It is often the therapeutic relationship between client and therapist which is more important than the theoretical orientation. This book deals with the uses and abuses of the therapeutic relationship in counselling, psychology, psychotherapy and related fields. It provides a framework for integration, pluralism or deepening singularity with reference to five kinds of therapeutic relationship potentially available in every kind of counselling or psychodynamic work. The original paper and framework upon which this book is based has been widely acclaimed within psychotherapeutic, humanistic and psychoanalytic circles internationally. It has been found useful by adherents of a single orientation, as well as by practitioners who draw from several approaches. In addition, it has formed the basis for several courses in counselling and psychotherapy which have been recognised by national and international accrediting organisations. Dealing with an issue of increasing complexity, the book will be of great value and significance to psychotherapists, psychoanalysts, clinical and counselling psychologists, and other professionals working in the field of helping human relationships such as doctors, social workers, teachers and counsellors. Informed lay people, particularly those who are involved in the helping professions, may also find it of interest and benefit.

This text provides coverage of the uses and abuses of the therapeutic relationship in counselling, psychology, psychotherapy and related fields. It provides a framework for integration, pluralism or deepening singularity with reference to five kinds of therapeutic relationship potentially available in every kind of counselling or psychodynamic work. The work incoporates training and supervision perspectives and examples of course design, uses in assessment and applications to group and couples as well as to organizations. Dealing with an issue of increasing complexity, the book should be of value and significance to psychotherapists, psychoanalysts, clinical and counselling psychologists and other professionals working in the field of helping human relationships such as doctors, social workers, teachers and counsellors.

One point on which the various helping professions agree is that the crucial factor in the success of therapy is the therapeutic alliance - the collaborative relationship a therapist forms with a patient. This work examines the prevailing ideas about the therapeutic alliance.

"Most therapists, regardless of theoretical approach, intuitively recognize that their sense of self intimately influences their work. Using this elemental truth as a launching pad, Rowan and Jacobs articulate the different avenues through which the self informs therapy, and how each can be used to improve therapeutic effectiveness. Along the way the authors provide a masterful exposition of transference, countertransference, and projective identification, throwing much needed light on topics that have long been mired in controversy and confusion.The book is a priceless resource for experienced therapists and those just beginning the journey." - Professor Sheldon Cashadan, author of Object Relations Therapy and The Witch Must Die: The Hidden Meaning of Fairy Tales "Outstandingly in the current literature, this book meets the conditions for integrative psychotherapy to fulfil its undoubted potential as the therapy pathway of the future. Much has to change in our field. First, people have to become better informed and more respectful of other traditions than their own, engaging with all kinds of taboo topics. Next, vigorous but contained dispute has to take place without having a bland synthesis as its goal. Finally, the current situation in which 'integration' runs in one direction only - humanistic and transpersonal therapists learning from psychoanalysis - has to be altered. Rowan and Jacobs, each a master in his own field, have done a wonderful collaborative job. The book's focus on what different ways of being a therapist really mean in practice guarantees its relevance for therapists of all schools (or none) and at every level." - Andrew Samuels, Professor of Analytical Psychology, University of Essex and Visiting Professor of Psychoanalytic Studies, Goldsmith's College, University of London "There is no question in psychotherapy more important than the degree to which the practitioner should be natural and spontaneous. Would it be sensible to leave one's ordinary, everyday personality behind when entering the consulting room and adopt a stance based on learned techniques? This is the question addressed by Rowan & Jacobs in The Therapist's Use of Self, approaching it from various angles and discussing the relevant ideas of different schools of thought. The authors are very well-infomred and write with admirable clarity, directness and wisdom and have made an impressive contribution to a problem to which there is no easy solution". - Dr. Peter Lomas, author of Doing Good? Psychotherapy Out of Its Depth. This book deals with what is perhaps the central question in therapy - who is the therapist? And how does that actually come across and manifest itself in the therapeutic relationship? A good deal of the thinking about this in psychoanalysis has come under the heading of countertransference. Much of the thinking in the humanistic approaches has come under such headings as empathy, genuineness, nonpossessive warmth, presence, personhood. These two streams of thinking about the therapist's own self provide much material for the bulk of the book - but other aspects of the therapist also enter the picture, including the way a therapist is trained, and uses supervision, in order to make fuller use of her or his own reactions, responses and experience in working with any one client. The book is aimed primarily at counsellors and psychotherapists, or trainees in these disciplines. It has been written in a way that is accessible to students at all levels, but it is also of particular value to existing practitioners with an interest in the problems of integration.

Is therapy’s relational turn only something to celebrate? It is a major worldwide trend taking place in all the therapy traditions. But up to now appreciation of these developments has not been twinned with well-informed and constructive critique. Hence practitioners and students have not been able to engage as fully as they might with the complex questions and issues that relational working presents. Relational Psychotherapy, Psychoanalysis and Counselling: Appraisals and reappraisals seeks to redress this balance. In this unique book, Del Loewenthal and Andrew Samuels bring together the contributions of writers from several countries and many therapy modalities, all of whom have engaged with what ‘relational’ means – whether to espouse the idea, to urge caution or to engage in sceptical reflection. Relational Psychotherapy, Psychoanalysis and Counselling: Appraisals and reappraisals presents clinical work of the highest standard in a way that is moving and draws the reader in. The more intellectual contributions are accessible and respectful, avoiding the polarising tendencies of the profession. At a time when there has been a decline in the provision and standing of the depth therapies across the globe, this book shows that, whatever the criticisms, there is still creative energy in the field. It is hoped that practitioners and students in psychoanalysis, psychotherapy counselling and counselling psychology will welcome this book for its cutting edge content and compassionate tone.

The therapeutic encounter is at the core of counselling and psychotherapy training and practice, regardless of therapeutic modality. This book introduces a cross-modality approach to the client-therapist encounter, drawing from humanistic, psychoanalytic, systemic, and integrative approaches. Chapters introduce a range of client themes - the refusal to join in, the battle for control, the emotionally unavailable etc - and shows how these are enacted in the relationship. The authors invite you, as therapist, to interact creatively with the client, engaging directly in the drama. In this way, they provide a coherent framework within which to understand both the therapeutic relationship and the principles of their approach. This book is highly recommended for any counselling and psychotherapy trainee, regardless of modality. It is a must-read, with each chapter directly addressing essential teaching and trainee concerns. David Bott is the Director of Studies of Counselling and Psychotherapy at the University of Brighton and a UKCP registered Systemic Psychotherapist. Pam Howard is Course Leader of the MA Psychotherapeutic Counselling at the University of Brighton and a UKCP registered Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist

The concept of the real or personal relationship between client and therapist has existed since the earliest days of psychotherapy. In this engaging book, Charles J. Gelso argues the case for the relevance of the real relationship to successful therapeutic outcomes.

Sigmund Freud noted the importance of love in the healing of the human psyche. So many of life's distresses have their origins in lack of love, disruption of love, or trauma. People naturally seek love in their lives to feel complete. Is therapy a substitute for love? Or is it love by another name? This important book looks at the place of love in therapy and whether it is the curative factor. The authors continually stress, however, that within psychotherapy both ethical and professional boundaries should govern this 'Love' at all times in order for it to be experienced as healing and therapeutic. This book offers explorations of the complexity of love from different modalities: psychoanalytic, humanistic, person-centred, psychosexual, family and systemic, transpersonal, existential, and transcultural. The discussions challenge therapists and other allied professionals to think about their practice, ethics, and boundaries.

What are the dilemmas faced by counsellors and psychotherapists in contemporary private practice and how do these impact on the therapeutic relationship? Working as a counsellor or psychotherapist in contemporary private practice presents a number of clinical, ethical and philosophical dilemmas that impact on the therapeutic relationship. Counselling and Psychotherapy in Contemporary Private Practice brings together experienced contributors to explore these dilemmas, with insightful and illuminating results. This book distinguishes itself as it does not simply offer practical ideas. It also presents the reader with issues that arise from the specific context of working in independent practice and explores how these affect what takes place in the therapeutic relationship. Counselling and Psychotherapy in Contemporary Private Practice will provide essential reading for students of counselling and psychotherapy, qualified and experienced practitioners contemplating setting up in private practice. It will also be of interest to those already working in private practice, who wish to reflect upon the dilemmas that arise in this working environment.