grow, but I can provide the right soil and plant it in the right area and see that it gets enough water; I can nurture it so that exciting things happen. I think that's the nature of therapy."

I believe a person-centered approach is at the core of all counseling. Through coursework, I studied Rogerian therapy and incorporate these principles into every client session.

As a Person-Centered therapist, I believe that every individual possesses the innate capacity for healing and growth. My role is to create a safe and supportive environment where you can explore your thoughts, feelings, and experiences without judgment. I walk alongside you on your therapeutic journey, offering unconditional positive regard, empathy, and congruence.