In this issue
Features
Menopause: how women suffer in silence听(free article)
In order to help clients going through the听psychological and emotional changes of听the menopause, therapists may need to听increase their own understanding of this听life transition.
From trainee to specialist: learning听about domestic violence counselling
Why is there a lack of specialist counselling听services for survivors of domestic abuse?
Failing to publish outcomes data
One 香港六合彩精准资料 member describes her attempt听to evaluate her service and contribute to听the evidence base for counselling.
The bad faith of evidence-based听practice: beyond counsels of despair
Is the future of counselling really on the line听if relational therapies don鈥檛 achieve parity听with CBT and embrace RCTs in the process?
Neuromania and 鈥榠diot compassion鈥�
Why compassion must go hand in hand听with wisdom and why neuroscience risks听creating a reductionist view of human being.
Regulars
In practice
Kevin Chandler: Apples of guilt and shame
In the client's chair
Orla Murray: Definitely not angry
In training
Alex Erskine: Tears of empathy
From the chair
Dr Lynne Gabriel:听Interesting times
Questionnaire
John Cowley
Dilemmas
The reluctant client
Day in the life
Linda Cundy
Fiction
The Wednesday Group
All articles from this issue are not available online. Members and subscribers can download the pdf from the听Therapy Today听archive.
Editorial
The menopause is still largely one of those听subjects around which there is a conspiracy听of silence. In many contexts, such as the听workplace, women going through this life听stage don鈥檛 feel able to mention it for fear of听being judged incompetent or 鈥榰nprofessional鈥�.听
But one would have thought that the therapy听room would surely be somewhere women听could seek support for what they are going听through as well as having the opportunity听to explore the many aspects of this change听of life: the physical and emotional changes,听the sense of loss (which incidentally I think听has been beautifully portrayed by our听illustrator Adam Hancher), the deeper听existential and spiritual dimensions and the听wisdom that may come with this stage of life.
But according to Sue Brayne, who has听recently written a book addressing this听unmentionable topic, there are therapists听who lack any real understanding of the听emotional and psychological effects that听the menopause can have on women.听Obviously it would be very unhelpful to听a client who is experiencing menopausal听symptoms such as memory loss, anxiety听or grief over the loss of her fertility, to听work with a practitioner who was unable听to recognise that these might be related听to extreme fluctuations in hormone levels.
Also in this issue we publish a powerful听counter argument to Mick Cooper鈥檚 recent听article on RCTs. When I read the response听from Andy Rogers, Jennifer Maidman and听Richard House, I found myself agreeing听with most of it 鈥� namely that the reductionist听world-view characterised by NICE guidelines听and RCTs runs counter to the core values听of therapy and is likely to further damage听the pluralism and diversity of the field. But听then again, I was pretty convinced by Cooper鈥檚听article as well. Not sure where that leaves me!
Sarah Browne
Editor