Person Centred Counselling

This book has already helped thousands of beginning practitioners understand the subtleties of the person-centred approach and develop skills in person-centred counselling practice. Now in its second edition, this step-by-step guide takes the reader through the counselling process, providing advice on how to structure and manage therapeutic work in ways which are thoroughly grounded in person-centred principles. Janet Tolan defines the key tenets of the approach - psychological contact, congruence, empathy and unconditional positive regard - and demonstrates how they are used effectively in a range of counsellor-client interactions. Describing all aspects of the therapeutic relationship from the initial meeting to ending the relationship well, this new edition contains new chapters - 'Debates and Developments in Practice' and 'Edgy and Ethical Issues'. This book is an ideal introduction for beginners and for more experienced therapists who want to extend their range. Janet Tolan is a Consultant and Private Practitioner in Manchester. She has worked extensively in education and training, most recently as leader of the Counselling and Psychotherapy Masters programme at Liverpool John Moores University.

Person-Centred Counselling in a Nutshell is a short, accessible guide to one of the most popular approaches to counselling. Using examples drawn from practice, Roger Casemore outlines, in a clear, jargon-free style, the main principles of the person-centred approach, using the core therapeutic conditions: - congruence - unconditional regard - empathy This revised and updated second edition includes new material on professional issues, on the use of person-centred counselling in short-term therapy, and on the wider application of the person-centred approach in other settings. Providing a concise introduction to the theory and practice of person-centred counselling, Person-Centred Counselling in a Nutshell is the ideal place to start for anyone reading about the approach for the first time. Roger Casemore is Senior Teaching Fellow and Director of Counselling courses at University of Warwick

This book provides a key introduction to the theory, concepts and practice of the person-centred approach, through the lens of the practitioner’s experience and personal development. Writing as someone who has been through real life challenges and has developed and learned as a result, the author’s strikingly personal style not only helps to contextualise complex and nuanced theory, but makes this a truly unique book about real person-centred practice and experience. From Roger’s early philosophy through to the current developments and controversies in the field, the author uses personal testimonies, exercises and reflection points to make challenging concepts and practice issues accessible for the novice reader. What results is an informative and fascinating read for all those training and interested in the person-centred approach.

′Not only is this the first key text on person-centred counselling psychology, but one of the best introductions to the approach. Gillon combines an in-depth understanding of the person-centred field with a highly accessible writing style to produce a book that will be of enormous value to anyone wanting to practice person-centred therapy. Essential reading for trainee and practising counselling psychologists with an interest in the person-centred approach and highly recommended for counsellors and psychotherapists of all orientations′ - Mick Cooper, Professor of Counselling, Counselling Unit, University of Strathclyde Person-Centred Counselling Psychology: An Introduction is an introduction to the philosophy, theory and practice of the person-centred approach. Focusing on the psychological underpinnings of the approach, Ewan Gillon describes the theory of personality on which it is based and the nature of the therapeutic which is characterised by o unconditional positive regard o empathy o congruence. The book shows how the person-centred approach relates to others within counselling psychology and to contemporary practices in mental health generally. It also gives guidance to readers on the approach′s research tradition as well as considering key issues for those wishing to train and work as a person-centred practitioner. As such, it is designed to be an applied, accessible text, providing a dialogue between the psychological basis of person-centred therapy and its application within the real world. As well as psychology students, it will be of interest to those from other disciplines, counselling trainees, those within the caring professions, and person-centred therapists from a non-psychological background. Ewan Gillon is Director of The Edinburgh Psychology Centre and Lecturer in Counselling Psychology at Glasgow Caledonian University.

Person-Centred Therapy in Focus provides a much-needed exploration of the criticisms levelled against one of the most widespread forms of therapeutic practice. Characterized by its critics as theoretically `light′, culturally biased and limited in application, until now the person-centred approach has had comparatively little written in its defence. Paul Wilkins provides a rigorous and systematic response to the critics, drawing not only on the work of Carl Rogers, but also of those central to more recent developments in theory and practice (including Goff Barrett-Lennard, Dave Mearns, Jerold Bozarth, Germain Leitauer and Brian Thorne). It traces the epistemological foundations of person-centred therapy and places the approach in its social and political context. Examining the central tenets of the approach, each chapter sets out concisely the criticisms and then counters these with arguments from the person-centred perspective. Chapters cover debates in relation to: - the model of the person - self-actualization - the core conditions - non-directivity - resistance to psychopathology - reflection, and - boundary issues. Person-Centred Therapy in Focus fulfills two important purposes: firstly to answer the criticisms of those who have attacked the person-centred approach and secondly to cultivate a greater critical awareness and understanding within the approach itself. As such it makes a significant contribution to the person-centred literature and provides an excellent resource for use in training.

In the second edition of this hugely popular book, Tony Merry reorganised and updated the text to include the latest initiatives in the world of counselling and psychotherapy. It offers in-depth discussion of all aspects of person-centred counselling from its origins to current developments in theory and practice.

Person-centred therapy, rooted in the experience and ideas of the eminent psychotherapist Carl Rogers, is widely practised in the UK and throughout the world. It has applications in health and social care, the voluntary sector and is relevant to work with people who are severely mentally and emotionally distressed. As well as being a valuable sourcebook and offering a comprehensive overview, this edition includes updated references and a new section on recent developments and advances. The book begins with a consideration of the principles and philosophy underpinning person-centred therapy before moving to a comprehensive discussion of the classical theory upon which practice is based. Further areas of discussion include: The model of the person, including the origins of mental and emotional distress The process of constructive change A review of revisions of and additions to person-centred theory Child development, styles of processing and configurations of self The quality of presence and working at relational depth Criticisms of the approach are addressed and rebutted and the application of theory to practice is discussed. The new final section is concerned with advances and developments in theory and practice including: Counselling for Depression The Social Dimension to Person-Centred Therapy Person-Centred Practice with People experiencing Severe and Enduring Distress and at the ‘Difficult Edge’ A Review of Research Throughout the book, attention is drawn to the wider person-centred literature to which it is a valuable key. Person-Centred Therapy will be of particular use to students, scholars and practitioners of person-centred therapy as well as to anyone who wants to know more about one of the major psychotherapeutic modalities.

`At the risk of being directive, I would say you should buy this book. It contains some of the most stimulating and refreshing ideas to have emerged in the person-centred literature since On Becoming a Person '- Person Centred Practice Person-Centred Therapy Today makes a timely and significant contribution to the development of one of the most popular and widely-used therapeutic approaches. `This is a book that is rooted in the origins of person-centred therapy but stands at the cutting edge of new ideas developing in this tradition. It will reinvigorate those of us already immersed in this tradition. It should convince newcomers of the vitality and potential of this approach to thera