Monitor treatments carefully

Therapists and counsellors have often been trained in 'methods'. Some of these are helpful some of the time. The best therapists and counsellors will focus on the relationship between counsellor and client and draw on their methodological knowledge very selectively providing 'treatment' or techniques after gaining permission from the client. They will also advise the client ahead of time as to every step of the method being used. There should be no surprises for the client and there should be complete acknowledgement by the therapist as to why a particular method seems to be suitable for a particular client. The question for clients to ask themselves is, "Is this session focusing on the way all facets of my life interact or is there a tendency to focus on one part of me, for example, my inner world?" It is also worth asking oneself whether the counsellor or therapist is making a diagnosis of the client story and how valid this is under the circumstances......more about that topic later...

A. Roy Bowden, July 009