Responding to a Serious Mental Health Problem: Person-centred DialoguesBryant-Jefferies explains treatment of a young man experiencing psychotic symptoms due to extended cannabis use and also of the young man's mother, who is struggling to deal with her son's impact on their home life. He begins by describing the process of counseling with the mother, including the introductory meeting and following counseling and supervision sessions. He describes the discussions of issues of race and culture, and belief which lead to poetry and an emotional release, discussions of spirituality, prayer, and even an exchange of gifts. He then describes the son's subsequent psychotic episode and the outcome, which includes intense counseling sessions with the son as he seeks to make the "parts" he has become into a whole person. Throughout, Bryant-Jefferies describes the counselor's and supervisor's roles in the person-centered counseling process, their preparation, and their focus on the patients. Annotation :2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com). |
