We live in troubled times: climate crisis, war and authoritarian 'populism' are just some of the challenges we are currently facing. Never has there been such a need for a new approach to politics - nor such an opportunity for one. To create a world in which people thrive, we need to know what thriving is. Over the past century, psychotherapy - and its parent discipline, psychology - has built up a vibrant, nuanced and highly practical understanding of human wellbeing and distress. This book describes a progressive political approach that integrates insights from the psychotherapeutic and psychological domain, moving us from a politics of blame to a politics of understanding. In this vision of society - surrounded by a culture of radical acceptance - all individuals can live rich and fulfilling lives. We need those shaping our political landscape to understand psychological needs and processes more deeply to enhance our ability to work with others in a spirit of collaboration, dialogue and respect.

We live in troubled times: climate crisis, war and authoritarian 'populism' are just some of the challenges we are currently facing. Never has there been such a need for a new approach to politics - nor such an opportunity for one. To create a world in which people thrive, we need to know what thriving is. Over the past century, psychotherapy - and its parent discipline, psychology - has built up a vibrant, nuanced and highly practical understanding of human wellbeing and distress. This book describes a progressive political approach that integrates insights from the psychotherapeutic and psychological domain, moving us from a politics of blame to a politics of understanding. In this vision of society - surrounded by a culture of radical acceptance - all individuals can live rich and fulfilling lives. We need those shaping our political landscape to understand psychological needs and processes more deeply to enhance our ability to work with others in a spirit of collaboration, dialogue and respect.

This book provides detailed guidance on assessing and accommodating patient preferences for the psychotherapist, the therapeutic approach, and treatment activities. Blending empirical research and clinical expertise into easy-to-read advice, Drs. John Norcross and Mick Cooper offer multiple strategies for routinely assessing preferences as they evolve over the course of therapy, focusing primarily on strong likes and dislikes. They describe multiple tools for rapidly and reliably measuring preferences in session, including their Cooper-Norcross Inventory of Preferences (C-NIP). Four key strategies for accommodating a client's preferences are explored in depth: adopting them into treatment, adapting the therapist's approach, exploring alternative preferences, and referring the patient to another practitioner if necessary. The authors describe the limitations of personalization and how to avoid common errors, such as therapists assuming they know what clients want. Training and supervision strategies are also featured. Clinical cases and patient-therapist dialogues demonstrate how to evaluate and integrate client preferences in a respectful, ethical, and professional manner that leads to enhanced alliances and improved outcomes.

What does it mean to practice therapy in an existential way? What are the different existential approaches? What are their strengths and limitations? Focusing on practical, face-to-face work with clients, the book introduces students to six existential therapies, highlighting areas of commonality and difference, and discusses key figures and their contributions, including Yalom, van Deurzen, Spinelli, Frankl and Laing. It outlines the critical perspectives and key debates, and presents implications for practice, reflection and further reading. Fully updated to reflect current issues, this book now includes: * Sections presenting research evidence for each approach * An extended case study running through the book, demonstrating how different therapies might approach the same case * Chapter overviews, questions for reflection, and additional case studies of actual existential practice.

A practical resource that your students can return to again and again to guide and coordinate their pluralistic practice, it provides: Hands-on guidance to developing pluralistic practice: providing the tools, skills and practice frameworks A step-by-step understanding of how the ideas and methods of different orientations can contribute towards a pluralistic way of working The tools and understandings needed to work with clients to achieve the most common goals The tools and understandings needed to work with clients wishing to address particular issues such as depression, anxiety, addiction, health issues, suicidal thoughts An understanding of a range of professional and practice issues relevant to pluralistic practitioners. Each chapter offers definitions of key terms, several case studies, exercises and points for reflection, further reading, chapter introductions and summaries of key learning points, and overviews of relevant research.

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.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, the authors 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, Pluralistic Counselling and Psychotherapy 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 practicing in the counselling or helping professions - it should not be missed

Are some therapies more effective than others? How important is the relationship? Which clients do best in therapy? Essential Research Findings in Counselling and Psychotherapy answers these questions and many more, providing trainees, practitioners and researchers with a comprehensive introduction to the latest findings in the field. The book sets out in a jargon-free way the evidence for the effectiveness of therapy and the factors associated with positive therapeutic outcomes. It gives suggestions for further reading, definitions of key terms and questions for discussion, making this an ideal text for use in training. The book is also designed for practitioners who increasingly need to justify their therapeutic work on empirical grounds. Essential Research Findings in Counselling and Psychotherapy gives them the knowledge and confidence to do just that. More than that, it makes research findings accessible and provides information on how to practice counselling and psychotherapy in an effective way.

What does it mean to practice therapy in an existential way? What are the different existential approaches? What are their strengths and limitations? Focusing on practical, face-to-face work with clients, the book introduces students to six existential therapies, highlighting areas of commonality and difference, and discusses key figures and their contributions, including Yalom, van Deurzen, Spinelli, Frankl and Laing. It outlines the critical perspectives and key debates, and presents implications for practice, reflection and further reading. Fully updated to reflect current issues, this book now includes: * Sections presenting research evidence for each approach * An extended case study running through the book, demonstrating how different therapies might approach the same case * Chapter overviews, questions for reflection, and additional case studies of actual existential practice.

Eagerly awaited by many counsellors and psychotherapists, this new edition includes an updated preface, new content on recent research and new developments and debates around relational depth, and new case studies. This groundbreaking text goes to the very heart of the therapeutic meeting between therapist and client. Focusing on the concept of 'relational depth', the authors describe a form of encounter in which therapist and client experience profound feelings of contact and engagement with each other, and in which the client has an opportunity to explore whatever is experienced as most fundamental to her or his existence. The book has helped thousands of trainees and practitioners understand how to facilitate a relationally-deep encounter, identify the personal 'blocks' that may be encountered along the way, and consider new therapeutic concepts - such as 'holistic listening' - that help them to meet their clients at this level. This classic text remains a source of fresh thinking and stimulating ideas about the therapeutic encounter which is relevant to trainees and practitioners of all orientations.

This book is for trainees and practitioners across the orientations who wish to incorporate an existential approach into their practice. Using a pluralistic perspective that recognises the diversity of clients and their individual needs, it shows trainees how and when existential concepts and practices can be used alongside other approaches. A wealth of resources and the author's writing style make this is one of the most accessible and inspiring introductions to existential therapy. Videos of existential counselling in practice and written case studies ensure existential theory is illustrated in practice, while reflective questions and exercises help trainees relate notoriously complex existential themes to their own knowledge and experience. A companion website offers relevant journal articles, video tutorials on existential counselling skills, the results of the author's survey of the 'Top 10' existential films, novels and songs, and much more. This passionate and insightful book is the ideal guide to help your trainees understand existential therapy and learn how to integrate its ideas and practices into their therapeutic work. Mick Cooper is Professor of Counselling Psychology at University of Roehampton.

This timely book explores the interface between the Person-Centred Approach and radical political theory and activity. Specifically, it explores the contribution that a critical analysis of social and political factors can make to the practice of person-centred therapy, and to examine the contribution that person-centred theory and practice can make to the wider sphere of socio-political theory and activity. An international collection of chapters offers critical analysis of the PCA and difference and diversity; class; culture and racism; sexuality; power and feminism. Other contributions present a range of work involving social change as a necessary and sufficient condition for therapeutic personality growth; emotional literacy; sociotherapy; work with refugees and asylum seekers; peace groups; ecopolitics and spirituality." Politicising the Person-Centred Approach" is primarily aimed at practitioners and, to some extent, students, of the person-centred approach who have an interest in political issues and concerns, but will also be of interest to service users, practitioners and theorists in the field of critical psychiatry and critical psychology, who may be interested in developing the theoretical foundations of their work and expanding their theoretical and practical horizons.

Recent evidence has shown that the successful setting of goals brings about positive outcomes in psychological therapy. Goals help to focus and direct clients' and therapists' attention in therapeutic work. They also engender hope and help energise clients. No longer are clients victims of their circumstances, but through goal setting they become people who have the potential to act towards and achieve their desired futures. Through the discussing and setting of goals, clients develop a deeper insight into what it is that they really want in life: a crucial first step towards being able to get there. Recent policies in both child and adult mental health services have supported the use of goals in therapy. However, the differing cultures, histories, psychologies, and philosophical assumptions of each form of therapy has brought about varying attitudes and approaches to goal setting. Working with Goals in Counselling and Psychotherapy brings the attitudes of all the major therapeutic orientations together in one volume. With examples from cognitive behaviour therapy, psychodynamic therapy, humanistic therapy, interpersonal therapy, and systemic therapy Working with Goals in Counselling and Psychotherapy truly is the definitive guide for therapists seeking to work with goals in any of the psychological therapies.

Part of the PCCS Books bestselling Primers in Counselling series, The Existential Counselling Primer is a concise summary of the philosophical origins of existentialist therapy, existentialist understandings of what it is to be human, and how both inform the theory and practice of existential counselling. It ends with a case study to demonstrate what the approach might look like in practice and includes a helpful glossary of key terms and terminology. The PCCS Books primers offer students concise, accessible descriptions of the key counselling approaches in widespread use today. The series is ideal for students needing texts that provide a bridge between introductory, intermediate and diploma courses or easily digested summaries of the different approaches for comparative essays and integrative theory assignments. The books are perfect supplements to the Steps in Counselling series to accompany students as they progress through training. They are also a helpful for qualified counsellors considering expanding their repertoire of skills. In this revised second edition, Mick Cooper has updated the references to incorporate important additions to the literature and added to some sections to reflect developments in thinking and practice.

Unravelling the issues surrounding the therapeutic relationship, this book highlights the importance of the relationship itself, of the client as a proactive agent in the process, and of the need for partnership and collaboration for effective therapy to take place. It will provide trainees and newly qualified therapists with the knowledge and skills they need to practice on a level of deep understanding and confidence.

How can therapists integrate theories and practices from across the psychological therapies? This book presents a framework for understanding distress and change that can unite different orientations, along with sociopolitical perspectives. Its starting point is that therapy aims to help clients move towards the things they most deeply want. It shows how the actualisation of these 'directions' leads to greater well-being, and how this can be brought about through the development of internal and external synergies. Using in-depth cases, the book provides detailed guidance on how this framework can be applied. After reading this book, you'll feel better equipped to understand, and work with, your clients' directions-tailoring the therapy to their unique wants.

What can child and adolescent counsellors and therapists learn from research? What evidence is there for the effectiveness of different therapies and techniques? How can developmental or neuroscience research inform or inspire therapeutic work with young people? This book provides the answers to these questions, and more. Leading experts in the field take you through the latest research findings in child and adolescent therapy, discussing how each is relevant to the work of practitioners. Today, both therapists and trainees need to be aware of, and engage with, research findings. The book presents, accessibly, the current best knowledge and its implications for practice.

How can therapists integrate theories and practices from across the psychological therapies? This book presents a framework for understanding distress and change that can unite different orientations, along with sociopolitical perspectives. Its starting point is that therapy aims to help clients move towards the things they most deeply want. It shows how the actualisation of these 'directions' leads to greater well-being, and how this can be brought about through the development of internal and external synergies. Using in-depth cases, the book provides detailed guidance on how this framework can be applied. After reading this book, you'll feel better equipped to understand, and work with, your clients' directions-tailoring the therapy to their unique wants.

A collection of short fiction stories, poems etc, written over the last 25 years at local creative writing groups in the Portsmouth UK area.

Thoroughly updated to reflect the latest trends in theory and practice, this this substantially revised and extended edition is the most in-depth and wide-ranging textbook available on person-centred psychotherapy and counselling. Divided into four parts, it examines the theoretical, philosophical and historical foundations of the person-centred approach; the fundamental principles of person-centred practice and applications of person-centred practice; how person-centred conceptualisations and practices can be applied to groups of clients who bring particular issues to therapy; and, finally, professional issues for person-centred therapists, such as ethics, supervision and training. Written by a diverse range of expert contributors, unified by a more relational, ethics-based reading of person-centred theory and practice, this is a comprehensive, cutting-edge resource for students on all advanced level person-centred courses, as well as for a wide range of professional practitioners in the field. New to this Edition: - A new, introductory chapter looking at contemporary challenges and opportunities for growth for the person-centred world - Nine further new chapters, including work with children and young people, older clients, arts-based therapies, addiction and bereavement, spiritual dimensions, contact and perception, working integratively, global and political implications - Increased use of text learning features to make the chapters more accessible and engaging - A greater focus on actual practice, with more case studies and examples of therapist-client dialogues Increased reference to research - A general updating of all chapters to include all relevant references

Eagerly awaited by many counsellors and psychotherapists, this new edition includes an updated preface, new content on recent research and new developments and debates around relational depth, and new case studies. This groundbreaking text goes to the very heart of the therapeutic meeting between therapist and client. Focusing on the concept of 'relational depth', the authors describe a form of encounter in which therapist and client experience profound feelings of contact and engagement with each other, and in which the client has an opportunity to explore whatever is experienced as most fundamental to her or his existence. The book has helped thousands of trainees and practitioners understand how to facilitate a relationally-deep encounter, identify the personal 'blocks' that may be encountered along the way, and consider new therapeutic concepts - such as 'holistic listening' - that help them to meet their clients at this level. This classic text remains a source of fresh thinking and stimulating ideas about the therapeutic encounter which is relevant to trainees and practitioners of all orientations.

What can child and adolescent counsellors and therapists learn from research? What evidence is there for the effectiveness of different therapies and techniques? How can developmental or neuroscience research inform or inspire therapeutic work with young people? This book provides the answers to these questions, and more. Leading experts in the field take you through the latest research findings in child and adolescent therapy, discussing how each is relevant to the work of practitioners. Today, both therapists and trainees need to be aware of, and engage with, research findings. The book presents, accessibly, the current best knowledge and its implications for practice.

`[This book's] fundamental thesis is a rather challenging one - the idea that the unified, singular "self", which we all take for granted we possess, does not exist... fascinating and important... I will certainly revisit the book... when you're ready for a challenge, this book is certainly worth dipping into' - Counselling News

`I thoroughly recommend this book. I found it challenging, provocative, exciting and full of delights. (It makes such a change to be told that ideal personality characteristics would include a Monty Pythonesque sense of humour and a tolerance of mind-altering drugs!) While reading it I often felt nourished and refreshed' - The Journal of Critical Psychology, Counselling and Psychotherapy

With the emergence of postmodern thinking, the notion of a unified, singular `self' appears increasingly problematic. Yet for many, postmodernism's proclamation of `the death of the subject' is equally problematic. As a response to this dilemma, there has been a rise of interest in pluralistic models of the `self' in which the person is conceptualized as a multiplicity of subpersonalities, as a plurality of existential possibilities or as a `being' which is inextricably in-dialogue-with-others.

Bringing together many disciplines, and with contributions from foremost writers on self-pluralism, The Plural Self overviews and critiques this emerging field. Drawing together theory, research and practice, the book expands on both the psychological and philosophical theories underlying and associated with self-pluralism, and presents empirical evidence in support of the self-pluralistic perspective, exploring its application within a clinical and therapeutic setting.

A practical resource that your students can return to again and again to guide and coordinate their pluralistic practice, it provides: Hands-on guidance to developing pluralistic practice: providing the tools, skills and practice frameworks A step-by-step understanding of how the ideas and methods of different orientations can contribute towards a pluralistic way of working The tools and understandings needed to work with clients to achieve the most common goals The tools and understandings needed to work with clients wishing to address particular issues such as depression, anxiety, addiction, health issues, suicidal thoughts An understanding of a range of professional and practice issues relevant to pluralistic practitioners. Each chapter offers definitions of key terms, several case studies, exercises and points for reflection, further reading, chapter introductions and summaries of key learning points, and overviews of relevant research.

Unravelling the issues surrounding the therapeutic relationship, this book highlights the importance of the relationship itself, of the client as a proactive agent in the process, and of the need for partnership and collaboration for effective therapy to take place. It will provide trainees and newly qualified therapists with the knowledge and skills they need to practice on a level of deep understanding and confidence.