Implausible Professions: arguments for pluralism and autonomy in psychotherapy and counselling

The first edition of Implausible Professions, published in 1997, foretold many of the core issues around therapy 'professionalisation' that have come to dominate the field in recent years as the shadow of possible state regulation has loomed ever larger over the psy landscape. In the current highly charged context, this new edition could not be better timed. The many and diverse chapters, written by a mix of well-known names and new arrivals, are as fresh and relevant today as they were in the 1990s. The back cover of the first edition described how the contributors to Implausible Professions 'throw into question many of the most taken-for-granted assumptions on which the professionalisation" and commodification of psychotherapy and counselling are based. The essays display the creative pluralism and passionate vitality which typify the best aspects of therapeutic work.' This edition contains a completely new editorial Introduction and Conclusion, updating the story to 2011. For those engaging with the politics of professionalisation for the first time, or wanting to refresh themselves about the reasons why counselling and psychotherapy are in principle 'implausible professions', this text is even more indispensable than it was in 1997.