Initiative Description: Targeted School‐based humanistic counselling for psychological distress in young people. The principal focus of the humanistic counsellor is on relating to their clients in deeply valuing and understanding ways, such that their clients can come to value and understand themselves and their own experiences more, and find ways of being that are more aligned with their genuine needs and wants. Given these aims, humanistic counsellors tend to work in non-directive ways, listening intently to clients and using the depth of the encounter to understand how they experience their world. Core interventions include reflecting this understanding back to clients; inviting them to access and express underlying emotions and needs; and helping them to reflect on and make sense of their experiences, behaviors and relationships.

Study Results:Reduced overall psychological distress.

Reference: Pybis, J., Cooper, M., Hill, A., Cromarty, K., Levesley, R., Murdoch, J., & Turner, N. (2015). Pilot randomized controlled trial of school-based humanistic counselling for psychological distress in young people: Outcomes and methodological reflections. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 15(4), 241-250.

Level of Evidence: Very Good