Free association is a method for a client to explore their own conscious experience. Sigmund Freud created it, together with his mentor Josef Breuer. The instruction given to a client is to say whatever comes into their mind, even if it seems irrelevant to what the client is saying at the moment, even if it seems embarrassing or unworthy to them.

Non-directive therapies usually focus on the person, not the problem. The therapist meets the client where they are, to understand what they are experiencing in the here and now. It’s the difference between a person who talks to you about a specific behaviour you have, and a person who talks to you about you.