For many years, I have been on a journey of personal growth and self-awareness: ten. Ten years ago I accepted the help I needed to recover from active addiction. After weeks of group therapy and one to oneone-on-one counselling, a change occurred within me: it was a desire to better myself and my life. My new found ability to accept and change had such a positive effect; that I wanted to help others experience it as well. Throughout years of continuous sobriety, I have helped many alcoholics and addicts change their lives dramatically. I have worked on the telephone helpline, and accepted the positions of treasurer and secretary. The most rewarding work I do through the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous is sponsorship. Being able to guide new members through the 12 Step recovery programme is a continuously humbling experience. Sponsorship awarded me a deep understanding of the importance of the helping relationship. How acceptance, empathy and congruence are of paramount importance when forming a trusting bond with another person. This prompted my decision to study counselling. I want to help others from a more qualified position:, ensuring that the help I give is both safe and ethical. I am drawn to Carl Rogers’ Person-centred approach. Rogers’ belief, that all human beings have the tendency to strive towards self-actualisation, echosechoes my own belief in human beings’ ability to self-heal -, which stems from my own life experience and the complete personality changes I have witnessed in sponsee’ssponsees' recoveries. The person centred approach places huge importance on equality within the therapeutic relationship: the counsellor is there for the client as an equal, and does not lead, but walks alongside them. This attracts me to the theory, as I believe respecting a person’s autonomy encourages them to take responsibility for their own lives.