This volume provides a
critical and reflexive view into the counselling profession in India.
Counselling and psychotherapy are emergent fields in India; there is inadequate
synergy between theory and practice at present, as psychotherapy and
counselling practice in the field have not sufficiently informed research, and
vice versa. While research on counselling, the counselling process and
training, and development of counsellors is extremely vital for the growth of
the profession, practitioners seldom feel the need to wear the lens of the
researcher.



Drawing upon primary
research on counsellors and psychotherapists in different parts of India, this
volume bridges this gap and discusses the personal and professional journeys of
counsellors at various stages of their career, which in turn facilitates
further research on counselling in India. The chapters discuss practical issues
like the challenges faced by novice counsellors, which contribute to feelings
of inadequacy and incompetence; synergy between the personal and professional
lives of counsellors and the effect of the counselling process on the self;
elements that go into training and how counselling education could be
positioned and developed; the use of creative arts in therapy; and the
role of school counsellors and the process of negotiating boundaries among
various stakeholders in the school system. The volume also examines ethical dilemmas in the field, which have wider policy
ramifications.