Primers in Counselling Series – serie

This bestselling series presents unparalleled, comprehensive descriptions of key counselling approaches in the twenty-first century. Ideal for students requiring a theory bridge between introductory, intermediate and diploma courses or focused input for comparative essays and integrative theory assignments. In The Single-Session Counselling Primer: principles and practice, Windy Dryden outlines the why, what and how of single-session counselling and the evidence that supports it. He makes a powerful case for its wider availability alongside other forms of therapy. Where it is appropriate, focused, agreed and there is the possibility of further sessions (if need dictates), it can massively increase access to talking therapies and enable clients to take their own steps to effect real change in their lives.

Part of the PCCS Books bestselling Primers in Counselling series, The Existential Counselling Primer is a concise summary of the philosophical origins of existentialist therapy, existentialist understandings of what it is to be human, and how both inform the theory and practice of existential counselling. It ends with a case study to demonstrate what the approach might look like in practice and includes a helpful glossary of key terms and terminology. The PCCS Books primers offer students concise, accessible descriptions of the key counselling approaches in widespread use today. The series is ideal for students needing texts that provide a bridge between introductory, intermediate and diploma courses or easily digested summaries of the different approaches for comparative essays and integrative theory assignments. The books are perfect supplements to the Steps in Counselling series to accompany students as they progress through training. They are also a helpful for qualified counsellors considering expanding their repertoire of skills. In this revised second edition, Mick Cooper has updated the references to incorporate important additions to the literature and added to some sections to reflect developments in thinking and practice.

This latest addition to the PCCS Books Primers in Counselling series offers a concise introduction to rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT). Devised by Albert Ellis in 1955, and subsequently further developed and refined, REBT is based on the principle that ‘People are not disturbed by the adversities that they face. Rather, they disturb themselves about these adversities by the rigid and extreme attitudes that they hold towards them.’ REBT therapists seek to help their clients identify, examine and change the rigid and extreme attitudes that underpin their emotional problems, and to develop alternative flexible and non-extreme alternative attitudes. As therapy proceeds, the therapist will help the client to take increasing responsibility for using these methods, with the ultimate aim that they become their own therapist. The book takes the reader step by step through these processes, culminating in a detailed transcription of a single session of REBT. It ends with an outline of research on the effectiveness of REBT. It also includes helpful forms for use with clients and links to further resources.

Cognitive behaviour therapy is arguably the most well-known, most widely used and most accessible form of talking therapy in the Western world. It has been adopted by the NHS as the mainstay of its IAPT primary care therapy programme. It converts readily and successfully into online formats and self-help programmes. In this updated introduction to CBT, three of its foremost proponents and practitioners summarise its origins, principles, how it works in practice, and the research that underpins its widespread use. This second, revised edition updates the research and includes the third and fourth ‘waves’ of cognitive behaviour approaches and other more recent developments that have emerged since the first edition was published.