PCA or Not PCA

In this address, I attempt to represent the views of many. Although having mused upon the apparently amazingly diverse views upon what is and what is not person-centered, I was prompted to begin writing by a letter sent to me, at BAPCA (the British Association for the Person-Centered Approach) by Professor Dave Mearns (from the Counselling Unit at the University of Strathclyde, dated 19th January 1998), in which the prospect of accreditation (or perhaps ‘legitimization’) through BAPCA is raised. I will then move into a cross-sample of views on what does and does not constitute a person-centered approach, and potential consequences in terms of membership inclusion and exclusion for person-centered associations.