In his counselling/therapy practice, Timothy works in a way which is faithful to the theoretical constructs and practical ideals postulated by the late Dr. Carl Rogers.
From the very beginning of Timothy’s counselling training in 1990, Client Centred, Person Centred, or “Rogerian” counselling/therapy has been both the foundation and the benchmark of how Timothy engages with all his clients.
In the mid 1990’s, Timothy undertook intensive training at the Centre for the Study of the Person in La Jolla, California. CSP was set up by Dr Rogers decades previously, and for over a decade, post his training there, Timothy was an enthusiastic member of CSP.
The Centre for the Person state: “Carl Rogers is widely regarded as one of the most influential psychologists of the 20th-century. He was a humanistic thinker and believed that people are fundamentally good. Carl Rogers is considered one of the founders of humanistic psychology and the person-centered approach. In his fifty-year professional career, psychologist Carl R. Rogers (1902-1987) was a pioneer whose work inspired many people. His continuing legacy is evident not only in the field of therapeutic psychology, where he is considered one of the twentieth century’s giants, but also in education, peace work, religion, community and other organizations, and philosophy. All of these applications stem from Rogers’ abilities to develop a certain way of relating (“being with”) those people with whom he came in contact. Rogers practiced these abilities in relationships where he was moved to help another person; he researched, thought and wrote about these abilities and their successes. Rogers’ groundbreaking sensitivity is that for a person to be truly helped, the important healing factor is the relationship itself. Rogers focused on the ways that the helper can promote certain core conditions between him or herself and the client”. (c) Centre for the Person.
Dr. Carl Rogers (1902–1987) was one of the most influential psychologists in American history. His contributions in the fields of education, counseling, psychotherapy, and conflict resolution and peace are recognized worldwide. As one of the founders of humanistic psychology, he profoundly influenced the world through his empathic presence, his rigorous research, his authorship of 16 books and more than 200 professional articles.
Carl Rogers developed the client-centered approach through his work in psychotherapy. First described in his book, Client-centered Therapy, published in 1951, his philosophy was later applied to many areas of human growth and development. As his ideas expanded beyond psychotherapy to education, parenting, medicine, social work, organizational development and other fields, Rogers used the term "person-centered approach."
His basic assumptions are that people are essentially trustworthy, that they have a vast potential for understanding themselves and resolving their own problems and are capable of self-direction if they are in a relationship that is empathic, supportive, caring and without judgment. He consistently emphasized the attitudes and personal characteristics of the authentic presence of the therapist as the prime determinant of the outcome of the therapeutic process. His belief in the client’s capacity for self-healing is in contrast with many theories that view the therapist’s techniques as the most powerful agents that lead to change. (c) Person Centred Expressive Arts