Counselling in Health Care Settings

Health care settings can differ greatly from other counselling environments, requiring newcomers to become familiar with new rituals, practices and cultures. This clear and comprehensive text shows trainees and qualified practitioners how to respond positively and with confidence to the diverse situations they might face in a variety of health care settings. Practical, accessible and engaging, the book explores the ways in which the health care context – whether hospital, primary care, specialist or community setting - affects the counsellor's role and shapes the therapeutic process. The authors draw on their vast experience to give tried-and-tested advice on a variety of practice issues, from confidentiality and giving bad news to judging the pace and duration of sessions. In particular, the book: ■ provides a pluralistic model for practice, including systemic, solution-focused, cognitive-behavioural and person-centred ideas; ■ shows how to work collaboratively and effectively in a multi-disciplinary team; ■ includes extensive examples, scripts of therapeutic encounters and handy checklists. Counselling in Health Care Settings makes an excellent resource for busy practitioners and is an essential handbook for newly qualified therapists and trainees.