Courses accredited by"Personal change takes place in the direction of greater freedom and spontaneity. This freedom is essentially an inner thing and is the realisation that I can live by my own choice. It is being responsible for the self one chooses to be" - Carl Rogers
Persona was established in 1994 with the primary focus of providing personal and professional development opportunities founded on the principles of the Person-Centred approach. The Person-Centred approach is founded on a well integrated theory of growth and development which stresses the inner resources of each individual. As a therapeutic approach it sets out to provide individuals with a connection with another person which minimises adverse conditions and maximises those conditions which support development. The approach is based on the work of Carl Rogers and it has continued to develop from his original writings. At a time when Cognitive Behavioural Therapy seems to dominate the NHS, the Person-Centred approach is less fashionable however in research over and over again it has proved itself to be no less effective and in many situations considerably more effective in supporting people to regain control in their lives. The Person-Centred approach is based on genuinely valuing the individual and trusting in his/her capacity for growth, change and self-healing. The therapist will pay close attention to what the person says and work to genuinely understand the world from the client’s point-of-view, without criticism or judgement. The therapist will be open and honest, respectful and reliable to the client and through dialogue based on these principles, support the client to become more in touch with his/her true self, true feelings and true desires. From that position the individual can make decisions about how best to live his/her life. Persona specialises in training in Person-Centred counselling and offers courses at Certificate, Post-Graduate Diploma and MSc levels. The training offered by Persona is accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and is validated by the University of Stirling. The academic awards of Persona are made by Stirling University.