ABSTRACT
One of the great and potentially dangerous myths about person-centred practice is that it is in some way ‘theory free’ and that therefore almost anyone can do it on the basis of very little knowledge. The belief is that person-centred therapy is easy to learn – it is just a matter of being friendly and understanding. Actually there is a big difference between being a person-centred therapist and acquiring a set of skills derived (often somewhat loosely) from the thought and practice of Carl Rogers. Practising in a person-centred way requires a great deal more than a passing acquaintance with the so-called core conditions. While it is true that during the therapeutic encounter the focus of the therapist must be on the client’s current experience rather than theoretical interpretation this can only be done effectively and safely when the therapist has a real understanding of person-centred theory. Haugh (2012: 15–17) refers to the fourfold importance of theory and (p. 16) writes ‘it is imperative that [in the therapeutic encounter] theory is “held lightly”’. She says that rather than pigeonholing a client, theory should help the therapist stay beside the client.
