Feedback from the Person Centred Counselling in Action Workshop with Terry Daly

Late as it is this feedback from the workshop which took place on 31st August is still worth reading. Once more we had a great day and it was a fascinating and moving experience to watch the video of Dave Mearns working with Terry Daly over 30 years ago. The following discussion with Terry was enriching – and it was exciting to experience the group coming together and sharing their thoughts and experiences both of the video and from their own lives and practice. 

 

We are looking forward to another day of engaging with the theory and reflecting on our experience on 9th November with Susan Stephen (Congruence In Action - The Person-Centred Approach In Action). At present this workshop is fully booked but we are holding a waiting list. Contact Barbara Malinen on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

 

News of the PCT Scotland Person-Centred Counselling in Action workshops for 2025 will be coming soon!

 

 

thanks so much to everyone for welcoming me with open arms on Saturday, it was a brilliant experience for me and I felt very lucky and privileged to have been able to come along. It was quite a ‘unicorn’ experience! I don’t think I’ll ever again get the opportunity to see a recorded session, presented by the client, some 30 years later, and have such an active and stimulating discussion around it.

 

 

 

"What a fantastic workshop. Seeing Person Centred counselling in action and then having the privilege of discussing our experience of this with our counselling tribe. Terry Daly facilitated this discussion beautifully. A very rich experience and I would sign up for more of those type of workshops in the future.

 

The day was very well organised and the timings for the different elements of the day were perfect. Thanks to Barbara Malinen for organising the this."

 

 

Attending the second workshop organised by PCTSCOTLAND at the weekend where we watched a video session of Dave Mearns counselling Terry Daly. There followed group discussion about this session which was lively and many different perspectives. We then heard how Terry had felt a year later and then the same from Dave. The main element to come out of this was the power of Dave's presence and how this enabled Terry to meet himself and understand more of his own process. I have been counselling for many years now and always think it is good to revisit the basics of Roger's theoretical model so as to reflect on my own practice. Another great day of reflection, growth, and good discussion.

 

 

 

This workshop was for those who want to go beyond the “three conditions”. It turns out that there are six! But this recording, from 30 years ago, was Dave Mearns and one of his then-students. The client did over 90% of the talking. In a “follow-up" made a year later, Dave wondered if he had spoken too much. The recording illustrated the power of silence, that is, “less is more”, but it was NOT a technique. It was precisely what was needed, as the counsellor and client carefully inched forward to meet in the moment.

 

Don’t be put off by my saying that this was recorded 30 years ago; it is as fresh and vital now as it was the day it was recorded. It is a golden nugget illustrating the Person-centred theory of change.

 

 

 

This was my first post qualifying personal training event. I have read a lot of Dave Mearns' books and articles so it was really great to have the opportunity to see him in action, and even better to have Terry there to share his experience. Terry's willingness / generosity to share his experience was incredible - so impactful and so much to process. His description of the contradictions going on within him in the session and beyond and also Dave's discussion of 'being present not being the same as understanding' are just two areas of learning that will stay with me a long long time. I also very much appreciated the depth of knowledge in the room and the willingness of participants to openly discuss and reflect upon the implications for practice. It was v relevant to my current practice as a volunteer counsellor and rich material for ongoing reflection and development.

 

Thank you to all - and I'm looking forward to the next workshop in November.

 

 

 

I really enjoyed spending time with other person-centred counsellors, sharing experiences and ideas. It was really helpful to be able to watch an example of a PCT session and hear feedback about the experience.  I found the workshop re-affirmed why I want to be involved in this work and why I like being a member of PCT Scotland.

Thank you!

(lunch wasn't as good as last time mind you! )

 

 

 

I found the workshop a very powerful and profound experience. It was a great opportunity to look deeply into the Person–Centred approach. I discovered rich learning for my own practice and I experienced the whole day as an extremely valuable space for exploration and learning with colleagues. It was a unique experience to be able to focus on the person-centred approach with other person-centred practitioners, coming together as a person -centred family rather than tribes.  I think the PCT Scotland series of Person-Centred Counselling in Action is a great idea and a bold contribution to Person-Centred voices being heard at this time, and the approach flourishing in the world.

 

 

Having very recently qualified, I was pretty apprehensive about coming along to the workshop and unsure what to expect. However, everyone was so welcoming, and the group felt very inclusive and supportive. It was inspiring to be involved in such rich discussions around person-centred practice, and to hear from therapists working in different settings and with varying degrees of experience. The day after the workshop I booked a place on the next one. Thank you!