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This paper reports on a pilot study on how women with a learning disability access a mainstream rape crisis centre, used by women who had been sexually abused at any time during their lives. It examines how the pilot was set up, criteria for inclusion, monitoring and evaluation, the outcomes for the women who accessed it and its benefits. The paper also looks at issues raised by the work and future ways of helping other providers to make their services inclusive and open to this group, and makes general recommendations.

Whether clients in need of counselling should seek this of their own volition or at the behest of employer/superior/other is debated. The approaches/attitudes which are possible from the standpoint of both counsellor and counselled can vary in the light of the client′s personality and the organisation′s culture/ideology. The scenario ranges from a self‐referred client in a person‐centred setting to a coerced client in an organisationally‐oriented ideology. The former appears to be the ideal subject for counselling, whilst the latter represents the antithesis of normal counselling. In between can fall many permutations of the balance, which renders the counsellor′s job difficult in trying to achieve an outcome acceptable to both organisation and client.

Autistic people are subject to having their behaviour shaped from a variety of practitioners predominantly using behaviourist methodologies. Little is known about how learning alternative humanistic methodologies impacts practitioner experiences of relational encounters with autistic people. This paper aims to develop an understanding of practitioner experiences of using person-centred counselling (PCC) skills and contact reflections (CR) when engaging with autistic people.

This qualitative study used an interpretive approach to help elucidate perceptions of changing practice. It involved a framework analysis of 20 practitioner’s experiential case study accounts.

An overarching theme emerged: subtle transformations resulted from shifting practice paradigms. Four broad themes were identified: “A different way of being”; “Opening heightened channels of receptivity”; “Trust in self-actualising growth” and “Expanding relational ripples”. The findings suggest that PCC and CRs skills training shows promise in providing practitioners with a different way of being with autistic people that enhances their capacity towards neurotypical-neurodivergent intersubjectivity.

The authors speculate on the power dynamics of care relationships and those who may identify as possessing autism expertise. The authors are curious as to whether this humanistic skills training can truly penetrate practitioner core values and see this as a fundamental issue which requires further investigation.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to provide a qualitative account of autism practitioner reflections following training in humanistic methodologies. It challenges the concept of autism expertise, guided by a pathologiSing model, focused on fixing a problem located in the person, which conceals the removal of personhood.

Accepts that resistance to change by individuals in organizations is a natural phenomenon and is an essential element in understanding any change process. Holds that resistance has its origins in both the personality and the individual′s interaction with the environment and is a dynamic activity with both cognitive and emotional elements. Understanding and dealing with individuals who are resisting change requires that they be taken seriously, listened to and understood. Discusses how the person‐centred approach of Carl Rogers, with its philosophy and emphasis on individual self‐direction in a facilitative climate, provides a valid and useful way for consultants to work with clients in this context. Anything less than a person‐centred approach leads to increased alienation and resistance.

With the rapid expansion of counselling skills courses, it is becoming increasingly difficult to make decisions regarding which course is most appropriate. Discusses the key elements which should be included in courses, and explores the criteria which can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of a course. There is a brief examination of some of the fundamental issues and dilemmas involved in counselling skills training.

Motivational interviewing (MI) has developed considerably since its inception, which may have led to diverse practice across contexts and differential understanding of core principles. Concept mapping is one potential method for offering insight into practitioner awareness, understanding and application of MI. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

In total, 29 professionals from a range of disciplines, including counselling, education and health, completed concept maps about MI, following brief training at the UK regional MI interest network. In total, 17 completed maps were submitted for analysis using quantitative and qualitative methods.

A total of 186 concepts and 175 propositional links were found within the 17 maps. The most commonly identified concepts were: change, empathy, collaboration, open-ended questions, affirmations, reflections, summaries (OARS), client centred and compassion. The concept maps also suggested differing levels of expertise across network members using concept mapping morphology classification.

The sample was small scale and located in one region of the UK. Maps were submitted anonymously meaning that participant data could not be matched to the maps.

Concept mapping is a potentially useful method for auditing practice and developing skills in MI, as well as exploring participants’ understanding of related concepts and therapeutic mechanisms.

MI has a strong evidence-based across a variety of disciplines and contexts. Refining practitioner skills in MI has implications for the integrity of delivery, and improved client outcomes in areas such as substance use, health promotion and educational disaffection.

This is the first study to investigate concept mapping as a means of understanding MI practice. It has potential implications for training, monitoring, supervision and development in MI practice.

Outlines the philosophy, concepts and structure of a course in counselling for consultants. The participants on the first course were introduced to counselling whilst on a management course and had asked for further training. They found the skills useful in enabling their own personal development; in working with their patients; in supporting their colleagues and in career advice to junior staff. Evaluation indicates the high value placed by participants on this course.

Recent guidelines suggest that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has a pivotal role to play in the treatment of common mental health problems (CMHPs). There is a danger that we simply ask for ‘more of the same’ instead of looking at all the current limitations preventing individuals from accessing appropriate help. Doing this leads us to aim for a more radical and innovative approach to the CMHPs. This paper suggests that progress in primary care mental health has been much more limited than mental health workers and, in particular, researchers often acknowledge. It looks at the major obstacles barring the way to the development of services that could meet the needs of the very large number of people in our communities with CMHPs.

With the increased need for quantitative measures of accountability and effectiveness in the therapeutic setting, standardised outcome measures have come to the fore. This study aimed to assess the psychometric quality of the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation (CORE‐OM) used with an Irish population of adult victims of childhood abuse. The study indicated that the outcome measure was a useful tool in a forensic therapeutic setting, despite issues regarding the CORE's factor structure. The study also found that the service assessed matched the benchmarks laid down by the CORE systems group regarding levels of change brought about by therapeutic interventions, further indicating the benefits of CORE. The study discusses these issues and possible recommendations for aiding better integration of CORE's findings within therapy and broader clinical practice.