Book review: The Handbook of Person-Centred Therapy and Mental Health

The Handbook of Person-Centred Therapy and Mental Health

Stephen Joseph (Ed)

PCCS Books

£27.99/512pp

ISBN: 9781910919316

First published in 2005 this book has been extensively updated and has a new title. It challenges the use of psychiatric diagnoses and makes a powerful case for the effectiveness of person-centred approaches as alternative ways to work with people who would otherwise be diagnosed with severe mental illnesses.

In his introduction the editor asserts that while person-centred approaches have become a major focus in counselling and psychotherapy, they have been overlooked in mainstream mental health services as a way to understand distress and dysfunction. Each chapter addresses a set of theoretical issues or challenges posed by working in a specific professional context.

Contributors from policymaking, research and practice provide examples of how person-centred approaches are being applied successfully in practice and evaluated.

This book helps readers to question and challenge their thinking. It is thought provoking and adds to our understanding of person-centred practice.

Reviewed by Jonathan Webster, director of quality, nursing and patient safety, CWHHE Collaborative, London