Carl Rogers

ISBN: 9781845290573

What top 10 list wouldn’t include a Carl Rogers classic?! Founder of the human potential movement, and concerned about human growth, Rogers used this book to give others a message who wanted to change their lives – “move away from facades, move away from ‘oughts’, move away from meeting expectations, trust yourself be open to experience.”

This book is written with a depth of insight gained during many years of working with people. Rogers was drawn into psychotherapy and counseling at a time when this field was emerging from the Freudian era and other styles of psychoanalysis.

It was a time when the analyst was seen as an expert who would use his/her superior knowledge to analyse and then guide the client in order to help that person to heal. This model put pressure on the analyst to be an expert in the field of human emotions and behaviour – a difficult task to say the least.

Through his work in this field he began to realise that this model of a therapeutic relationship was limited in its scope and did not encourage client autonomy and wholeness. On Becoming a Person is about the therapeutic relationship according to Rogers.

Michael Jacobs

ISBN: 0335217664

A person’s past is ever present, from infancy to old age, and it always affects the dynamics of therapy and the therapist-patient relationship. Written by one of the most-cited counseling authors in Europe, the bestselling The Presenting Past gives practicing therapists and students keen insight into the subject. The theories of Freud, Winnicott, Klein, and others are organised into three main categories: trust and attachment; authority and autonomy; and cooperation and competitiveness.

Lavishly illustrated and updated to give the most complete picture available on the subject, this edition of The Presenting Past gives more attention to therapy models such as attachment theory. Known for his straightforward and accessible writing style, Michael Jacobs provides clinical examples of issues concerning the past as they are presented to clients in counselling and psychotherapy and coherently makes the connection between theory and practice.

Judith S. Beck

ISBN: 0898628474

Written in a clear, step-by-step style, this ideal teaching text makes cognitive therapy immediately accessible to students, beginning therapists, and seasoned practitioners who are not familiar with the cognitive approach.

The book is written almost like a manual that actually gives clear guidance on how to undertake cognitive therapy with clients from the initial assessment session, through case conceptualisation, specific interventions, to therapy termination. It also includes a chapter on problems in therapy that both client and practitioner are likely to encounter with suggestions on how work with these issues. It gives excellent clinical examples, and is likely to be of benefit to all therapists regardless of therapeutic orientation.

Phil Joyce & Ms Charlotte Sills

ISBN: 0761956999

Skills in Gestalt Counselling & Psychotherapy is a practical introduction to the different techniques used at each stage of the counselling process. The book takes the reader through the process from beginning to termination and focuses on skills which arise out of Gestalt theory as well as those invoked by the counselling relationship.

Accessibly written by experienced practitioners, the book gives clear guidelines on: establishing the relationship; assessment and goal-setting; developing the client’s awareness; maintaining the relationship and bringing the counselling to an end.

The authors also examine the spiritual dimension of counselling and offer guidance on some of the special considerations affecting counsellors such as the context in which they are working, the duration of the relationship, and particular problems with which clients present. For all those training in Gestalt or who wish to sharpen their skills as practitioners, this will be essential reading.

Ian Stewart & Vann Joines

ISBN: 1870244001

Although transactional analysis tries to market itself as a jargon-free psychotherapeutic model, it is difficult to read some of the TA classics written by Eric Berne such as The Games People Play & What Do You Say After You Say Hello? However, this textbook is a really accessible introduction to TA theory and practice consisting of detailed explanations of concepts and working examples.

The writing is clear without being trivial and the subject covered without being heavy or difficult. Even if you’re not a TA trainee or practitioner, the book is very useful for your own personal development with many exercises to get you thinking about the scripts and games you may play, and how you communicate and interact with others.

It’s also contains a very useful section on contracting for therapy with clients, as well as the TA 101 syllabus for training in this model.

Irvin D. Yalom

ISBN: 0749923733

It’s hard to beat a bit of Yalom! The Gift of Therapy is the new book from the bestselling author of Love’s Executioner. The culmination of Yalom’s forty-five years’ work as a therapist, this book illustrates through real case studies how patients and therapists alike can get the most out of therapy.

Presented as eighty-five ‘tips’ for ‘beginner therapists’, Yalom shares his own fresh approach and the insights he has gained while treating his patients. Personal, and sometimes provocative, Yalom includes some unorthodox suggestions: Let the patient matter to you; Acknowledge your errors; Create a new therapy for each patient; Three kinds of therapist self-disclosure; Revealing the therapist’s personal life: use caution; Full interpretation of a dream? Forget it!; Freud was not always wrong.

This is an entertaining, informative and insightful read for both beginner (and experienced) therapists, patients, students and everyone with an interest in the subject.

Tim Bond

ISBN: 1412902398

Since it first appeared in 1993, this highly acclaimed text has been the leading guide to counselling ethics. Its discussion of a wide range of ethical problems and advice on identifying and resolving these dilemmas has made it an invaluable resource.

In this fully revised and updated edition, the author takes account of the changing legal, professional and cultural context of counselling by:

• considering recent developments in law concerning the implementation of the Human Rights Act and child protection that impact on counselling
• addressing ethical dilemmas arising from increasing requirements and pressures to collaborate with and between agencies
• responding to variations in cultural values and cultural diversity in ethical decision-making
• discussing the professionalisation of counselling ahead of probable statutory regulation and recent developments in professional conduct proceedings, including a section on recent experiences of practitioners
• including a new chapter on the ethics of using new technology.

Developed in line with the BACP’s own guidelines, this text is ideal for use on all accredited training courses. It is also a book that all organisations offering counselling services ought to have on their shelves for reference.

Lynne Gabriel

ISBN: 1583919856

Are dual relationships always detrimental to clients? Speaking the Unspeakable draws on the experiences of both practitioners and clients to provide an in-depth exploration of the beneficial as well as detrimental potential of client-practitioner dual relationships.

Val Simanowitz, writing in Therapy Today (Nov, 2005) states that “the themes in this book should be a compulsory element in all core therapy and supervisor training programmes… The book gives rich food for thought. I think it will help practitioners to reconsider attitudes to what might once have been ‘unspeakable’.”

A highly readable, in-depth account of issues related to the complex and controversial area of dual or multiple relationships within counselling and psychotherapy, this book is likely to be of help to therapists who live and work in small communities where the potential for dual relationships occurring is very likely.

Stephen Palmer, Gladeana McMahon & Christine Wilding

ISBN: 0415197767

The Essential Skills for Setting Up a Counselling and Psychotherapy Practice offers practical advice on setting up in private practice, and gives valuable insight into the pitfalls, stresses and advantages that such a venture entails.

Being a good therapist does not necessarily make you a good business person. However, if you are to succeed in running your own private practice, this book provides comprehensive, yet accessible, coverage of all the major skills you will need.

Each chapter covers a specific aspect of setting up in private practice, including: starting your business, finances, marketing, premises, insurance, retirement planning, legal requirements, administration, networking, time management, etc.

A must-read for those entering private practice.

Jeffrey A. Kottler

ISBN: 0787968943

Since it was first published in 1986, On Being a Therapist has become a classic book in the field and has proved to be one of the most inspiring sources of guidance for aspiring and seasoned practitioners alike.

Jeffrey Kottler provides a candid account of the profound ways in which therapists influence clients and, in turn, are impacted personally and professionally by these encounters. He shows how therapists can learn, develop, and grow during the process of therapy and explains how practitioners can use the professional skills and insights gained from their sessions to address their own personal issues, realize positive change in themselves, and so become better helpers for others.

This thoroughly revised edition includes discussion about how the business and practice of therapy has changed in recent years, the effects of technology and managed care, the breakdown of theoretical orientation, and the greater client diversity represented in contemporary practice.