A Guided Tour of Person-Centred Counselling & Psychotherapy

Name: A Guided Tour of Person-Centred Counselling & Psychotherapy
Rating: 4.7 (50 reviews)

An Accessible and Comprehensive Introduction to Person-Centred Counselling

Created byDavid Hansen

Last updated 9/2025

English

What you'll learn

A comprehensive understanding of Person-Centred Therapy and the philosophy that underpins it.
Increased self-awareness, especially in relation to life events and how they might have impacted you.
A perspective on mental health which acknowledges the uniqueness of each person.
How to offer person-centred support to a person in mental distress.
Empathy and Listening skills.
Counselling skills.

Course content

7 sections • 66 lectures • 10h 27m total length

WATCH THIS BEFORE BUYING1:23
All of the videos of this course are available on my Youtube channel for free. This video basically just explains that. I have only recently uploaded everything on there, but feel it is only fair for me to make it clear to people on this website, so that you can choose whether you want to pay something to watch it on Udemy or watch it for free on Youtube.

Thanks!
Introduction to the Course3:39
This video just offers a basic overview of the structure of the course.
Meet Your Guide3:22
In this video I give a quick overview of my own experience as a qualified counsellor & psychotherapist.
I felt it important to explore this openly so that people have an insight into the relevant experience I have which enables me to offer a course such as this. I think it's important that you know that your 'Guide' is someone who is actually qualified to offer the course they are offering.
I will explore this issue in more detail in the next video, but in the UK at least, 'counsellor' and 'psychotherapist' are not protected terms, and so anybody can legally call themselves either of these things. This is quite a troubling situation, and it can be hard to know whether or not someone knows what they are actually talking about, so I wanted to just mention my knowledge and experience in this video in order to address any concerns around that.
Why This Course isn't 'Accredited', 'Certified' or a 'Diploma' in Counselling12:12
In this video I talk about the requirements needed to ethically and competently train to become a counsellor/psychotherapist, and to become regarded as qualified and competent by the professional bodies in the UK. This video is particularly relevant to people in the UK.
This is video is born out of a discomfort I have with people pretending to offer courses that 'accredit' and 'certify' you as a therapist, but in fact do no such thing. I am wary of being associated with that kind of thing and so this video is a transparent look at the limits of what a pre-recorded course like this one can offer in terms of professional recognition.
How I Have Approached the Course2:26
As with therapy itself, some kind of power dynamic might be unavoidable - but let's at least make it transparent. I would like people to have confidence in me, but I would also like to help people gain confidence in their own experience too.
In this video I explain how I have attempted on this course to navigate the power dynamic which I feel is especially likely to arise due to the medium by which the course is delivered and experienced. In short, my approach is to attempt to humanise myself as a tutor - to show my 'stuff', and to make it clear that I am a human being to attempt to avoid people putting on a pedestal and dis-empower themselves in the process.

Introduction3:33
A brief introduction to the module.
Humanistic Psychology, A Historical Context5:16
In this video, we briefly explore the three major psychological schools—Freud's Psychoanalysis, Behaviourism, and Humanistic Psychology—and analyse their approaches to understanding the complexities of human behaviour. We delve into the cultural history surrounding each school and how attitudes toward knowledge evolved throughout the 20th century. Additionally, we examine the role of humanistic psychology and the person-centred approach within this broader context, highlighting their significance in addressing the intricacies of the human experience. Join us on this journey to better understand how these influential theories shape our perception of psychology today.
Attitudes Towards Complexity - Freud, Behaviorism, Humanism14:22
In this video, we briefly explore the three major psychological schools—Freud's Psychoanalysis, Behaviourism, and Humanistic Psychology—and analyse their approaches to understanding the complexities of human behaviour. We delve into the cultural history surrounding each school and how attitudes toward knowledge evolved throughout the 20th century. Additionally, we examine the role of humanistic psychology and the person-centred approach within this broader context, highlighting their significance in addressing the intricacies of the human experience. Join us on this journey to better understand how these influential theories shape our perception of psychology today.
Pluralistic Thinking (optional)5:46

Introduction4:18
The Actualising Tendency9:59
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs9:28
In this video I explore Abraham Maslow's theory of motivation, also known as his 'Hierarchy of Needs'.
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs - Reflective Exercise7:29
I reflect a little on how I find that these ideas applies to myself and my own life, mainly with a view to ground them in real examples in order to make them easier to understand. I also encourage you to reflect on this idea in relation to yourself too, to encourage that deeper learning.
Conditions of Worth7:18
What are Conditions of Worth and why are they important? In this video I will explore that question.
Conditions of Worth - Reflective Exercise8:46
I reflect a little on how the concept relates to me, and I offer a self-reflection exercise for you to do in your own time to help you cement the concept more deeply.
The Self-Concept6:27
I explore the idea of the 'self-concept' and its relevance to mental health and therapy.
Self-Concept - Reflective Exercise7:35
In this video I encourage you to reflect on your own self-concept and give you a reflective exercise in order to help you do that. I also reflect a little about my own self-concept and mention a couple of occasions when I find that its rigidity can get it in the way of things.
The Seven Stages18:48
In this video I take an in-depth look at 'The Seven Stages', also known as 'The Seven Stages of Process' or 'The Seven Stage Continuum'.
The Seven Stages - Reflective Exercise8:29
I reflect on the seven stages and how it relates to me, and encourage to you consider the concept and engage with it through your own self-reflection, in order to become more deeply familiar with it.
Holding Ideas Loosely4:41
In this video I reflect on the importance of acknowledging uncertainty as a therapist - in relation to clients but also in relation to the concepts we talk about here.
Conceptions of Good Psychological Health 1: The Fully Functioning Person7:53
In this video I explore Carl Rogers' idea of the 'Fully Functioning' person. This is a person who has an excellent feedback loop with their organism on an ongoing basis, is therefore extremely attuned to their feelings and their needs, and can therefore reliably get their needs met and generally speaking navigate their lives in a way that is as satisfying as possible.
References:
Rogers, C. (1980). A Way of Being. Houghton Mifflin.
Conceptions of Good Psychological Health 2: Maslow's Self-Actualising Person8:52
In this video I explore Abraham Maslow's idea of the 'self-actualising person'. If we consider his hierarchy of needs again, this is essentially a person who is in the privileged position to have all of their other needs met on such a regular basis that their growth motivation turns towards self-actualising, or 'transcendence'. This video explores what Maslow believed that looked like.
The Story so Far (optional)3:32
I give a brief overview of all the ground covered so far. This sets us up nicely for the second half of the theory module, which will be released at a later date!

The Therapeutic Conditions9:34
What is known as 'the therapeutic conditions' is based on an outline that Carl Rogers gave where he
listed what he believes to be the 'necessary and sufficient' conditions that need to exist in a
relationship in order for someone to find it therapeutic. Here, we explore what these conditions are.
Core Condition: Empathy9:34
In this video, I explore the core condition of 'Empathy'.
Empathy Exercise5:17
In this video I reflect on my own empathy and, through an exercise, encourage you to do the same.
Core Condition: Unconditional Positive Regard (UPR)5:21
In this video, I explore the core condition of 'Unconditional Positive Regard'.
My cat decided that she wanted to be in this one. I was going to make it widescreen like the other videos but she didn't want to be cut out of the shot.
Unconditional Positive Regard (UPR) Exercise4:24
A video exploring UPR as part of a reflective exercise.
Core Condition: Congruence10:48
In this video, I explore the core condition of 'Congruence'.
Congruence Exercise5:53
A video exploring congruence as part of a reflective exercise.
Putting It All Together6:26
This is just a quick summary of person-centred conceptions of personality development, incorporating ideas like the actualising tendency, conditions of worth, the self-concept and the seven stages, as well as the therapeutic conditions. I thought it would be helpful to have a video putting it all together so they can all be more easily considered in context.
References:
Merry, T. & Haugh, S. (2020). Learning and Being in Person-Centred Counselling (third edition). PCCS Books Ltd.
Configurations of Self8:28
In this video we explore the concept 'Configurations of Self.'
Configurations of Self Exercise4:18
A reflective exercise in relation to the concept 'Configurations of Self.'
Fragile Process10:51
In this video I explore the concept 'Fragile Process', and consider how we can work with people whose process appears particularly fragile.
Dissociation & Dissociated Process15:45
In this video we explore dissociation and dissociated process.
Labelling & Diagnosis12:15
A mental health diagnosis can be extremely validating for a person. However, it can also be quite invalidating - depending on how it is used.
In any case, it's important for any therapist though to look at the person, rather than the label. Like in many other examples on this course, labels can be helpful - but we need to make sure we don't let them get in the way of listening to the person openly.
The Power Threat Meaning Framework14:59
The Power Threat Meaning Framework Exercise11:22
Reflecting on the Implications of The Power Threat Meaning Framework8:21
This is a reflection on the implications of the Power Threat Meaning Framework.
Like the person-centred approach as a whole, the PTMF offers a way of looking at things, not the way.
Nevertheless, the PTMF offers quite a challenge to some traditional ways of looking at mental health and due to this, it is not without controversy.

Introduction & Pre-Session Thoughts3:14
A brief description of the module and some thoughts I have before the 'example session' video.
Example Session50:05
This is a 50 minute recording of an 'example session', with the 'client' played by an actor.
Post Session Discussion3:55
Just a brief video showing some of the post-session discussion I had with the actor who was playing the client.
Watchalong & Reflection Part 148:55
I watch the first half of the 'example session' video, pausing at certain points and adding my thoughts and reflections on the session.
Watchalong & Reflection Part 240:32

Requirements

A sense of curiosity and enthusiasm to learn! Otherwise, no previous experience or qualifications are required.

Description

Welcome to A Guided Tour of Person-Centred Counselling & Psychotherapy! Led by a BACP-accredited person-centred counsellor and psychotherapist, this course offers a warm, accessible, and comprehensive introduction to the person-centred approach. With four years as a counselling tutor and extensive experience working with adults, children, and young people in various settings—including managing a therapy service in a school—your instructor is dedicated to equipping you an understanding of the approach.

After leaving my teaching role in February 2023, I felt inspired to share my knowledge and experiences through this online course. Together, we will explore the journey of humanistic psychology, leading to the emergence of the person-centred approach. You'll gain insights into its historical context and understand its relevance in today's therapeutic landscape.

The course is structured thoughtfully, beginning with an overview of psychology's evolution before focusing on person-centred counselling theory.

As we progress, we’ll delve into practical counselling skills essential for a person-centred practitioner when working with clients. In our final module, you'll witness a simulated counselling session featuring an actor discussing fictional challenges. I'll provide real-time reflections on the session, sharing my thoughts on what was said and what could have been approached differently. This collaborative learning experience is designed to bring you as close as possible to the realities of effective counselling practice.

By the end of this course, you’ll have a clear understanding of the person-centred approach's origins, comprehensive counselling theory, practical skills required in therapy, and what an actual counselling session may entail.

IMPORTANT: Like ALL other courses on this website, this course will not qualify you as a therapist or counsellor. This is simply a resource that can help your understanding of the approach. This is true of all other courses on Udemy, even the ones that describe themselves as 'accredited'. See the BACP guide on the requirements for training to be a therapist, and see my introductory video about the dangers of 'accredited' or 'certified' courses if you'd like to learn more about this.

Keywords: person-centered counselling, online psychotherapy course, introduction to person-centered therapy, humanistic psychology, counselling theory, practical counselling skills, person-centered approach, accessible therapy education, therapist training course, BACP accredited therapist, simulated counselling session, empathy in therapy, supportive therapeutic practice.

Who this course is for:

Anyone interested learning how to support people with their mental health.
Anyone curious about the Person-Centred approach.
Students who are training to be Person-Centred therapists, or who are curious about the approach.
Qualified therapists who would like to learn more about the person-centred approach
Person-centred therapists who would like a 'top-up' of their theoretical understanding.
Anyone wanting to develop deeper, more genuine relationships with those around them.

A Guided Tour of Person-Centred Counselling & Psychotherapy

What you'll learn

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Course content

Introductory Module5 lectures • 23min

The Broader Context4 lectures • 29min

Counselling Theory Part 114 lectures • 1hr 54min

Counselling Theory Part 216 lectures • 2hr 24min

Counselling Skills16 lectures • 1hr 50min

Example Session5 lectures • 2hr 27min

Mental Health & Politics6 lectures • 1hr 2min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: