Working With Difference And Diversity In Counselling And Psychotherapy

This book guides you through the complexities of working with difference and diversity in counselling and psychotherapy. It introduces you to contemporary thinking on the construction of difference, social identity and culture, and applies the theory to therapy practice. With reflective exercises and case examples, it will help you to work more confidently and sensitively with difference. Rose Cameron is a practitioner and a trainer in counselling and psychotherapy. She is currently a Teaching Fellow at the University of Edinburgh.

All counsellors are compelled to take account of the diverse society in which they practice and to inform themselves of best practice with all client groups. This book provides a contemporary psychodynamic perspective on difference and diversity to bring practitioners up to date with current thinking when faced with a client who is in some way 'different'. References to race, culture or disability in classical psychoanalytic literature are few. In a society that embraces diversity and seeks to afford equality for all, theories of male and female identity development need revisiting. Older people make up a large proportion of the population and religious beliefs make headline news, but psychodynamic perspectives on clinical work with such groups are limited. Indeed, the social context of the 21st century, that provides the backdrop for the hopes, fears and aspirations of our clients, warrants attention, as people and organisations are shaped by the social systems that prevail. In the past decade equal opportunities legislation and the need to be proactive in thinking about diversity has begun to make its mark. Complacency is no longer tolerated. This book is essential reading for counsellors and psychotherapists in training and for experienced practitioners whose continuous professional development will be enhanced by re-evaluating how diversity affects their practice.

′Prejudice is, for good or ill, a part of our nature. It is instilled in us from birth onwards. All we can hope to do is to combat it, and the first tool in our armoury must be that of awareness. Without this, it is very difficult, perhaps impossible, for the psychotherapist or counsellor to explore how it might be influencing the psychotherapy relationship. Sue Marshall has, in this book, performed a valuable task in that direction, and has done in it very cogently in a most difficult area. I applaud her′ - Joe Sinclair, Nurturing Potential Difference, prejudice and discrimination are issues which all counsellors and psychotherapists need to address as part of their personal and professional development. Designed to support training on these complex issues, Difference & Discrimination in Counselling & Psychotherapy helps therapists understand the experience of discrimination, as well as explore their own - often unconscious - attitudes to others, based on gender, sexuality, race, culture or mental health. For most therapists an attitude of acceptance and non-judgmentalism is fundamental to their view of practice. However, in seeking to be non-judgmental, therapists may run the risk of concealing their own prejudices. It is only by facing up to these attitudes and exploring them that therapists are able to fully relate to their clients and help them effectively. Synthesising sociological knowledge with her experience of a practitioner, Sue Marshall powerfully demonstrates both the importance and the practicalities of developing awareness about difference. Difference & Discrimination in Counselling & Psychotherapy offers a straightforward approach to some of the most difficult issues relating to practice, making it an ideal text for use in training and for qualified therapists continuing their professional development.

Given that people who are distressed often choose to go for help in therapy, it is therapists' duty and responsibility to deconstruct practices and to be clear about the ethics, values and effects of the practices they use. This book is based on the values and ethics of justice and responsibility, to resist domination and totalising discourses.

This book offers a clear, easily adaptable model for understanding and working with cultural differences in therapy.

Mick Cooper and John McLeod pioneer a major new framework for counselling theory, practice and research - the ′pluralistic′ approach. This model breaks away from the orientation-specific way in which counselling has traditionally been taught, reflecting and responding to shifts in counselling and psychotherapy training. As accessible and engaging as ever, Cooper and McLeod argue that there is no one right way of doing therapy and that different clients need different things at different times. By identifying and demonstrating the application of a range of therapeutic methods, the book outlines a flexible framework for practice within which appropriate methods can be selected depending on the client′s individual needs and the therapist′s knowledge and experience. This is a must-read for anybody training or practising in the counselling or helping professions - it should not be missed!

"With its diversity throughout including almost 40 authors from different therapeutic modalities, continents and professional fields the book indeed is both an ‘invitation and challenge’ and a means ‘to aid transcultural therapists in conducting their work in a sensitive and informed manner’. It brings to mind a colourful and well stocked market comprising two parts. The first provides nourishing food for practitioners such as contributions to theory, use of interpreters, training, supervision, research and case studies. The second offers an outstanding exploration of the impact of different cultural backgrounds orchestrated by the editor, whose compilation from a UK perspective might be a useful example for other cultural and language areas. The involved reader will be delighted to have this inspiring handbook to hand." Gerhard Stumm, Ph.D., psychotherapy trainer, Vienna "Therapists pride themselves on cherishing the uniqueness of every client. This book offers a powerful challenge for it plainly demonstrates that a commitment to honouring uniqueness cannot be divorced from a sensitivity to the cultural, racial, spiritual and ethnic differences that clients present in an increasingly multicultural society. Here is an impressive compendium that illuminates the many clinical, training, relational and supervisory issues involved together with the widest range of contributions from diverse cultures that I have ever encountered in one volume. Colin Lago is to be congratulated on editing an invaluable resource which is both stimulating and disturbing in its implications." Brian Thorne, Emeritus Professor of Counselling, University of East Anglia and Co-founder of The Norwich Centre This fascinating book examines recent critical thinking and contemporary research findings in the field of transcultural counselling and psychotherapy. It also explores the effects of different cultural heritages upon potential clients and therapists. The first part of the book reflects the curriculum, context and content of counselling and psychotherapy training courses, with regards to sensitivity to diversity. It covers key issues such as: Implications of identity development for therapeutic work Ethnic matching of clients and therapists Working with interpreters and bi-cultural workers Overcoming racism, discrimination and oppression within the counselling process An overview of current research within this field In the second part, the authors give personal accounts that explore the impact of cultural heritage on people who have moved from their countries of origin to ‘Western’ countries,, such as the UK or the USA. The Handbook of Transcultural Counselling and Psychotherapy will be of immense value to a wide range of readers, including counselling and therapy practitioners, supervisors, trainees, agency managers and colleagues in other therapy-related services. Contributors: Aileen Alleyne, Alison Barty, Anita Chakraborty, Divine Charura, Riccardo Draghi-Lorenz, Patricia Eschoe, Farkhondeh Farsimadan, Tiane Corso Graziottin, Delroy Hall, Fiona Hall, Addila Khan, Indu Khurana, Colin Lago, Courtland C. Lee, Yair Maman, Susan McGinnis, Isha Mckenzie-Mavinga, Roy Moodley, Renate Motschnig, Sheila Mudadi-Billings, GoEun Na, Seamus Nash, Bernie Neville, Yuko Nippoda, Ladislav Nykl, Simon du Plock, Judy Ryde, Antony Sigalas, Harbrinder Dhillon Stevens, Patsy Sutherland, Rachel Tribe, Andrea Uphoff, Valerie Watson, Tony Wright, Jin Wu and Neelam Zahid.

Intersections of Privilege and Otherness in Counselling and Psychotherapy presents an in-depth understanding of the role of privilege, and of the unconscious experience of privilege and difference within the world of counselling and psychotherapy. To address the absence of the exploration of the unconscious experience of privilege within counselling and psychotherapy, the book not only presents an exploration of intersectional difference, but also discusses the deeper unconscious understanding of difference, and how privilege plays a role in the construction of otherness. It does so by utilising material from both within the world of psychotherapy, and from the fields of post-colonial theory, feminist discourse, and other theoretical areas of relevance. The book also offers an exploration and understanding of intersectionality and how this impacts upon our conscious and unconscious exploration of privilege and otherness. With theoretically underpinned, and inherently practical psychotherapeutic case studies, this book will serve as a guidebook for counsellors and psychotherapists.