Summary
Contents
Subject index
There is a growing interest on what clients have to say about their experiences in counseling and psychotherapy. Why do they say the things they say? In this powerful analysis, On Being a Client identifies a number of clear and potent messages that transcend the complexity of counseling thought and psychotherapeutic practice. Using clients' experiences as a framework, the author creates a general theory of counseling and psychotherapy. He proposes that the social and psychological structures which generate the clients' experiences underlie all psychotherapeutic encounters, and the self forms and reforms in social relationships--including those established in the therapeutic context. In this fascinating volume, the reader is invited to consider a number of thought-provoking claims about the universal qualities that characterize good and bad practice in all types of counseling and therapy. This distinctive and accessible analysis is invaluable reading for all counselors, therapists, and other mental health professionals, whether they be in training or already established in practice.
The Formation of the Self in Social Relationships
The Formation of the Self in Social Relationships
When clients speak of their experiences of counselling and therapy, they reveal not only what works but why it works. The views of the consumer lead us to consider the significance of social relationships in the formation of the self and the implications this has for therapy. There is a developmental requirement to make sense of other people. This is achieved by understanding the self and using this self-awareness to make sense of others by analogy. However, it also has to be appreciated that the self is formed as the infant and the maturing brain relate to and operate in a social environment.
Being of the World
Nature does not require the brain ...
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