Counsellors' perspectives on self-harm and the role of the therapeutic relationship for working with clients who self-harm

TY - JOUR

T1 - Counsellors' perspectives on self-harm and the role of the therapeutic relationship for working with clients who self-harm

AU - Long, Maggie

AU - Jenkins, Mary

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PY - 2010/9

Y1 - 2010/9

N2 - Aims: To gain insight into counsellors’ experiences of and ideas about self-harm, and to develop understanding of relational depth when working with clients who self-harm. Method: A qualitative exploration of counsellors’ perspectives on working with people who self-harm. The research proposal gained approval from the University Ethics Committee. Data were collected from a sample of counsellors who have experience of working with people who self-harm (n8) using tape-recorded interviews. Grounded Theory was used for analysis. Findings: Two major categories emerged from the findings: (i) the activity of self-harm; (ii) the therapeutic relationship with people who self-harm. These categories and sub-categories were integrated to form the core category. Implications: Counsellors have a valuable role to play in the lives of people who self-harm, by embodying confidentiality and so facilitating a sense of trust, by opening minds through acceptance, and by expanding knowledge through participation in research. Conclusions: In order to effectively accompany clients from a life of self-harm to a life of self-healing, counsellors must be aware of and responsive to the many concepts underpinning the emergent categories of the research.

AB - Aims: To gain insight into counsellors’ experiences of and ideas about self-harm, and to develop understanding of relational depth when working with clients who self-harm. Method: A qualitative exploration of counsellors’ perspectives on working with people who self-harm. The research proposal gained approval from the University Ethics Committee. Data were collected from a sample of counsellors who have experience of working with people who self-harm (n8) using tape-recorded interviews. Grounded Theory was used for analysis. Findings: Two major categories emerged from the findings: (i) the activity of self-harm; (ii) the therapeutic relationship with people who self-harm. These categories and sub-categories were integrated to form the core category. Implications: Counsellors have a valuable role to play in the lives of people who self-harm, by embodying confidentiality and so facilitating a sense of trust, by opening minds through acceptance, and by expanding knowledge through participation in research. Conclusions: In order to effectively accompany clients from a life of self-harm to a life of self-healing, counsellors must be aware of and responsive to the many concepts underpinning the emergent categories of the research.

KW - self-harm

KW - self-injury

KW - counsellor perspective

KW - therapeutic relationship

U2 - 10.1080/14733140903474293

DO - 10.1080/14733140903474293

M3 - Article

VL - 10

SP - 192

EP - 200

JO - Counselling and Psychotherapy Research

T2 - Counselling and Psychotherapy Research

JF - Counselling and Psychotherapy Research

SN - 1473-3145

IS - 3

ER -