Abstract

Conveying the reality of the counselling room, this book provides helpful tips and techniques to enable practitioners to develop and refine their skills.

At the heart of this book is the idea of 'situated action'. By this we mean suspending purely intellectual faculties and exploring a different kind of intelligence - one shaped in the real world - in essence what happens to theory when it meets real life. This book offers thirty four skills to achieve this kind of practice wisdom which contain a mixture of reflection, client stories, quotes and images.

This text will translate theory into practice for students and be a source of inspiration and reflection for the experienced practitioner.

This is an enchanting and memorable book, which speaks directly to anyone who has any kind of involvement in psychotherapeutic work. It consists of a series of brief essays that are personal, passionate and at the same time philosophically informed on central aspects of the experience of therapy. Fresh ways of looking at familiar topics, such as empathy and intersubjectivity, sit alongside illuminating exploration of concepts that are not part of the current therapy landscape: juggling, adventure, bravery. While grounded in a clear stance in relation to the nature of practical knowing, Tony Evans is not promoting a new theory or model of therapy. Instead, he offers a counterpoint to established models and theories, an invitation to look at old ideas in new ways. I warmly recommend his writing to anyone seeking to expand their therapeutic imagination.
John McLeod, Emeritus Professor of Counselling, University of Abertay
Dr Tony Evans is a chartered counselling psychologist with 17 years' experience. He is Principal Lecturer at the University of Roehampton and Programme Convener for BSC Psychology and Counselling and BA Therapeutic Psychology.
A gem of a book: original, fascinating and beautifully crafted. Challenging the conventional wisdom that theory precedes practice, it outlines a range of creative sources that trainees and practitioners can draw on to inform and inspire their work.
Mick Cooper, Professor of Counselling Psychology