Therapeutic Approach

The paid staff within the organisation are qualified or qualifying counsellors, or receive training in the Person Centred Approach. This is the primary therapeutic approach we use.

The key principles of this are:

• The person providing support demonstrates empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard towards the client
• A belief in the actualisation tendency – that is, a belief that people do the best they can in the circumstances they are in and have an inherent tendency to try to achieve their full potential
• The principle of non directivity. Work is led by the client, in the belief that they have the resources within themselves to find their own solutions.

We also draw on other therapeutic approaches, such as Solution Focused Brief Therapy. We provide a compassionate, respectful, empathic and consistent service, with the aim of supporting visitors to identify their own solutions to their difficulties.

Within both Dial House and Connect, we work with people in acute states of crisis. Many of our visitors are suicidal and/or self harm and we are skilled and experienced within these areas of work. Over the time we have been open, we have successfully worked with people who have been excluded from other services, or who other services have been unable to engage.