BACKGROUND: Client risk assessment within the person-centred paradigm is traditionally seen as squarely opposed to its ethos.
AIM: To determine how the person-centred counsellor experiences and understands the issue of risk assessment within the confines of their work ethos.
METHOD: Semi-structured interviews with seven person-centred counsellors using thematic analysis were conducted.
FINDINGS: Three main themes emerged following thematic analysis: The impact of the risk assessment process on self; The counsellor's experience of self, and The therapeutic process in relation to risk assessment.