Enhancement of Counsellor Training

Although Carl Rogers valued creativity in human endeavour it was his daughter Natalie who enabled people to experience their creative wisdom through the expressive arts. She developed what became known as Person-Centred Expressive Therapy (PCET). This flourishes in the psychological climate of Carl Rogers core conditions of empathy, unconditional positive regard, and congruence. The author of this book, Dr. Patricia Harvey, learned for herself through her training in PCET, how the expressive arts can bypass our inner censor, revealing new depths of self-understanding. The book describes how, in her role as a counsellor trainer at Durham University, she asked the question Where is creativity in counsellor training? and Can the expressive arts benefit trainee students? In a university setting in which analytical left brain thinking is highly valued she introduced exercises in the creative arts into one third of a counsellor training course over a two-year period. This book describes what happened. It is essential reading for counsellor trainers, trainees and practising counsellors, and ultimately, may benefit their clients.