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Counselling young people: Counsellors' perspectives on ‘what works’ – An exploratory study
Author(s) -
Westergaard Jane
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
counselling and psychotherapy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.38
H-Index - 32
eISSN - 1746-1405
pISSN - 1473-3145
DOI - 10.1080/14733145.2012.730541
Subject(s) - creativity , flexibility (engineering) , alliance , psychology , narrative , qualitative research , work (physics) , applied psychology , pedagogy , medical education , social psychology , sociology , medicine , social science , mechanical engineering , engineering , linguistics , statistics , philosophy , mathematics , political science , law
Aim : Counsellors who work with young people in a range of contexts know that they are not engaging with ‘mini‐adults’. The issues young people bring to counselling are often complex, challenging and wide‐ranging, as adolescents are experiencing times of turbulence and change in their physical, emotional, social and psychological development. This paper focuses on a research project undertaken with five counsellors who work with young people, and asks the question: ‘What works?’ Method : The research project is an in‐depth qualitative study into the counsellor's experience of counselling young people, using a narrative approach. Findings : Four key shared themes emerged: the significance of ‘safety’ in the relationship; building the therapeutic alliance; flexibility and integration relating to theoretical orientation; and the use of creativity. Outcomes : This paper offers counsellors the opportunity to reflect on ‘what works’ and consider the professional knowledge, which underpins their own counselling practice with young people.