Dear Bobbie,
I ask clients who feel suicidal to undertake not to attempt while I am
working with them.
>
> I would be grateful for any references or comments regarding
> self injury, self harm, counselling / psychotherapy interventions,
> and 'no harm contracts'.
Babiker and Arnold, in "The Language of Injury: Comprehending
Self-Mutilation", published in 1997 by BPS Books, advocate
non-intervention by the therapist, in the sense that the therapist
should not require the client not to self-harm. Instead, they suggest
that the focus should be on promotion of the client's understanding of
self-mutilation as an obstacle to self-integration. In other words,
they suggest that the focus should not be on the injury, but on the
meaning behind it. The therapist, they say, should not pathologise the
behaviour but should work with the client to understand the motivation
behind it.
In reality that's very difficult to do and some would argue that it
would be easy to collude unwittingly with self-harming behaviour by it
appearing not to matter unduly to the therapist. Having said that, I
have worked in this way with people who self-harm and the clients and I
have found it to be useful.
Hope this helps,
Sue
Sue Vogel, BA., MSc., C.Psychol.,
1 to 1 Counselling Service
25 Spenser Road
BEDFORD MK40 2AZ
and at
15 St Cuthberts Street
BEDFORD MK40 3JB
Tel: (01234) 341103
Fax: (01234) 308120
HOME PAGE: http://www.susan0.demon.co.uk
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