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Working at Relational Depth in Counselling and Psychotherapy
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Working at Relational Depth in Counselling and Psychotherapy

Second Edition
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October 2017 | 248 pages | SAGE Publications Ltd

Audio book out now.
Eagerly awaited by many counsellors and psychotherapists, this new edition includes an updated preface, new content on recent research and new developments and debates around relational depth, and new case studies.

 

This groundbreaking text goes to the very heart of the therapeutic meeting between therapist and client. Focusing on the concept of 'relational depth', the authors describe a form of encounter in which therapist and client experience profound feelings of contact and engagement with each other, and in which the client has an opportunity to explore whatever is experienced as most fundamental to her or his existence. The book has helped thousands of trainees and practitioners understand how to facilitate a relationally-deep encounter, identify the personal ‘blocks’ that may be encountered along the way, and consider new therapeutic concepts – such as 'holistic listening' – that help them to meet their clients at this level.

 

This classic text remains a source of fresh thinking and stimulating ideas about the therapeutic encounter which is relevant to trainees and practitioners of all orientations.

 
Chapter 1 - Foundations for a relational therapy
 
Chapter 2 - Psychological distress: a relational understanding
 
Chapter 3 - Relational depth in therapy: what it is and why it may help
 
Chapter 4 - A continuing relationship at depth: 'reaching the parts...'
 
Chapter 5 - Working with Dominic: a 'partial' drunk
 
Chapter 6 - Earning the right to work with Rick: a traumatised client
 
Chapter 7 - Facilitating a meeting at relational depth
 
Chapter 8 - The therapist's developmental agenda
 
Chapter 9 - Towards a revolution

Only occasionally do books change the very way we think about practice and introduce concepts that have the power to redefine some of our work, the first edition of Working at Relational Depth did just that, and this second edition takes us several steps further. Entirely updated, refreshed and contemporary in its approach this is, once again, a tour de force in the literature; a further critical development in our understanding of the relationship in counselling and psychotherapy.

Dr Andrew Reeves
Senior Lecturer; Senior BACP Accredited Counsellor/Psychotherapist; Chair of BACP

Working at Relational Depth in Counselling and Psychotherapy 2nd Edition, co-authored by Mick Cooper and Dave Mearns, is a wonderful book which should be on every counsellor’s and counsellor training course’s reading list.

Moira Bishop
Amersham & Wycombe College

This book reminds us that therapy is both an art and a science. The struggle to find words to describe moments of deep healing between two people is balanced by an absorbing look at the neuroscience, developmental psychology and evidence that underpin relational depth. This is both poetry and prose which speak across the different modalities to all therapists who care about their clients.

Fiona Ballantine Dykes, Intergrative Therapist and Head of Professional Standards BACP
BACP

The illustrative examples, client accounts and research meshed together into an enjoyable, informative and thought provoking read. It enabled me to realize that, fundamentally, working at relational depth means two human-beings allowing themselves to be seen exactly as they are. Human. With flaws and fears and needs and desires.

Heather Rimmer
Person-Centered & Experiential Psychotherapies

This is such a good book: warm, engaging, interesting, personal and professional. I will certainly be recommending to my students that they read it and wallow in its wonderful contents.

Ms Sally Riggall
School of Health & Social Care, Lincoln University
November 20, 2017

An excellent book on relational psychotherapy practice, of great value for students of all therapeutic modalities, where the therapeutic relationship is the ultimate integrative variable

Dr Aisling McMahon
School of Nursing & Human Sciences , Dublin City University (DCU)
December 14, 2017

One of the things I find appealing about this text is how the authors manage to make something that is, in practice, so complex and nuanced, so understandable and accessible, Mearns and Cooper... a winning combination.

Dr Russell Delderfield
Academic Skills Advice, Bradford University
June 27, 2018