This paper contributes to the ongoing discussion in this journal about counsellors' experiences of vicarious traumatisation (Sexton, 1999; Dunkley & Whelan, 2006a, b). It builds on my previous paper (Etherington, 2000a) that focused on the role of supervision in moderating the potential impact on helpers, and on the helping relationship, of…

This article addresses drug users' identity construction, and invites counsellors, psychotherapists, researchers and others who work with drug misusers to notice how cultural and societal discourses can shape drug misusers' stories, and the positions from which helpers listen and respond to them. By representing and analysing parts of two life…

Explores the role of narrative-based research with ex-clients as a celebration and extension of the counseling process. Renegotiates issues of power and control, ethics, and safety in establishing research relationships in light of concerns about dual relationships in counseling. Reflects on these issues within the context of conducting a…

This paper is based on a study of how childhood trauma can be experienced in the body and the resources individuals have chosen to deal with that. Ten individuals (including myself) wrote stories showing how they had made sense of those experiences and found ways to heal. In this paper, I tell the story of that research, contextualising myself as…

Reviews some of the ethical issues that emerged during a study of 25 adult male survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Discusses some cases where boundary issues became problematic; also discusses the dilemmas faced in working within a person-centered, qualitative approach. Examines considerations of counseling researchers and their trainers when…