At Full Vida Therapy, our team of mental health professionals provides compassionate person-centered therapy to clients throughout Yorba Linda, Anaheim, Irvine, and all of California. Our client-centered therapy approach helps individuals reconnect with their authentic selves in a supportive, empathetic environment.
What Is Person-Centered Therapy?
Person-centered therapy, also known as Rogerian therapy or client-centered therapy, was developed by psychologist Carl Rogers in the 1940s. This humanistic therapy approach is founded on the belief that every individual possesses an innate capacity for growth and healing when provided with the right therapeutic environment.
Rogers believed that human beings naturally strive toward personal growth and fulfillment. Person centered theory suggests that psychological distress occurs when there's a disconnect between one's actual experiences and self-concept. Through the therapeutic process, clients explore this disconnect and work toward greater congruence and self-acceptance.
Unlike more directive therapeutic approaches, person-centered therapy doesn't position the therapist as an expert who diagnoses or "fixes" the client. Instead, our therapists create a supportive environment characterized by three essential conditions:
Person-Centered Therapy in Orange County: A Space for Self-Discovery and Growth
The Three Core Conditions of Person-Centered Therapy
1. Unconditional Positive Regard
At the foundation of person-centered therapy is the therapist's unconditional positive regard for the client. This means our person centered therapists offer a non-judgmental and accepting attitude, valuing you as a person regardless of your thoughts, feelings, or behaviors. This acceptance creates a safe space where you can express your true self without fear of rejection.
2. Empathic Understanding
Empathic understanding is crucial in person-centered therapy. Our client centered therapists strive to deeply understand your perspective and emotions, stepping into your internal world to see things as you see them. This accurate empathic understanding is communicated in a way that helps you feel truly heard and validated.
When the client perceives that the therapist genuinely understands their experience in their own words, it creates a powerful healing connection. Our therapists practice active listening and reflection, ensuring they're accurately perceiving your experience and creating a meaningful therapeutic relationship.
3. Congruence (Genuineness)
Congruence, or genuineness, refers to the therapist's authenticity in the therapeutic relationship. Therapist congruence means that what the therapist is experiencing internally matches what they express externally. This authenticity helps build trust and encourages you to also be genuine and open.
Together, these facilitative psychological attitudes create a supportive climate where clients can explore their thoughts and feelings freely, leading to greater self-awareness, self-acceptance, and personal growth.
How Person-Centered Therapy Can Help
Person-centered therapy at Full Vida Therapy can be beneficial for various mental health conditions and life challenges:
Mental Health Support
Our person centered approach provides valuable support for:
Anxiety: Explore anxious thoughts and develop greater self-awareness
Depression: Process negative emotions in a supportive environment
Trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Work through traumatic experiences at your own pace
Grief and Loss: Navigate complex emotions with compassionate support
Self-Esteem Issues: Develop a stronger sense of self-worth through improved self-concept
Life Transitions and Challenges
Person-centered therapy can help during significant life changes:
Career Transitions: Process feelings about professional changes
Relationship Changes: Navigate shifts in important interpersonal relationships
Family Dynamics: Explore and improve relationships with family members
Personal Growth: Develop greater self-understanding and live more authentically
What to Expect in Person-Centered Therapy
Person-centered therapy is non-directive therapy, meaning you set the pace and direction of your therapeutic journey. Your therapist acts as a supportive guide rather than an expert, trusting in your ability to identify what you need and find your own solutions when given the right supportive environment.
A Typical Session May Include:
Building Trust: Your therapist creates a secure, confidential space where you can be vulnerable
Open Exploration: You're free to discuss whatever feels most important to you
Reflective Listening: Your client centered therapist listens deeply and reflects back your experiences
Present-Moment Awareness: Focusing on what you're experiencing in the moment
Strengthening Your Inner Voice: Over time, you develop increased trust in your own perceptions
There's no pressure to perform or get it "right"—you're accepted exactly as you are. Many clients find that this accepting atmosphere allows them to lower their defenses and engage more deeply in self-exploration.
The Role of the Therapist in Person-Centered Therapy
In person-centered therapy, the therapist's role differs from more directive approaches. The therapist's job includes:
Active Listening: Paying close attention to both what you say and the emotions behind your words
Reflecting and Clarifying: Helping you gain clarity about your own thoughts and feelings
Maintaining Presence: Staying fully engaged during your sessions
Trusting Your Process: Believing in your capacity as a potentially competent individual
Remaining Genuine: Interacting with you authentically, demonstrating therapist congruence
Offering Acceptance: Providing unconditional positive regard regardless of what you share
The therapist-client psychological contact is built on mutual trust and respect, creating a healthy and open relationship where growth can occur naturally.
At Full Vida Therapy, our group practice includes several therapists who integrate person-centered therapy into their work:
Alexandra Stull McKay, AMFT combines person-centered therapy with other modalities to help clients navigate life transitions and build self-awareness.
Viviana McGovern, LMFT offers compassionate, client-centered support for individuals working through trauma, anxiety, and relationship challenges.
Whether you're navigating anxiety, grief, trauma, or self-exploration, our therapists' compassionate approach helps create lasting therapeutic change.
Our Team of Person-Centered Therapists
Online Therapy Available Throughout California
Our therapists offer person-centered therapy via secure telehealth sessions for clients in Yorba Linda, Anaheim, Irvine, and throughout California. We recommend contacting a primary healthcare provider if you're experiencing severe mental health challenges, as they can provide additional support alongside therapy.
Person-Centered Therapy for Various Ages and Relationships
At Full Vida Therapy, our group practice offers person-centered therapy for:
Individual Therapy
Our individual therapy provides personalized support for adults facing various challenges, from anxiety and depression to life transitions and personal growth.
Teen Therapy
Our client centered therapists create a supportive environment where teens can express themselves freely and develop greater self-understanding.
Couples Therapy
Couples benefit from the person-centered approach as they work to enhance understanding and rebuild connection in their relationships.
Child Therapy
For younger clients, person-centered principles are adapted through play and age-appropriate activities, helping children process emotions in a safe space.
Family Therapy
Our family therapy uses person-centered techniques to improve communication and strengthen relationships between family members.
Integrating Person-Centered Therapy with Other Approaches
While maintaining the core person-centered values, our therapists often integrate complementary therapeutic approaches:
EMDR Therapy
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy can be combined with person-centered principles to help process traumatic memories.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
When helpful, our therapists may incorporate CBT techniques within a person-centered framework, addressing thought patterns while honoring your self-direction.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
DBT skills for emotional regulation can complement the person-centered approach for clients who would benefit from these specific tools.
Trauma-Informed Therapy
Our therapists bring trauma-informed care into their person-centered work, creating safety for clients with trauma histories.
Somatic Therapy
Body-centered approaches can be integrated with person-centered therapy to address how emotions are held physically.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)-Informed Therapy
IFS concepts can enhance person-centered work by helping clients understand different parts of themselves with compassion.
Each integration maintains the fundamental person-centered belief in your inherent capacity for growth and healing. Research, including randomized controlled trials, has shown that integrative approaches that maintain person-centered foundations can be highly effective.
The Benefits of Person-Centered Therapy
Research in counseling psychology and clinical psychology has shown numerous benefits from person-centered therapy:
Emotional Benefits
Reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression
Greater emotional awareness and regulation
Improved ability to process negative emotions
Enhanced psychological flexibility
Higher levels of self-compassion
Relational Benefits
Improved communication skills
Greater authenticity in interpersonal relationships
Enhanced capacity for empathy
Healthier boundary-setting
Personal Growth Benefits
Strengthened sense of identity and self-worth
Increased self-trust and confidence
Greater alignment with personal values
More authentic life choices
Many clients report that the skills and insights gained through person-centered therapy continue to benefit them long after therapy has concluded. The ability to facilitate self-discovery often leads to lasting positive changes in the client's self-image and overall mental health.
A Foundation in Humanistic Psychology
Person-centered therapy is rooted in humanistic psychology, which views people as inherently striving toward growth and self-actualization. This perspective, which Rogers believed was essential to effective therapy, emphasizes:
The inherent worth and dignity of each person
The capacity for self-directed behavior and change
The importance of subjective experience and client perception
A focus on the present rather than just past experiences
The client's point of view as central to the therapeutic process
These principles inform every aspect of how our therapists at Full Vida Therapy work with clients, creating a uniquely empowering therapeutic experience.
Is Person-Centered Therapy Right for You?
Person-centered therapy might be particularly well-suited for you if:
You value self-exploration and personal growth
You prefer a collaborative therapeutic relationship
You want to address not just symptoms but underlying patterns
You're seeking greater self-understanding and self-awareness
During an initial consultation, our therapists can discuss whether person-centered therapy aligns with your needs and preferences.
Ready to Begin Your Therapeutic Journey?
You deserve a space where you can show up fully and be met with compassion and understanding. If you're ready to reconnect with yourself in a safe and supportive environment, our group practice at Full Vida Therapy would be honored to walk alongside you on your journey.
Through person-centered therapy, you can experience meaningful positive changes and personal growth, empowering you to live more authentically. Our therapists serve clients in Yorba Linda, Anaheim, Irvine, and throughout California.
To learn more about our services or to schedule a consultation, please reach out to us. We look forward to supporting you on your path to healing and self-discovery.