PCE Europe started as the Network of European Associations for Person Centred and Experiential Psychotherapy and Counselling (NEAPCEPC) and was founded in 1998 in the city of Luxembourg on the occasion of the Annual Meeting of the European Person-/Client-Centred Organisations in Luxembourg.

The terms "Person–Centred" and "Experiential" and the concepts and processes they encompass have an extensive, rich and evolving history. The choice of the phrase "Person-Centred and Experiential" is intended to promote continued dialogue and development. The name of the network has been changed to PCE Europe in 2009 at the Szeged meeting (Hungary) for reasons of practicality.