By Bryant‐Jefferies Richard . Radcliffe Medical Press; , 2003. , PB £19.95 , 178 pp . ISBN 1‐85775‐878‐1
Richard Bryant‐Jefferies’ latest contribution to his Living Therapy Series focuses on the person‐centred technique of counselling young people. It is aimed at counsellors in training, as well as those already qualified and others working with young people, such as teachers and youth workers. The book is dialogue‐based, centering on two fictional characters, who experience the person‐centred approach (PCA) in a youth counselling and school setting respectively. It examines in detail the way the PCA is applied and the clients’ reactions, as well as illustrating the importance of supervision sessions, whereby the counsellors can discuss their own issues and concerns with somebody else.
Bryant‐Jefferies states that the PCA technique is ‘widely used by counsellors working in the UK today’ but says nothing of its role further afield. It is not clear how widespread the technique is, but the author does explain the roots of the PCA; formulated by Carl Rogers, it encourages the therapist to acquire ‘unconditional positive regard’ for, and ‘empathic understanding’ of, their client. By allowing the client to do most of the talking and reflecting back empathetically what they have said supposedly produces an atmosphere of trust and a basis for progress. The explanation and analysis given of the PCA appears pedantic and unnecessarily complex, whilst at the same time the technique appears to have no clear definition. It is thus perhaps not something that would appeal to a teacher or youth worker untrained in counselling. Some may be put off by the technique's long‐winded explanation and the skills required to employ it. Bryant‐Jefferies gives a lengthy account of PCA and its values before outlining the naturally sensitive issue of counselling young people.
We are told about Sandy, a youth counsellor, and her hopes for helping her 15‐year‐old client Jodie, who is having problems with family, friends and drugs. We also witness counselling sessions between Simon and a victim of bullying, Nick. The novel‐style attempt to describe each character's lifestyle and background seems somewhat unnecessary. We see the young people gradually open up and make positive progress towards solving the problem through the PCA. It appears that the counsellor does very little when applying PCA; it involves intense listening and constant repetition – while this is meant to reflect back to the client what they have said in order to let them know they have been heard and understood, it can appear tedious and unproductive. Some young people may find such a technique frustrating, even patronizing. It is true that they must be given time to share their problem and encouraged to make their own decisions, but having somebody agree with, or at least repeat, everything you say appears to me somewhat mindless. However, while Jodie and Nick are initially dubious, the technique is used to illustrate the way in which the PCA is practically applied. Sandy and Simon listen attentively, do not judge or pressure, and allow for some hostility, doubts, even non‐attendance. It seems that to employ the PCA one would need to be extremely patient and tolerant, and able to identify emotionally with the clients’ feelings; not something that everybody could or would want to do.
Jodie's relationship with Sandy improves dramatically, to the extent where the counsellor calls the client by her nickname, and the client talks openly about her teenage life. In working through her worries and hearing them echoed back, the idea is that Jodie now feels understood and able to move on. Bryant‐Jefferies describes this as ‘the development of a new configuration within Jodie's structure of self’. Quite what this means remains slightly ambiguous. This seems to me a rather turgid and verbose explanation for the client's natural development in response to a seemingly simplistic technique. A similar example of what could be termed ‘counselling jargon’ is seen in Nick's case, where we are told the counsellor should ‘stay with the client's inner world’. Such comments are boxed and interspersed in the text, analysing the counsellor's approach and how this can help, assessing the client's reactions and thoughts, as a way of keeping the reader adrift in the flow of dialogue. Presumably this is intended to remind us of the technique being illustrated, as it would be quite easy to forget exactly what the counsellor is trying to do without these reminders. This is carried out also in the supervision sessions, with the boxed comments stressing the need to employ a PCA to the counsellor themselves in order to prepare them for their role and to help with their own issues. Is there a risk that a supervisor applying the same techniques on you that you have used on a client would somewhat undermine its chances of being helpful, in that you may be acutely aware of the approach being used? Clearly, the supervision sessions do help to emphasize the importance of counsellors themselves having somebody to listen and to share the burden with.
The dialogue‐based style of this book will appeal to some and not others; it is very readable, and there are numerous comments on what is happening and why, but for anyone who prefers straightforward ‘how‐to’ books, this one is not for you. The main strength of Bryant‐Jefferies’ presentation of the PCA is his use of case studies; some may find these, along with the regular author's comments, a stimulating and informative read, whilst others may view the book as too long‐winded and be left with little understanding of how successful PCA actually is, as the cases are fictitious. I think the book is better suited to trained counsellors exploring new techniques and approaches, and would be a good contribution to research. However, I do not think it is alone an adequate guide to the PCA for those unfamiliar with it. It is an interesting exploration of PCA practice, but perhaps more should be understood about the theory behind it before the book is consulted. It does, however, suggest very basic guidelines for teachers and others looking to employ the PCA.
The value of the PCA technique is, like most others, debatable and would not be favoured by everyone. While it is indeed important not to impose ideas on young people, sometimes more personal input from the counsellor can be helpful. As a young person with some experience of counselling myself, I would personally find PCA somewhat condescending – although the intention is the opposite – and frustratingly repetitive. However, Counselling Young People does give a broad outline of how the technique is applied and why it may be of use to involve young people in their own progress. If the fictitious stories of Jodie and Nick are to be believed, it certainly appears to be a useful and valuable approach for counsellors of young people. Perhaps it is simply a case of try it and see?