Humanistic-experiential therapy is a family of approaches built on each person's capacity to grow, make choices and find meaning in life. Carl Rogers' person-centred therapy, Gestalt therapy, emotion-focused therapy (EFT) and focusing are among its best-known branches.
In this approach you are the expert on your own life, and the therapist is an empathic companion who stays alongside you without judgement. The focus is mostly on present experience: what you feel, what is happening in your body and what matters to you, rather than on labels and diagnoses.
Something else may fit better if…
The approach rests on three qualities in the therapeutic relationship that Rogers described: empathy, trying to understand the world through your eyes; unconditional positive regard, accepting you without judgement; and genuineness, the therapist being honest and real. In such a relationship many people feel safe enough to face difficult parts of themselves.
The "experiential" side involves actively working with feelings in the moment. The therapist may invite you to notice a sensation in your body, to have a dialogue with a part of yourself, or to use the "empty chair" technique to speak, in imagination, with someone to whom you have something left unsaid.
The aim is for feelings, which often carry important messages about our needs, to be heard and understood. When a person connects better with their feelings and needs, their choices often become clearer and more in tune with who they are.
Online sessions usually last 50 to 60 minutes and often take place once a week. The atmosphere is warm and accepting, and alongside conversation there may be short experiential exercises.
The length of therapy depends on your goals; some people notice change after a few months, while others stay longer for deeper growth. The pace and direction are usually set together with you.
Examples are fictional and illustrative.
For years Samira had lived according to others' expectations and felt she did not know what she really wanted. In sessions her therapist listened without judgement and helped her notice her feelings in the moment. Slowly she found her own voice and decided to pursue a field she loved.
Ali lived in France and had not been able to travel to Iran for his grandfather's funeral. Using the empty chair technique, his therapist helped him say what he had wanted to tell his grandfather. Ali says that after that session his grief felt lighter and he could find a little peace.
Pouria said he felt nothing, neither joy nor sadness. Through body-awareness exercises, his therapist helped him recognise small signs of feeling. Gradually Pouria could name his emotions and talk about them with his wife.
These therapists list this on their profile. All sessions are online and in Persian.
Usually not as direct instructions. The therapist helps you see your feelings and needs more clearly so that you reach choices that fit who you are.
It is an exercise from Gestalt and emotion-focused therapy in which you speak, in imagination, with a person or a part of yourself. It is always done with your consent and at a pace that feels right, and it works online too.
Psychodynamic therapy focuses more on the unconscious and the influence of the past. The humanistic-experiential approach leans more on present experience, the capacity for growth and an accepting relationship with the therapist.
Talk honestly with your therapist about how you are so that you can choose the best path together. If you are in immediate danger or thinking about harming yourself, contact local emergency services first.
This page is general information and does not replace a professional assessment. If you are in immediate danger or thinking about harming yourself, contact your local emergency services. Urgent help
