PersonCentred Therapy in Focus provides a muchneeded exploration of thecriticisms levelled against one of the most widespread forms of therapeuticpractice. Char... » 

PersonCentred Therapy in Focus provides a muchneeded exploration of thecriticisms levelled against one of the most widespread forms of therapeuticpractice. Characterized by its critics as theoretically light culturallybiased and limited in application until now the personcentred approach hashad comparatively little written in its defence.Paul Wilkins provides a rigorous and systematic response to the criticsdrawing not only on the work of Carl Rogers but also of those central to morerecent developments in theory and practice including Goff BarrettLennardDave Mearns Jerold Bozarth Germain Leitauer and Brian Thorne. It traces theepistemological foundations of personcentred therapy and places the approachin its social and political context.Examining the central tenets of the approach each chapter sets out conciselythe criticisms and then counters these with arguments from the personcentredperspective. Chapters cover debates in relation to the model of the person selfactualization the core conditions nondirectivity resistance to psychopathology reflection and boundary issues.PersonCentred Therapy in Focus fulfills two important purposes firstly toanswer the criticisms of those who have attacked the personcentred approachand secondly to cultivate a greater critical awareness and understanding withinthe approach itself. As such it makes a significant contribution to the personcentred literature and provides an excellent resource for use in training. «