Building the Client's Relational Base: A Multidisciplinary Handbook

ISBN: 1847428622

Author: Furlong, Mark

Condition: New

Product Description Developed from nearly 20 years' practice and consulting experience, this ground-breaking text challenges practitioners to understand, and work, with their clients as relational beings rather than independent units, whatever the presenting problem might be. The book focuses on an often neglected key condition, that sustainable and accountable personal relationships are a precondition for health and well-being, and argues that there are always opportunities to deepen the quality, and range, of the client's connections with their current and future significant-others. The central concern of the book is to describe practical actions that can be taken by any professional committed to strengthening the relational base of their clients - an agenda that is supported by coherently woven insights from critical theory and social epidemiology. Written in a compelling style and brought to life with more than twenty case vignettes, this original, practical and rich resource offers practitioners usable resources that can be incorporated within many practice roles. Especially relevant to senior students and those in casework, this innovative, timely, multidisciplinary material is ideal for all those who wish to make a practical difference to the lives of their clients. Review This book is a refreshing re-examination of current practice and helpful in suggesting a variance in approach that might be effective in terms of outcomes for the client: it is well worth reading. -British Journal of Social WorkMark Furlong has written a valuable sourcebook that will appeal to a wide range of practitioners who are seeking a new yet rigorous approach to their work with clients. It draws creatively on theories of individualism, isolation, inequality, and exclusion to make a strong case for practice that supports clients to build new relationships and strengthen existing ones.  -- Rona Woodward, University of StirlingTheoretically sophisticated and very practice oriented; Mark Furlong makes a significant contribution to promoting professional practices which aim to develop the clients relational self. A very timely and engaging book.     -- Nigel Parton, University of Huddersfield About the Author Mark Furlong, PhD., is a senior lecturer in the School of Health and Social Development at Deakin University in Melbourne. Previously, he practiced in therapeutic and mental health settings where he specialized in consulting, training and practicing from a relationship-building perspective. He has published in numerous publications in the psychiatric, family therapy, family studies, psycho-therapeutic, social work and primary health fields.