Understanding Mental Health and Counselling provides a critical introduction to key debates about how problems of mental health are understood, and to the core approaches taken to working with counselling and psychotherapy clients. In drawing out the differences and intersections between professional and social understandings of mental health and counselling theory and practice, the book fosters critical thinking about effective and ethical work with mental health service users and therapy clients. With chapters by noted academic writers and service-user researchers, and content enlivened by activities, first-person accounts and case material, the book provides a key resource for both counselling and psychotherapy trainees and those interested in the broader field of mental health.

A cutting-edge text that provides a comprehensive introduction to mental health problems and criminal behaviour, this book explores the link between mental health and criminality and considers the most common and effective therapeutic approaches for working with offenders and victims of crime. * Part 1 explores the predominant tensions between forensic and therapeutic agendas; * Part 2 considers how criminal and 'insane' identities and careers may be considered gendered, classed, culturally and age-dependent experiences, and be related to power and oppression; * Part 3 examines issues around sex and sexuality in forensic and therapeutic settings; * Part 4 introduces a range of therapeutic approaches for working with offenders and victims of crime; * Part 5 covers forensic and therapeutic practices, including programmes for the prevention of both mental health issues and offending. Edited by an expert team from the Open University and written by a broad range of contributors, this book draws on a wealth of experience in this popular subject area. It will be a key text for students of forensic psychology, counselling and psychotherapy, and for health and social care professionals working in therapeutic and forensic settings.

Understanding Counselling and Psychotherapy focuses on common problems such as anxiety and depression, exploring how different therapeutic approaches understand and work with them. Counselling and psychotherapy are considered within the wider context of their history and the mental health systems in which they are often located. In addition to this, the book introduces key aspects of the theory and practice of counselling and psychotherapy, and the increasing relevance of research in this area. - Section 1 introduces counselling and psychotherapy and the history of these professions, considering how current understandings of 'mental health problems' have been influenced by psychiatric diagnosis, biomedical approaches and psychoanalysis. - Section 2 covers four key therapeutic approaches - humanistic, existential, cognitive-behavioural and mindfulness - exploring how they work with problems relating to fear and sadness. - Section 3 focuses on therapeutic perspectives that specifically address problems in a wider context, such as relationships, families, cultural groups and society. - Section 4 considers practice and research issues in counselling and psychotherapy, including the different contexts and settings in which these take place, the therapeutic relationship, and outcome and process research. This accessible and stimulating text uses innovative activities and case illustrations to demonstrate how people experience common problems, and how counsellors and psychotherapists work with these.

Research is a vital and often daunting component of many counselling and psychotherapy courses. As well as completing their own research projects, trainees across modalities must understand the research in the field - what it tells them and how to do it. Breaking down this seemingly mountainous task into easy to swallow pieces, this book will navigate your students through each stage of the research process, from choosing a research question, through the pros and cons of different methods, to data analysis and writing up their findings. Written by leading contributors from the field including John McLeod, Mick Cooper and Tim Bond, each chapter features points for reflection, engaging activities and suggestions for further reading, helping students to engage with all aspects of research. An original graphic narrative runs throughout the book, bringing this complex topic to life in a unique way. Whether embarking on research for the first time or already a little familiar with research and research methods, this unique guide is something counselling and psychotherapy students will turn to continually throughout their research projects.

Understanding Counselling and Psychotherapy focuses on common problems such as anxiety and depression, exploring how different therapeutic approaches understand and work with them. Counselling and psychotherapy are considered within the wider context of their history and the mental health systems in which they are often located. In addition to this, the book introduces key aspects of the theory and practice of counselling and psychotherapy, and the increasing relevance of research in this area. - Section 1 introduces counselling and psychotherapy and the history of these professions, considering how current understandings of 'mental health problems' have been influenced by psychiatric diagnosis, biomedical approaches and psychoanalysis. - Section 2 covers four key therapeutic approaches - humanistic, existential, cognitive-behavioural and mindfulness - exploring how they work with problems relating to fear and sadness. - Section 3 focuses on therapeutic perspectives that specifically address problems in a wider context, such as relationships, families, cultural groups and society. - Section 4 considers practice and research issues in counselling and psychotherapy, including the different contexts and settings in which these take place, the therapeutic relationship, and outcome and process research. This accessible and stimulating text uses innovative activities and case illustrations to demonstrate how people experience common problems, and how counsellors and psychotherapists work with these.

Understanding Mental Health and Counselling provides a critical introduction to key debates about how problems of mental health are understood, and to the core approaches taken to working with counselling and psychotherapy clients. In drawing out the differences and intersections between professional and social understandings of mental health and counselling theory and practice, the book fosters critical thinking about effective and ethical work with mental health service users and therapy clients. With chapters by noted academic writers and service-user researchers, and content enlivened by activities, first-person accounts and case material, the book provides a key resource for both counselling and psychotherapy trainees and those interested in the broader field of mental health.

Research is a vital and often daunting component of many counselling and psychotherapy courses. As well as completing their own research projects, trainees across modalities must understand the research in the field - what it tells them and how to do it. Breaking down this seemingly mountainous task into easy to swallow pieces, this book will navigate your students through each stage of the research process, from choosing a research question, through the pros and cons of different methods, to data analysis and writing up their findings. Written by leading contributors from the field including John McLeod, Mick Cooper and Tim Bond, each chapter features points for reflection, engaging activities and suggestions for further reading, helping students to engage with all aspects of research. An original graphic narrative runs throughout the book, bringing this complex topic to life in a unique way. Whether embarking on research for the first time or already a little familiar with research and research methods, this unique guide is something counselling and psychotherapy students will turn to continually throughout their research projects.

A cutting-edge text that provides a comprehensive introduction to mental health problems and criminal behaviour, this book explores the link between mental health and criminality and considers the most common and effective therapeutic approaches for working with offenders and victims of crime. * Part 1 explores the predominant tensions between forensic and therapeutic agendas; * Part 2 considers how criminal and 'insane' identities and careers may be considered gendered, classed, culturally and age-dependent experiences, and be related to power and oppression; * Part 3 examines issues around sex and sexuality in forensic and therapeutic settings; * Part 4 introduces a range of therapeutic approaches for working with offenders and victims of crime; * Part 5 covers forensic and therapeutic practices, including programmes for the prevention of both mental health issues and offending. Edited by an expert team from the Open University and written by a broad range of contributors, this book draws on a wealth of experience in this popular subject area. It will be a key text for students of forensic psychology, counselling and psychotherapy, and for health and social care professionals working in therapeutic and forensic settings.