Dave Mearns is formerly Director of the Counselling Unit and Professor of Counselling at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow. Dave is author or co-author of four other counselling books published by SAGE: Person-Centred Counselling in Action, Second Edition, Experiences of Counselling in Action, Person-Centred Counselling Training and Person-Centred Therapy Today: New Frontiers in Theory and Practice.

Chapter 1 - Foundations for a relational therapy
Chapter 2 - Psychological distress: a relational understanding
Chapter 3 - Relational depth in therapy: what it is and why it may help
Chapter 4 - A continuing relationship at depth: 'reaching the parts...'
Chapter 5 - Working with Dominic: a 'partial' drunk
Chapter 6 - Earning the right to work with Rick: a traumatised client
Chapter 7 - Facilitating a meeting at relational depth
Chapter 8 - The therapist's developmental agenda
Chapter 9 - Towards a revolution

Eagerly awaited by many counsellors and psychotherapists, this new edition includes an updated preface, new content on recent research and new developments and debates around relational depth, and new case studies.

This groundbreaking text goes to the very heart of the therapeutic meeting between therapist and client. Focusing on the concept of 'relational depth', the authors describe a form of encounter in which therapist and client experience profound feelings of contact and engagement with each other, and in which the client has an opportunity to explore whatever is experienced as most fundamental to her or his existence. The book has helped thousands of trainees and practitioners understand how to facilitate a relationally-deep encounter, identify the personal 'blocks' that may be encountered along the way, and consider new therapeutic concepts - such as 'holistic listening' - that help them to meet their clients at this level.

This classic text remains a source of fresh thinking and stimulating ideas about the therapeutic encounter which is relevant to trainees and practitioners of all orientations.