The Role of Boundaries in Counselling
Boundaries are a crucial aspect of any effective client-counsellor relationship. They set the structure for the relationship and provide a consistent framework for the counselling process. »
Welcome to the AIPC Online Article Library. The library includes over 300 articles focusing on counselling, life effectiveness skills and mental health. We invite you to explore our range of articles by clicking the category links above, or using the drop-down menu on your right. To learn more about AIPC, visit www.aipc.net.au
Latest Articles
Respect for the Client
If not the most important feature of professional counselling, "respect for the client" is definitely high up on the priority list. Geldard and Geldard (2005) explain that regardless of who the client is, and regardless of their behaviour, the client has come to the counsellor for assistance and deserves to be treated as a person of worth and value. »
Ethics and Disclosure
Disclosure is a controversial issue when examining therapeutic boundaries. There are two issues to consider regarding disclosure. The first is counsellor disclosure and confidentiality. The second is counsellor disclosure (ie. how much does a client disclose about their own lives to a client?). »
Ethics and Counselling
The origins of ethics are related to the introduction of moral behaviour in early societies. The application of concepts such as 'right' and 'wrong', and the definition of these concepts in different environments, induced the need for a formal approach to social behaviour - an attempt to create commonality and organisation in a society. In this context, codes of behavior were created, and different forms of behaviour enforcement adopted. »
Case Studies
A Case Using Brief Psychodynamic Therapy
Wendy is a 54 year old woman who has two adult children and has been married for twenty-nine years. Her husband, Steve, has recently and unexpectedly informed her that he no longer loves her and that he wants a divorce. Wendy was shocked to hear this...
A Case of Lost Direction
Jenny has come to counselling due to strong feelings of dissatisfaction with her life. She is 48 years old, un...
Case Study: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Marian, a psychologist who specialised in anxiety disorders, closed the file and put it into the filing cabine...
Communication
The Fine Art of Compassion
Imagine this scenario: you are keen to get a particular job and an opportunity for it comes up. You prepare meticulously for the interview, but somehow, it doesn’t go well. The interviewers don’t seem to warm to you, and you know in your heart that y...
Strategies for Helping Families to Enhance Resilience
If you are supporting a family in transition, you may perceive huge differences between them and the character...
Counselling Theory & Practice
Men and Emotions: From Repression to Expression
In our previous article (read it here), we asked why men do not seem to express emotion as easily as women do. Was there some pathology, or should we just put the differences down to male-female tendencies? We identified Dr Ron Levant’s notion of “no...
Men, Emotions and Alexithymia
She sends him little “I love you” texts during the day, and wonders why he doesn’t even whisper the three magi...
The Fine Art of Compassion
Imagine this scenario: you are keen to get a particular job and an opportunity for it comes up. You prepare me...
Life Coping Skills
The Fine Art of Compassion
Imagine this scenario: you are keen to get a particular job and an opportunity for it comes up. You prepare meticulously for the interview, but somehow, it doesn’t go well. The interviewers don’t seem to warm to you, and you know in your heart that y...
The Benefits of Intentional Daydreaming
Your fitness tracker reminds you to walk away from your computer every hour to get needed movement – and then ...
Procrastination: What Your Client Needs to Know
95% of us procrastinate (Steel, 2010) – accruing negative consequences – despite having recognised for 500 yea...
