Difference and Diversity in Counselling and Psychotherapy

1.Colin Lago, Independent practitioner, supervisor, trainer and author of SAGE counselling for diversity books (see below)

2.Moira Bishop, Course Co-ordinator, Amersham and Wycombe College, ABC Dip in Therapeutic Counselling and ABC Cert in Counselling Skills (60 and 50 students respectively)

3.Divine Charura, Snr Lecturer, Leeds Beckett, Cert in Counselling and Interpersonal Skills (62 students); Dip in C&P (60 students); MA Psychotherapy (12 students)

4.James Costello, Snr Lecturer, UWE, Cert in Counselling Skills (50 students); Prof Dip in Counselling (40)

5.Helen Nicholas, Sr Lecturer, Worcester Uni, BSc Counselling Psych (250 students); MSc Counselling (20); MSc EMDR

6. Lennox K Thomas, Refugee Therapy Centre, Modules: Difference in Therapy; Intercultural Therapy (12 students)

7. Gill Naylor, Snr Lecturer, NOrthumbria Uni C&P, Modules: Guidance and Counselling in Society & The Skilled Helper (70 students)

8. Sally Chisholm, Keele Uni (to follow)

Need: a practical book on the core topic of working with difference and diversity

Feature: This book explores the key competencies needed to work ethically and in a culturally sensitive manner

Benefit: Students can feel confident and equipped to work with a range of clients and, crucially, with clients who have different identities or backgrounds from their own

N: Students need to identify and be aware of their own socio-cultural position and explore their own prejudices

F: The book is packed with experiential and reflective exercises to help readers reflect on their own 'blind spots, 'invisible norms' and  'unearned privilege'
B: Students develop reflexive awareness of their biases and assumptions and to help work with individuals from a range of backgrounds

N: There are a multitude of theoretically dense texts on this topic, and a confusing array of terms (anti-oppressive practice, cross-cultural counselling; multi-cultural counselling, etc.)

F: this book will unpick the key theories and terms through clear and accessible language

B: Students gain a strong foundation of knowledge, getting to grips with the key terms, concepts and theories

N: Many texts take an outmoded approach to the topic, listing areas of difference chapter-by-chapter (gender and sexuality, race and ethnicity, disability, class, age, religion) which doesn't recognise the reality of the clients' lives

F: This book takes an intersectional approach to difference

B: The book helps students understand that individuals can be disadvantaged on the basis of more than one area of difference