The Therapeutic Use of Self: Counselling Practice, Research and Supervision

by Val Wosket

The Therapeutic Use of Self is a ground-breaking examination of the individual therapist's contribution to process and outcome in counselling.
Using many powerful case examples and extensive research findings from the author's own work, this book presents the counsellor's evaluation of their own practice as the main vehicle for the development of insight and awareness in to individual 'therapeutic' characteristics. It addresses many of the taboos and infrequently discussed aspects of therapy, such
* the value of therapist failure
* breaking the rules of counselling
* working beyond the accepted boundaries of counselling.
The Therapeutic Use of Self, will act as a spur to individual counsellors to acknowledge, develop and value their own unique contribution to the counselling profession.

Genres: Counselling

272 pages, Hardcover

First published July 22, 1999

Reviews

[Bridie Tulloch]

Val Wosket is an experienced trauma therapist and supervisor, in this key text she explores the development of the therapists use of self as an integral part of therapy training. The book highlights key themes, such as the therapeutic qualities of the person of the therapist, the importance of the therapists continual evaluation and reflection of practice as a vehicle to developing self-awareness and improving practice skill. Research into therapist effectiveness shifts away from the assumption that specific psychotherapeutic theories are the cause of change, and instead focus on the impact of the counsellors personal integration as the person of the therapist is developed and used as a vehicle for change within the therapeutic setting.
This is described as the therapist shedding rigid aspects of professionalism, as in their inability to be flexible regarding theoretical stance, towards a loosening and internalising expression of themselves as this comes forth. It is a stage of development that can be challenging but authenticity is essential and there may be conflicts between aspects of the professional role and the personality of the therapist.
Wosket draws on work done by a wide number of researchers in the field including Gendlin, who describes the counsellors ‘edge of awareness’, as the tuning in to the ‘felt sense’ of information that increases consciousness during the therapeutic process, whilst remaining open to new information and possible threads. Working in this way is an art, as the therapist is confronting what is unknown to themselves, as well as their clients, this ‘immediacy’ is described as the key ingredient to bringing the therapeutic relationship alive whilst allowing the client to guide the use of relationship.

I chose this key text to support me in the process of developing a training resource for my final project at university. I wanted to develop a resource that would help trainee counsellors integrate their person of the therapist into the process of counselling, as I felt that this was something I needed to do to increase my competence and effectiveness. It is one of the most helpful books I have read during my training.