Objectives and Outcomes

What do clients look for in psychotherapy? Do clients and therapists have the same objectives? Is the outcome what the client or therapist hoped for? This is an essential book for all those who have wondered what the purpose of psychological therapy is, the procedures that are involved and the results that are achieved. The authors are experienced psychotherapists who share their personal experiences of the therapeutic process and question these in the light of relevant research. Practitioners are interested in linking the objectives and outcomes of therapeutic engagement.This book provides a critical assessment of how these links can be used creatively to enhance the effectiveness of their practice, in a variety of settings and contexts. Taking the form of discourse between the authors, the book is accessible to all levels of knowledge and practice. It is enlivened with dialogue, case studies and a mini-research project that was carried out with fellow practitioners in a series of workshops. "Objectives and Outcomes" gives practitioners an overview of current knowledge on these important topics and suggests forms of research that therapists might use in their own work.

Jenifer Elton Wilson is an integrative psychotherapist and counselling psychologist, who has recently designed and implemented a professional doctorate in psychotherapy. She has written and presented widely about a time-conscious approach to effective psychological therapy and works in private practice as therapist, clinical supervisor, consultant and freelance trainer. She was the first Chair of the Counselling Psychology Division of the British Psychological Society.

Gabrielle Syme is a psychodynamic counsellor/psychotherapist, supervisor and trainer. Over the past twenty-five years she has worked in the voluntary sector, in higher education, in the health service and in independent practice. She has written and presented in a wide range of topics, including: bereavement, working in independent practice and dual relationships. She is a Fellow and former Chair of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy.