CO-COUNSELLING

Co-Counselling is basically a very simple idea, which has developed into a world-wide movement with many separate organisations, all with rather similar rules. The basic idea of it is that you and I go on a brief course to learn the approach. Then we meet regularly, and share the time equally between us; for half the time I am the client and you are the counsellor, and for the other half you are the client and I am the counsellor.

What we learn on the course is some very simple and non-confusing theory, and a great deal of practice in how to do it. There are very few techniques to be learned - repetition, contradiction and role-playing by the counsellor are the main ones - and most of the emphasis is laid on the balance of attention. The counsellor gives free attention to the client, and the client is encouraged to pay equal attention to the material he or she wants to go into during the session, and the here and now of interaction with the counsellor. If the client goes too deeply down into distress, the counsellor will lightly encourage a little more attention to the present time and place. It is regarded as very important to validate the client.

The emphasis is all on lightness and encouragement, because the approach is specifically designed to be used safely by people with no other training. It is considered very important not to do anything harmful. So the main instruction which is urged all the time is "the client is in charge". It is the client who decides what material to work on, how deeply to go into it, and when to stop. It is the client who states the contract for each session, instructing the counsellor to say nothing, to intervene minimally, to intervene upon request, to intervene at discretion with the established techniques, or to intervene at discretion with whatever else the counsellor may know.

The identity of the counsellor is not supposed to matter. All the training emphasises that the identity of the partner is not important, and that any co-counsellor can work with any other co-counsellor. This is to minimise the tangles which people can get into over questions like transference and counter-transference (repetition of childhood relationships in the session itself), which are felt to be a nuisance rather than a help. Also for this reason co-counsellors are discouraged from meeting socially, and from discussing their sessions afterwards. It has been found by hard and bitter practice that it is best to keep co- counselling partners as co-counselling partners only.

Co-counselling was invented by Harvey Jackins, and the Re-evaluation Counselling Communities are still controlled by him, but in Britain the main organisation is Co-counselling International, originally led by John Heron in a breakaway movement. The latter organisation has far more connection with the rest of humanistic psychology, while the RC communities remain very isolated and disconnected. This is a pity, as the RC stream has been very good in recognising the important political implications of co-counselling, and its particular relevance to groups such as people who are physically challenged, teachers, women, people from ethnic minorities, men and so on, issuing magazines especially addressed to them.

There are other schools of co-counselling, such as the Barefoot Psychoanalyst and Reciport.

BOOKLIST

Evison, Rose & Horobin, Richard (1983) How to change yourself and your world Co-Counselling Phoenix, Sheffield. A very complete exposition and discussion of the whole method.

Evison, Rose & Horobin, Richard (1988) 'Co-counselling' in J Rowan & W Dryden (eds) Innovative therapy in Britain Open University Press, Milton Keynes. The latest ideas in the field.

Heron, John (1974) Reciprocal counselling Human Potential Research Project, University of Surrey, Guildford. The original manual from the British side.

Jackins, Harvey (1965) The human side of human beings Rational Island, Seattle. Gives the basic theory behind co-counselling.

Jackins, Harvey (1970) Fundamentals of co-counselling manual Rational Island, Seattle. To be used in conjunction with courses.

Jackins, Harvey (1973) The human situation Rational Island, Seattle. Essays and ideas from the founder.

Southgate, John & Randall, Rosemary (1989) The barefoot psychoanalyst (3rd ed) Gale Centre Publications, Loughton. A beautifully-produced book enabling the person to go ahead without a course of instruction.