Implausible Professions

This updated edition challenges conventional beliefs about the professionalization of psychotherapy and counseling, featuring new insights and diverse contributions that remain relevant in today's evolving landscape of mental health practices.

Implausible Professions is a thought-provoking exploration of the professionalization of psychotherapy and counseling, challenging widely accepted assumptions within the field. This second edition revisits the core themes introduced in the first edition, published in 1997, which anticipated many of the significant issues surrounding the professionalization of therapy that have gained prominence in recent years. As discussions about potential state regulation intensify, this updated edition arrives at a crucial moment, making it particularly relevant for contemporary readers.

The book features a diverse collection of essays contributed by both established and emerging voices in the field. These chapters engage with the complexities of professionalization and the commodification of therapeutic practices, offering fresh insights that remain pertinent today. The new editorial introduction and conclusion provide a contemporary context, bridging the ideas from the original publication with current developments in psychotherapy and counseling.

For those new to the politics of professionalization or those seeking to revisit the foundational arguments about why counseling and psychotherapy may be considered implausible professions, this text serves as an essential resource. It not only encourages critical reflection on the evolution of these fields but also highlights the creative pluralism and passionate engagement characteristic of effective therapeutic work. Overall, Implausible Professions invites readers to reconsider the frameworks that underpin their understanding of psychotherapy and counseling in today's world.