An Introduction to Counselling [Paperback]

Mcleod (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1998 | ISBN-10: 0335197094 | ISBN-13: 978-0335197095 | Edition: 2

This revised and expanded edition provides a comprehensive introduction to the theory and practice of counselling and therapy. It covers the core approaches to counselling, and takes a critical approach to issues of professional practice. New chapters in this edition cover: systematic, feminist, narrative and multicultural approaches to counselling; and a new chapter examines ways of making sense of the actual process of counselling. There are also short, illustrative vignettes or case studies included in this text.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Reviews of the first edition: "If you haven't readthis book, read it - no matter how much you think you already know" - Counselling in Medical Settings "The author has the capacity to summarise great amounts of material that kept whetting my appetite ... every paragraph is a sign of thoughtful evaluation and selection" - Journal of Family Studies "...a well-balanced critique of the main approaches to counselling andtherapy ... Importantly, the author focuses equally on professional issues...The book is well-structured and clearly written, and will be ideal for anyone starting out in training in the area. It will also be of great use to those who are currently practising, in consolidating their knowledge and providing a wider context in which to view their practice" - International Journal of Social Psychiatry "...an excellent survey and summary of the disciplines of counselling practice as well as its diversity of styles and beliefs" - The Lancet "...many thought-provoking issues ...excellent...likely to become a classic" - Counselling at Work

About the Author

John McLeod is Professor of Counselling at the University of Abertay Dundee, having previously taught at Keele University and Wolverhampton University. He has practised in a range of counselling settings, as well as being involved in training, research and consultancy with many occupational groups, including nurses, social workers and emergency services personnel. The author of six books and more than fifty articles and chapters on various aspects of counselling and psychotherapy, he is currently editor of Counselling and Psychotherapy Research. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Open University Pres; 2 edition (October 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0335197094
• ISBN-13: 978-0335197095
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,138,579 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is an intelligent and impressive achievement., March 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: An Introduction to Counselling (Hardcover)

Two sins of "Introductions to" books.

1. They treat readers as if they are incapable of understanding more than the absolute basics. References to further readings in such texts reflect a similar attitude

or

2. They fail to set the topic within a context. Rather, they plunge headlong into the topic via dollops of technical language and the citing of highly esoteric references.

McLeod's Introduction to Counselling commits neither of these sins. It is a highly intelligent book which treats the reader as an intelligent inquirer. I have recommended the book to other professionals, such as lawyers, who deal with counsellors and counselling. I have put it on my reading lists in the post-graduate counselling degrees conducted at my University. At the same time, I have recommended it colleagues who boast years of experience.

McLeod covers mainstream approaches to counselling such as psychodynamic, person-centered, CBT, systemic, feminist and narrative. He recognises that conselling approches do not come from nowhere, but reflect specific socio-cultural context. His engaging accounts of these contexts and of the individuals who articulated approaches which grew from them, provide a solid base from which to consider each theoretical development. At the same time, McLeod is interested in what elements tie counselling together. What are the root metaphors used by most counsellors most of the time?

McLeod is also deeply interested in counselling as an ethical pursuit. He is concerned with the nature of social and interpersonal power and with the moral principles which should guide theory and practice. He covers research, supervision, training and skills acquisition, the politics of counselling and the nature of counselling organizations. He even ventures into predictive statments for the next fifty years.

This book is an impressive achievement. The amount of information and the breadth and depth of ideas is deceptive because each chapter reads so well.

I have been in the business for twenty five years. I couldn't put it down!

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars EXCELLENT SERVICE, October 4, 2008

By 

Margaret Anne Bensusan (Portugal) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: An Introduction to Counselling (Paperback)

Although I have not read the book yet, must say that it got to Portugal in one week, which is very good.