Counselling In General Practice Research Articles

Counselling in General Practice: The Need for Provision of Formally Structured and Funded Counsellor Attachment Schemes in Primary Care

The range of illness in general practice differs considerably from that found in hospital medicine. One-third of all patients who consult their general practitioner are likely to be seeking help for the emotional distress associated with a physical disease, or for a ‘life problem’ reflecting an underlying psychosocial problem rather than an organic complaint (Rowland and Irving, 1984).Many illnesses can stem from social circumstances. Surveys conducted in Canada and Britain have shown that emotional disorders are associated with a high demand for medical care, leading to over-re presentation in specific categories of physical disorders such as those of digestive and genitourinary disease (Brennan and Noce, 1981; Sheperd, 1983). The health of adults and children is known to be affected by the rising divorce rate and studies of the physical effects of unexpressed grief have demonstrated the relationship between the immune system and the central nervous system (de Selincourt, 1983; Nichols, 1984). As Fowler commented, much emotional illness in general practice defies precise diagnostic labelling: it falls into a category of neurotic and personality disorders described as conspicuous morbidity (Grey and Fowler, 1984).

Counselling in General Practice: The Need for Provision of Formally Structured and Funded Counsellor Attachment Schemes in Primary Care

Counselling in General Practice: The Need for Provision of Formally Structured and Funded Counsellor Attachment Schemes in Primary Care

Teaching GP Consulting Skills in Gippsland

This article reports the author's experience of designing, teaching and evaluating a 2–day workshop on GP Consulting and Basic Counselling Skills for Family Medicine Programme trainees in Gippsland, Australia. After reviewing the objectives of the workshop and characteristics of the participants, the article outlines the process and content of the workshop. These include description of a conceptual framework, learning of specific aspects through structured exercises, and use of video review both of previously taped consultations with patients and of role-plays. Results of evaluation by self perception, both at the end of each workshop and 3 months subsequently, are reported and discussed. Overall the workshop has been found to be effective in introducing FMP trainees to key aspects of general practice consulting and basic counselling, and in providing the trainees with opportunities to increase their range of skills for patient care and counselling in general practice.

Marriage guidance counselling in general practice in London

Abstract People with marital difficulties are more likely to contact their GP for help than any other social service. In recent years, a number of attachments of marriage guidance counsellors to general practice have been set up to encourage doctors to refer patients directly. This paper describes the results of a postal survey of general practitioners and counsellors in attachments in the area covered by the London Marriage Guidance Council. While the results were very positive, with few disadvantages mentioned, it must be remembered that the majority of GPs involved were a highly self-selected and atypical group, usually with a special interest in psychotherapy.

Marriage guidance counselling in general practice in London

Abstract People with marital difficulties are more likely to contact their GP for help than any other social service. In recent years, a number of attachments of marriage guidance counsellors to general practice have been set up to encourage doctors to refer patients directly. This paper describes the results of a postal survey of general practitioners and counsellors in attachments in the area covered by the London Marriage Guidance Council. While the results were very positive, with few disadvantages mentioned, it must be remembered that the majority of GPs involved were a highly self-selected and atypical group, usually with a special interest in psychotherapy.

Counselling in general practice: A review

Abstract The development of counselling has brought enthusiastic attempts to pioneer its application to a diversity of fields. One obvious target has been primary-care and the general practitioner's surgery, where there has been an increase in demand for help with ‘life-problems' and a growing reluctance to prescribe drugs of doubtful benefit. The need for both time and expertise to respond appropriately has made counsellors welcome additions to many surgery teams. However, different professions and volunteer groups compete for the role; each cites evidence of its own appropriateness, rarely acknowledging, and never assessing, the contributions of others. Hence this attempt to bring together the findings of these disparate groups to demonstrate their undoubted similarities and to assess the value of ‘counselling’ intervention in general practice.

Counselling in general practice: a review

Counselling in general practice: a review

Marriage guidance counselling in general practice

Marital disharmony is a common social problem which general practitioners meet in various guises. Although some GPs are active counsellors, the best known form of counselling in the community is that provided by the Marriage Guidance Council. In 1977 The Marriage Guidance Council traced 50 schemes where counsellors worked from doctor’s surgeries or from Health Centres.1