Learning and Being in Person-Centred Counselling

Product Information

Tony Merry’s book is both a comprehensive introduction to the practice of person-centred counselling and a useful start point for understanding the development of the approach. Tony Merry's second edition of Learning and Being in Person-Centered Counselling stands out as impressively comprehensive, accessible and skilfully condensed. Come down the travelators, exit Sainsbury's, turn right and follow the pedestrianised walkway to Crown Walk and turn right - and Coles will be right in front of you. Merry grounds person-centred counselling in its ontological foundations and shows how theory informs our practice and how the counsellor’s attitudes are essential to their practice. It is highly accessible to students at any level of study and contains numerous practical exercises to help the reader gain a deeper understanding of person-centred theory.

Many cutting edge topics are included such as discussions about human nature, multi-cultural awareness and time-limited practice.Chapter covers essential aspects of theory and practice, including working at relational depth, training issues and supervision, and a comprehensive resource list of other relevant texts. Learning and Being offers an in-depth exploration of all aspects of person-centred counselling, from its origins to current developments in theory and practice. He (with Sheila Haugh’s sympathetic updating) makes reference to the many theorists and practitioners who have influenced the approach, giving the reader an insight into the strands that make up the tapestry of person-centred therapy. There are no easy routes to becoming a person-centred counsellor, but this book is surely one of the best guides to anyone striving towards learning and being within this approach. I particularly enjoyed the theory sections in [Learning and Being] - and I valued the inclusion of cultural, political, professional and social issues at an early stage .

It is written in clear and accessible language, with exercises and checklists to prompt the reader’s own thinking and learning. This process-focused reflexivity, so essential in person-centred practice, makes this newly revised version invaluable and important for readers of all backgrounds. It covers the basic issues, but does so in more depth, and with a greater appreciation for the ranges of alternative opinions, than do some of the other introductory books I've read. I also valued the inclusion of the nineteen propositions in the Merry book, and the translations into more approachable language will, I think, be welcomed by trainees .Learning and Being in Person-Centred Counselling has inspired and guided thousands of counselling students since it was first published in 1999.