Reflective Practice in Psychotherapy and Counselling

Chapter 1: Flying over the swampy lowlands - Reflective and reflexive practice

Rudi Dallos and Jacqui Stedmon

Chapter 2: Biological and developmental foundations of reflection

Jacqui Stedmon and Rudi Dallos

Chapter 3: Reflective frameworks

Rudi Dallos and Jacqui Stedmon

Chapter 4: Reflective practice through a psychodynamic lens

John Wright

Chapter 5: Reflective practice and humanistic psychology: The whole is more than the sum of the parts

Delia Cushway

Chapter 6: Reflexivity and reflective practice in personal and relational construct psychology*

Harry Procter

Chapter 7: Reflective practice in cognitive behaviour therapy: The engine of lLifelong learning

James Bennett-Levy, Richard Thwaites, Anna Chaddock and Melanie Davis

Chapter 8: Family mirrors: reflective practice in systemic therapies

Arlene Vetere and Rudi Dallos

Chapter 9: Narrative therapy and reflexive practice

Paula Boston

Chapter 10: Reflections on reflections

Jacqui Stedmon and Rudi Dallos

"This is a rigorously edited book that maintainsconsistency throughout, I found the concludingchapter 'reflections on reflections' particularlyuseful. This book captures what is current inreflective practice neatly charting its disseminationfrom education theory into the different therapyschools. Reflective practice is effectively illustratedwithin the different therapeutic schools. I will berecommending this book to other members of themultidisciplinary team where I work." BMA Medical Book Awards 2010 - Highly Commended in the Psychiatry Section

Reflective Practice has become established as an essential feature of practice in psychotherapy and counselling in the UK, Europe, USA and some other parts of the world. However, the writing on reflective practice is arguably fragmented and scattered, and much of it is highly theoretical and abstract.

This book draws together conceptual and ethical issues regarding reflective practice, including the meaning and development of the orientation. More importantly, it connects theory to day-to-day practice in psychotherapy and counselling, addressing issues such as:

What does reflective practice look like, in practice? How do we develop the skills in carrying it out? What ways does it assist practice?

The book offers an exploration of reflective practice within different models of psychotherapy and counselling: CBT, psycho-dynamic and narrative, systemic family therapy, narrative and community approaches. Throughout, it employs a range of illustrations from a variety of clinical contexts to illustrate reflective practice in action. These include work with; children and families, adult mental health, trauma and abuse, learning disability, youth offending and bereavement and loss.

The mix of theoretical background along with practical examples and exercises will be key for students and practioners in the fields of psychotherapy and counselling. The book will be a spur to readers to challenge dominant assumptions and modes of clinical practice and help them fulfil the compulsory requirement for a reflective practice element in their training.