This practical book outlines the essential principles and practices of couple counselling. Demystifying this form of therapy, the author provides a step-by-step guide from the first meeting through to subsequent sessions. The book includes a wealth of supporting features including case examples, student exercises, points for reflection and memory-jog pages to use in practice. As well as chapters illustrating counselling for problems frequently experienced by couples, such as sexual difficulties, infidelity, violence and abuse, key content includes:
- cultural differences in couples work
- varieties of committed relationships
- responses to specific difficulties
- ethical issues that arise as a result of working with two people
- gender differences in relation to the counsellor's own sexuality and/or gender
- the value of training courses and supervision
- persons' narratives as a basis for change.
This book comprises a sound basis for one-to-one practitioners wishing to expand their expertise and practice of therapy into working with couples, and for students training in this mode of counselling