Counselling, Psychotherapy and the Law: Second Edition

This is the long-awaited second edition of Peter Jenkins' comprehensive introduction to legal issues in relation to counselling and psychotherapy in the UK. This text has been fully updated to include coverage of the key developments in the law that have had major impact on therapists' practice with regard to data protection and the management of confidentiality. The book breaks new ground by exploring in detail the relationship of ethics to the law and providing a framework for relating the BACP Ethical Framework to legal decision-making.

Key features of this new edition include: extensive use of case studies - these bring legal examples to life and give a human dimension to powerful ethical dilemmas such as seeking agreement to end medical treatment, or client's gaining access to their own confidential records; key points, which provide quick summaries of complex material and reference guides for professional practice; the multiple points of crossover and intersection of law and therapy - these are identified and explored, ranging from the use of narrative theory, to the provision of pre-trial therapy for abused children, to the role of the therapist as expert witness.

This new edition provides clarity and reassurance for practitioners at all levels about the exact nature of their responsibilities, and how these can best be managed, to enable them to comply with the law and focus on their therapeutic work with clients. Counselling, Psychotherapy and the Law, Second Edition is an essential point of reference for practitioners, making a daunting and complex topic understandable and bringing it to life.