Humanistic Integrative therapy is a holistic approach. It encompassess Person-Centred therapy, Transactional Analysis and Gestalt Therapy, which all make a valuable contribution to understanding the individual as a whole. The focus is on understanding not only the person but also their experience within their family and wider environment.
Person-centred therapy Is a non-directive approach. It offers the client a safe and supportive environment via the continuous provision of acceptance, empathy and congruence. It facilitates the client’s process of self-discovery and personal growth by allowing them to explore and utilise their own strengths to grow and fulfil their potential. The counsellor assists the client on this journey by offering encouragement, guidance and support so that they are able to gain greater insight into what has hurt them and what is needed to make positive change.
Transactional Analysis is a theory of communication which provides a valuable framework for understanding human communication and behaviour in order to improve interpersonal relationships. The counsellor works with the client to identify what has gone wrong in the client’s communication and why. This insight brings greater awareness and facilitates personal growth and meaningful change.
Transactional analysis also provides insight, via the concept of life scripts, into the way in which adult patterns of behaviour have their origin in childhood. The counsellor and the client work collaboratively to identify the client’s life script so that repetitive patterns that may limit their ability to manage current problems can be explored and changed.
Gestalt Therapy is based on a holistic philosophy and views each person as a system which encompasses the mind, body, feelings and behaviours as a whole. It is centred on increasing self-awareness, self-direction and balance.
This form of therapy is based on the concept that past events have an effect in the present moment. Together the client and the counsellor explore not only the client’s internal world, but also the impact from the environment. The counsellor helps the client to express thoughts and emotions from a present-moment perspective so that they can understand themselves and their responses to others better. In this way the client can develop new ways of thinking and bring positive change into their life.
