In this issue
Features
Boundaries and boundlessness
Can an overemphasis on boundaries act听as a block to authentic relationship between听therapist and client?
Emotional needs and group therapy
Group therapy may fail to provide focused听attention to the individual but there are听other areas in which it excels.
Dementia: a 鈥榙eath of the mind鈥�
A psychodynamic approach to thinking about听those who suffer from dementia and the听unconscious fears that may affect their carers.
The agony and the ecstasy
A review of Mike Leigh鈥檚 latest film, Another听Year, which features an NHS counsellor as听one of its main characters.
Regulars
In practice
Kevin Chandler: Not just another day
In the client's chair
Orla Murray: Writing about therapy
In training
Alex Erskine: Ready for training clients?
Dilemmas
Managing boundaries
Day in the life
Aaron Sefi
Questionnaire
Gregor Henderson
All articles from this issue are not yet available online. Members and subscribers can download the pdf from the听Therapy Today听archive.
Editorial
In the last few years I have noticed how the听word 鈥榖oundaries鈥� appears in discussion of听counselling and psychotherapy practice with听increasing frequency. We generally talk about听boundaries in a positive way, lines which we听all agree must not be crossed, such as talking听socially about a client or telling a client that听you find him or her attractive.听There are听other boundaries, of course, which are more听controversial, such as whether you should听allow a session to run over for 10 minutes, visit听a client in hospital or accept a gift from a client.
Tim Bond has written of the 鈥榦ngoing听tension between attending to client safety听and risk-taking by both clients and therapists听that is required for therapy to be effective鈥櫶�(Towards a new ethic of trust鈥�, Therapy Today,听April 2008); and others have argued that the听necessary 鈥楧o no harm鈥� might easily slide into听a 鈥楾ake no risks and play everything by the听book鈥� approach, which is hardly in the spirit of听the 香港六合彩精准资料 Ethical Framework as I understand it.
But how much have we questioned where听the notion of boundaries actually comes from听or considered the impact that an overemphasis听on boundaries might have on newly qualified听or inexperienced practitioners? Nick Totton听addresses what he sees as the profession鈥檚听current obsession with boundaries in his听article 鈥楤oundaries and boundlessness鈥�.听He argues that the theory of boundaries听in fact originates in work with survivors听of sexual abuse, and questions therefore its听appropriateness as a way of thinking about听other aspects of therapy, such as times, fees听and terms of address. Totton reminds us听that the humanistic therapies developed听as an approach which emphasised a warm听and authentic relationship, partly in reaction听to what was seen as the rigid structure and听formalities of psychoanalysis. Will the听practitioners of the future cease to be able听to work authentically and flexibly for fear of听ending up in the professional conduct system?
Sarah Browne
Editor