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.
Written by a diverse range of expert contributors, unified by a relational, ethics-based reading of person-centred theory and practice, this seminal text is the most in-depth and comprehensive guide to person-centred therapy. Divided into four parts, it examines the theoretical, philosophical and historical foundations of the person-centred approach; the fundamental principles of person-centred practice (as well as new developments in, and applications of, person-centred clinical work), explorations of how person-centred conceptualisations and practices can be applied to groups of clients who bring particular issues to therapy, such as bereavement or trauma, and professional issues for person-centred therapists such as ethics, supervision, and training. 10 years after it was last published, this third edition includes new content on the climate crisis, intersectionality and working with racism and anti-racism. It includes new dedicated chapters on the Non-directive Attitude, Relational Depth, Experiential Practices, Working with Trauma, Online PCA and Person-Centred approaches around the Globe. International and interdisciplinary in conception, this is a cutting-edge resource for students of psychotherapy and counselling on a range of programmes, as well as professional practitioners working in the field.
Experts tackle subjects including person-centred understandings of psychotic functioning, autism and Aspergers, post-traumatic stress, postnatal depression and anti-social personality disorder.
′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.
From the Book: "it is hypothesized that the therapist wants to understand for no other reason but to understand. If the therapist is motivated to understand solely to be a change agent for the client, then the facilitative mechanisms may not be sufficient because a tendency toward unconditional acceptance will not effectively emerge." "the published literature in the 1970s suggests that person-centered therapy (PCT) researchers, rather than pursuing novel avenues of empirical inquiry, devoted substantial time in defending PCT against - what now appear to be - unfounded claims made by a group of social scientists who held significant professional interest in seeing through the dismantling of the person-centered approach." Book Summary: This book is about a person-centered approach to counseling and psychotherapy as developed by the psychologist Carl Rogers (1902-1987) and his colleagues. In addition, this book is also intended to be a handbook on the person-centered approach and the Rogerian tradition for use in academic and non-academic settings alike. Each chapter is briefly summarized below. Chapter 1 ("A Person-Centered Approach and the Structure of Scientific Revolutions") examines the trend of scientific inquiry in psychotherapy research, specifically focusing on events and changes that took place beginning in the 1970s and are argued to have substantially influenced the direction of psychotherapy research in the following decades. In particular, these changes are suggested to have been guided by the choices made by a small but influential group of behavior and psychoanalytic-oriented researchers, which arguably led to changes in the scientific methods used to investigate the effectiveness of psychotherapeutic treatments; and, as will be shown in this chapter, led to the decline and disappearance of Carl Rogers's person-centered approach. This chapter suggests that through a method of allegiance-guided scientific inquiry, the Rogerian tradition was systematically dismantled by a group of social scientists that held considerable professional interests to do so. Chapter 2 ("A Person-Centered Approach to Multicultural Counseling Competence") examines current and historical trends in psychotherapy research and practice with racial/ethnic minority populations. Using psychotherapy evidence from both the latter half of the 20th century and the initial decades of the 21st century, cultural adaptations to previously hypothesized person-centered therapy mechanisms of change are proposed. Chapter 3 ("A Person-Centered Approach to the Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder") addresses psychotherapy with a person described as possessing a borderline personality disorder (BPD). In particular, a selection of mainstream approaches is reviewed to examine unique and universal aspects of current thinking about this treatment population. Following this review, an expanded analysis of person-centered therapy is offered, examining current research evidence and the mechanisms of change hypothesized to occur in the person-centered treatment of BPD. Chapter 4 ("A Person-Centered Approach to the Treatment of Combat Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder") examines posttraumatic stress disorder through the lens of military combat trauma that results in a breakdown of a combat veteran's sense of self and the world. In the effective treatment of combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder, a therapist must help the veteran reorganize the self-structure that has become incongruent with his or her precombat-trauma self following his or her return home from war. For the therapist to facilitate a veteran's becoming whole, he or she must be genuinely congruent in the relationship.
A comprehensive, systematic and accessible review of the evidence base for person-centered and experiential approaches to psychotherapy and counselling.
This engaging new book presents a ′child-centred′ model of therapy that is thoroughly person-centred in its values. Establishing the roots of child-centred therapy in both child development theories and the Rogerian model, David Smyth demonstrates that counselling the person-centred way is exceptionally relevant to young people. The book further develops child-centred therapy theory and practice, applying the model to real-life practice with children and young people, whether in play, school, organisations or with special needs groups. It also explores the complex professional issues so critical with this age group, including challenging boundaries, establishing an effective relationship with parents and other primary carers, legal and ethical considerations, and multi-professional practice. The author′s warm, accessible style conveys his passionate conviction that the person-centred approach can provide a strong foundation for child therapy practice. His book introduces humanistic counselling and psychotherapy trainees - as well as adult-trained therapists - to the particular requirements of working with children and young people, and also illustrates the value of using a ′child-centred′ approach for those who might already be working with children in mental health settings. Equally, this volume can be used for professional development in many disciplines including adult trained therapists who want to extend their knowledge of people prior to reaching adulthood.
Trainees in all mental health professions need basic knowledge of the key therapeutic approaches in counselling and psychotherapy. The Pocket Guide to Therapy is therefore the essential companion, placing specific emphasis on practical application to guide the reader in the ′how to′ of conducting each therapeutic model. Approaches covered include established models such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, narrative therapies such as Systemic Therapy and Solution-Focussed Brief Therapy, and more recent additions to mainstream therapy such as Mindfulness and Narrative Therapy. Each chapter is written by an up-and-coming name in the field of counselling and psychotherapy, offering a unique insight into the challenges and possibilities of training in each model. The book: - includes case examples from a wide range of mental health care settings - is embedded with extensive pedagogy, including worksheets, sample questions and diagrams - highlights the challenges, strengths and weaknesses of each approach - details the background to each model - focuses on the practical application of therapeutic models - discusses evidence-based practice and outcomes Written in language familiar to first-year trainees and using a range of features to enhance learning, this pocket guide is ideal for those embarking on mental health training across counselling, psychotherapy, psychology, health, nursing and social work. It will also serve as a reference point for more experienced readers looking to refresh their understanding of other approaches.