Kendal Therapy

27/09/2025

I picked some great CPD this week! Highly recommend the 'How the Light gets in' festival in London. It covers philosophy, politics, science, art, comedy and music. - AND the BACP Supervision Conference in Leeds which focused on politics, trauma and digital technology. Spoilt and head full, inspired to read more from the fantastic speakers.

03/09/2025

Walk, jog or run 90 miles this October for Mind

08/08/2025

Nuts and bolts....Wild Roots Nature Therapy Camp is a two and a half day programme. Fri eve we'll settle in, share a meal and learn some basic bushcraft to develop skills that help you feel comfortable in your weekend woodland home. Saturday night has an optional solo camp away from the main base in the wider wood (we have tarps, groundsheets and also hammock kits to lend if this is something you'd like to do). Whether you choose solo or at camp you will hold an intention that will shape the work we do together on Sunday. Sunday is dedicated to translating your inner work to outer action. So that when you leave you have a stronger sense of what you want to bring to the world and how to do it. (Photo...the beautiful jumble of ancient rafters in our friends' Pyrénées gite)

23/05/2025

26/03/2025

19/03/2025

In this episode of Person-Centred Conversations, Sheila Haugh interviews Peggy Natiello about the evolution of the person-centred approach, her experiences w...

28/02/2025

Person-Centred counselling/psychotherapy isn't just a method—it’s a revolution in how we understand and support human growth.

In the 1940s and 50s, Dr. Carl Rogers and his team took a radical approach: audio-recording therapy sessions to uncover what truly worked for clients. From this pioneering research emerged a comprehensive theory of trust in humanity's innate ability to thrive, known as the actualising tendency.

Unlike traditional methods, Person-Centred Therapy shifted the focus away from the therapist as the "expert." Instead, it built on six core conditions that create a safe and empowering environment for transformation:

Psychological contact between client and therapist.

The client's state of vulnerability or anxiety.

The therapist's authenticity (congruence).

Unconditional positive regard.

Empathic understanding.

Communication of empathy and regard, as perceived by the client.

Beyond Therapy

These principles don’t just apply to therapy—they’ve inspired better practices in teaching, management, childcare, and more. Wherever relationships thrive, the person-centred approach has something to offer.

Proven Through Research

With decades of validation (Cooper, Watson & Hölldampf, 2010; Elliott et al, 2013; Murphy & Joseph, 2016), the approach continues to evolve through the contributions of influential practitioners like Margaret Warner, Gary Prouty, and Kirshen Rundle.

Curious to learn more about this transformative way of being?

Dive deeper: https://www.the-pca.org.uk/about/what-is-it.html

04/02/2025

Sometimes talking and trying to find the correct words doesn't convey what you want to the counsellor. Creative use of arts materials can help people express them selves in other ways. Today a client completed this using chalk and a flip chart. Then we talked it through which helped them crystallize complex feelings around family systems and boundaries. Shared with permission with the hope that others can know that expression through creative arts is valid and encouraged.

14/10/2024

Kendal Therapy has moved to the new home of Highgate House. I have been settling in this week, trying different ways of arranging the room , and with client feedback, it's now finished. Shelves up, creative arts section on display, pictures up, blinds up, looks like I've been there for years. A lovely and warm place, winter ready. To book an appointment visit www.kendaltherapy.com

03/09/2024

Moving Kendal Therapy to Highgate House in Early October. Will update with exact date when confirmed.... Such a great space, looking forward to arranging a new therapy room... May get some new chairs too!

18/03/2024

How to be happy?

Dr. Bruce Hood, senior author of the study, and author of “The Science of Happiness: Seven Lessons for Living Well,” listed what he called “happiness hacks” taught in the “Science of Happiness” coursework:

Performing acts of kindness,
Increasing social connections, including initiating conversations with people you don’t know,
Savoring one’s experiences,
Deliberately drawing our attention to the positive events and aspects of one’s day,
Practicing feeling grateful, and endeavoring to thank people they have never sufficiently thanked as they would have liked to,
Being physically active,
Exploring mindfulness and other meditation techniques.

Practicing "Science of Happiness" habits may offer a long-lasting benefit and help promote a sense of well-being, a new study finds.