Psychotherapy and Counselling in Practice: A Narrative Framework

This book gives a model for best practice and consistently good outcome across the range of psychotherapeutic systems.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Michelle Field-Chez, MD(Rush University Medical Center)
Description:This book provides a unique perspective and format to be used within psychotherapy. The author feels this format will offer the most optimum success within various therapeutic models that currently exist.
Purpose:The purpose is to point out the four elements that the author feels need to be present for a successful outcome in therapy; i.e., addressing the person's concerns, taking into account his or her values and personal morality, recognizing the role of emotions, and finally putting it all into a narrative for the patient. This book is unique in its focus and the author meets his objective of introducing us to his unique perspective.
Audience:According to the author, this book is for psychiatrists or clinical psychologists, in training and in practice, and for those who use long and short-term therapy. As a clinical professor of psychotherapy at the University of Sheffield, the author is a credible authority on psychotherapy and what could aid in its success.
Features:The author presents his four major principles of successful psychotherapy throughout the book. He first points out the importance of considering the concerns of both the patient and the therapist. Then it is important to consider what the client?s values are. Next it is important to know the emotional aspect of the client?s life and thus what gives it meaning. Finally, the book shows how the therapist can bring a narrative to all the above elements as a way of summing things up for the patient. These major principles the author feels can be successfully used through the various currently used therapeutic practices. The author also focuses on how therapists can help their patients to help themselves relinquish and release harmful behavior. Finally, at the conclusion of treatment, the author demonstrates how therapists can then renarrate the lives of their patients to them. The last chapter deals with the many crises that occur in therapy. The crises that are covered are extensive and include such things as reconsidering the focus of treatment, supervision, and saying goodbye.
Assessment:This in-depth and detailed book is very different than others in this field because of its unique focus -- the author?s idea of the elements that must be part of good psychotherapy: emotions, values, concerns, and narration.

DOB 15 March 1948 Co-director, Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation About 100 papers in psychology, psychotherapy, medical, psychiatry journals. Two co-authored books, five edited books. Previously Professor of Psychotherapy at the University of Warwick, and Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry at the University of Manchester. Degrees in medicine, maths and philosophy, animal physiology. Long-standing interest in brief psychotherapy, non-verbal communication and Asperger syndrome. Previous Chair of United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy and University Psychotherapy and Counselling Association. Professional associations/learned bodies Fellow, Royal College of Psychiatrists Associate Member, British Psychological Society Member, British Association of Counselling Registrar, European Association of Psychotherapy Member, North West Institute of Dynamic Psychotherapy British Medical Association International Society for the Study of Emotions Universities Psychotherapy Association