This is a form of therapy pioneered by Carl Rogers. The idea is that by providing an empathetic, non-judgmental space the client can begin to explore the values, narratives and expectations that they have been given externally (this is what a man is, this is what a good mother looks like). This creates space for curiosity about the client’s feelings, needs and values.

  That means you might hear me say things like:

• Can you tell me a bit more about that feeling?
• What did you notice about how it felt in your body at that moment?
• I noticed I felt tense listening to you talk about that, how did it feel for you?
• So what I’m hearing you say is [x], have I got that right?
• It sounds like when you tell me about that experience, you notice why it felt particularly charged for you. 
• That sounds like a difficult experience, I’m wondering whether it left you feeling angry.
• And do you have a sense of whether that feeling is ambivalence or more of a numbness?

It means you are unlikely to hear me say things like:

• “Your anxiety is a consequence of [x].” Because who am I to tell you what’s going on in your experience?
• “Next week I want you to make eye contact with five strangers and tell me about the experience.” I don’t give homework, but I also doubt that asking someone to do this would have any therapeutic benefit (at least in the way I work).
• “I want you to think about the positives here and banish that negative thinking”. I hate positive thinking. I also really value spaces where I can be real about the difficult feelings that I have. 
• “Calm down”.  Is this ever a helpful thing to say?
• “In this session, I’d like to talk about your mother”. Often childhood caregivers do come up in therapy, but I would never assume in a session that I know best what the topic should be.

If you are looking for something that focuses more on your behaviours and thoughts, then CBT (Cognitive and Behavioural Therapy) might be helpful. If you want to work specifically with the unconscious and dream realms, maybe a psychoanalyst would be more suited. And it may be that what you want is for someone to help you draw up a plan to reintegrate into the world and keep you accountable to it – in which case you might be looking for a coach.

There are lots of different therapeutic approaches and specialties, and within that a lot of different therapists with different personalities. The easiest way to get a sense of whether you want to work with a person is to meet them. It’s always your choice.