Therapeutic relationship in primary care

Johnson, Janet Mary 2005. Therapeutic relationship in primary care. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University.

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Abstract

This inquiry stems from my work as a psychological counsellor working in primary care. The late 20th century has seen an increasing focus on self and emotions (e.g. McCarthy 1989) with technologies such as psychotherapy and counselling (Rose 1999) as key means through which transformation of self takes place. The demand for therapeutic services continues to rise, and NICE guidelines (2004) recommend counselling as a treatment of choice in primary care, that is, in the surgeries of General Practitioners. Referral for counselling is for those with mild to moderate mental health problems (Cocksedge 1997), and counselling is offered typically for six to eight sessions. There is much research in the NHS concerned with evidence-based practice, whereas I sought to examine the client's voice with regard to their counselling, and how counselling fits within their life-world (Schutz & Luckman 1973). My aim was to gather accounts from people who had attended for counselling at their GP surgery. Using qualitative methodology, this was achieved via individual interviews with former clients. Following ethical approval, interviewees were recruited from 16 practices in South Wales. The focus is of client perceptions of counselling, examined through the ways in which the clients present themselves, their problems, and their counselling. The research questions are concerned with how former clients describe their counselling, and how client accounts can inform debates about how to enhance the delivery and practice of counselling in primary care settings. From the analysis of client accounts it can be seen that unique client factors, the diversity in interventions appreciated by clients, and contextual factors relating to the primary care setting, suggest that counsellors working in primary care be adaptive to their environment and sufficiently responsive to offer techniques and interventions from a range of therapeutic approaches, to best meet the needs of their clients.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Social Sciences (Includes Criminology and Education)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare R Medicine > RM Therapeutics. Pharmacology
ISBN:	9781303163609
Funders:	ESRC
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	30 March 2016
Last Modified:	10 Oct 2017 15:27
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/55546

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