Our Diploma programme takes as its course philosophy an integrative approach combining the principles of person-centred therapy (PCT) with additional therapeutic approaches, mainly compassion-focused therapy (CFT). Why did we do this? Well, both approaches are very different but share some helpful perspectives. We’ve outlined some of the areas where the two approaches meet below.
 

• CFT can integrate well into a PCT framework due to its focus on the relationship as a vehicle for therapeutic change and its emphasis on the phenomenological experiencing of the client.
• Like PCT, CFT is non-pathologising but is more embedded/rooted in evolutionary psychology and neuropsychology than PCT.
• Both approaches emphasise the importance of early experiences and relationships/attachments in how we come to view the world and ourselves within it.
• Both PCT and CFT view healing as arising from within the relationship. For instance, in CFT the therapist models a compassionate presence for the client. This enables the client to develop their own inner therapist as part of their compassionate voice.
• PCT and CFT also share a view of people as socially embedded and they work with this directly as part of the therapeutic approach.
• An emphasis on understanding and addressing the different internal ‘parts’ of our experiencing is present in CFT (inner critic, compassionate voice) and aligns well with recent developments in PCT, e.g. configurations of self/plural-self theory.
• Both approaches share the therapeutic aim of deepening personal experiencing/acceptance of self whether that’s through quietening the inner critic/increasing self-acceptance (CFT) or diminishing conditions of worth (PCT).

So, while PCT and CFT are embedded in different psychological traditions and embody a number of diverging perspectives, they also share a lot. This means that in combination, they can provide a fantastically fruitful and creative opportunity for practitioners to help clients. We believe this combination provides an important foundation for anyone training to be a professional practitioner in the counselling and psychological therapy field and look forward to working with students when our Diploma course begins in October.

Check out our professional training page for more about how we have structured our Diploma course at https://www.firstpsychologytraining.co.uk/professional-training.