Experiences of Counselling in Action

The concerns addressed in this book are: the major experiences of counselling from the perspective of the client, how a counsellor experiences the counselling role, and what can be learned for the practice of counselling from an understanding of how it feels to be a client or a counsellor. Central to the book are reflections and "stories" of a number of clients and counsellors. The authors explore their own experiences of counselling and the issues raised for them, for example about expectations, fears, trust, power, identity and relationship boundaries. They examine the intense personal meanings of "success" or "failure" in the client or counsellor role. Other studies of client and counsellor experiences are also reviewed. Dave Mearns and Windy Dryden conclude the book with an analysis of the key themes which have emerged, and the implications for the development of the client-counsellor relationship and the counselling process.