Fundamental changes in the management and delivery of health and community care have resulted from recent government initiatives. At the same time the complex personal relationship between physical, social, environmental and emotional aspects of illness is increasingly being recognized in medical settings.

Many claims have been made to justify an expansion of counselling in medical settings as a response to these changes, not only as a supportive therapeutic experience but also as a healing process in its own right. This timely book describes the emergence and growth of counselling in medical settings and examines the issues surrounding its incorporation into this context. Written in a clear accessible style it provides not only a broad overview of counselling and counselling skills but also focuses on specific issues pertinent to counsellors from a wide variety of medical backgrounds.

Patricia East's account of counselling in medical settings and the meaning of illness for individuals is enlivened by the extensive use of examples and case material from practitioners.