Who’s the Expert in the Therapy Room?

When people first come to therapy, they often expect the therapist to act like a kind of expert – someone who can diagnose what’s wrong, explain the root of the issue, and offer clear solutions.
In many models of therapy, that’s exactly what happens.

But in person-centred therapy, we do things very differently.

A Different Kind of Expertise

As a person-centred therapist, I don’t believe I’m the expert in your life – you are.

Rather than analysing, diagnosing, or giving advice, I aim to create the conditions in which you can get to know yourself more deeply, connect with what matters to you, and move towards the life you want. I believe you have an inner drive to grow, heal, and move forward – a process Carl Rogers called the actualising tendency.

When therapists position themselves as the expert, it can leave clients feeling disempowered or dependent. It can also make it harder for someone to learn to trust their own judgment – something that’s often already been undermined by difficult life experiences.

Power, Trust and Mental Health

Having little power or control over your life is closely linked with poor mental health. Many of the clients I work with have had experiences of being silenced, dismissed, or disempowered. Therapy should not add to that.

That’s why I take a non-directive, collaborative approach. You set the pace. You decide what we focus on. I’m here to walk alongside you – not to lead the way.

So What Is My Role?

This doesn’t mean I’m untrained or simply “just listening.”
As person-centred therapists, we study and train for many years to be able to offer therapy that’s grounded, skilled and safe.

We train in:

Person-centred theory, including what helps people thrive, how personality develops, and how change happens.
Developments in research and theory, including trauma, power, and social context.
Self-awareness, so our own feelings and reactions don’t get in the way of your process.
Empathy and unconditional positive regard – the cornerstones of person-centred work, and not as simple as they might sound. Creating a space of genuine warmth, respect and deep understanding takes time, reflection, and practice.
Difference and diversity, so we can truly meet each client as they are, and understand the wider social context of their experience.
The mental health system, so we understand where therapy fits in, and what other options or supports may be available.

You Are the Expert

In person-centred therapy, I don’t claim to have the answers to your problems.
But I do believe that you can find them – and that in the right conditions, you’ll come to trust yourself more deeply.

If you’re looking for therapy that respects your voice, supports your autonomy, and meets you as an equal, person-centred therapy might be the right fit for you.