The Therapeutic Relationship in Counselling and Psychotherapy

The book explores different aspects of the therapeutic relationship in a very clear and accessible style which will be helpful to trainee and newly qualified therapists working from a range of approaches.  Part of the authors stated aims is ‘to address some of the most commonly asked questions around the therapeutic relationship’ and it was interesting for me to note at the start of a new academic year just how many of these questions were being explored during skills training, theoretical discussions and group supervision.  Each chapter is supported with helpful examples from practice as well as research evidence and I particularly liked the way the reader is invited to consider the discussion further through ‘personal reflection’ and the ‘ideas for research’ sections.  I appreciated the inclusion of dedicated chapters for working with children and young people and telephone and online counselling.

-- Lucy Machin

At last – answers to a multitude of questions on the complexities of the therapeutic relationship.  This is a gem of a book containing everything you need to know from ethical dilemmas in practice to the online and telephone relationship. Grounded in research and drawing on the authors’ experiences, easy to read and a valuable resource for trainees and experienced practitioners. A very welcome book.

-- Carole Smith
The Therapeutic Relationship in Counselling and Psychotherapy by Rosanne Knox and Mick Cooper is a short and easily digestible guide which helps to create a bond between counsellor and client, whatever approach they are using. This book is especially useful for people at the start of their counselling journey, because it fully explores the elements of how to build a boundaried, but compassionate space where fruitful work can commence at a deep level...The book is clear and easy to navigate which enables a reader to quickly find the part that interests them. It also provides an important space to identify your own feelings, because each chapter ends with a passage supporting you, as the reader, to personally reflect on what you have read and how the ideas put forward might fit within your own approach. This book is invaluable for anyone starting to train as a counsellor, but also fantastic for practising counsellors who want to consolidate and re-visiting their thinking, as well as extending their understanding. -- Lisa Hayter
This invaluable little book punches above its 156 page weight, delivering common-sense advice and insight into that most revered aspect of the therapeutic encounter: the relationship between a counsellor and client...The book′s strength lies in its ability to make a  complex subject understandable, without dumbing down. I particularly liked each chapter′s ′personal reflection′, which invites the reader to think more deeply about some of the ideas raised.  
The quality of the counselling relationship is often the key to helping clients explore, change and grow. This is a book that can accompany that journey, providing a warm, knowledgeable voice to allay our fears, correct our misperceptions and encourage us to believe in ourselves. I have no doubt it will find its way onto many reading lists.  -- Sharon Breen, counsellor, group facilitator and wr