This volume explores the what, when, and how of reflective practice, positioning reflection as a vital tool for self-exploration and professional development in psychotherapy and counseling. It draws on research and integrates therapist voices and perspectives, self-reflective exercises, and experiential activities to support applied learning.
The book emphasizes the use of reflection to engage with core aspects of therapeutic work; including therapist motivations, the evolving sense of self, choice of theoretical orientation, building a therapeutic alliance, navigating the digital world, understanding therapist values, and engaging with diversity. The role of reflective practice is spotlighted in the context of supervision, personal therapy, and learning from clients perspectives. Self-care is situated within both personal and systemic contexts, with practical strategies offered to enhance therapist well-being and resilience. The concluding chapter reviews emerging trends and future directions in reflective work across training, research and therapy practice.
This resource is relevant for therapists at all stages of development and is an essential read for academicians, practitioners, trainers, and supervisors from clinical and counseling psychology, social work, and psychiatry. Readers are invited to strengthen their use of reection to critically examine, personalize, and own ideas that can nurture personal and professional growth.
Getting Ready for Reflective Practice.- Tracing Motivations to Become a
Therapist.- Discovering the Self-of-the-Therapist.- Adopting a Theoretical
Lens.- Connecting with Clients and Building a Therapeutic Alliance.-
Understanding Personal and Professional Values.- Engaging with Diversity in
the Therapy Room.- Navigating Therapy Practice in the Digital World.-
Learning from Clients.- Bringing Reflective Practice into Supervision.- Being
in Personal Therapy.- Investing in Self-care Through Reflective Practice.-
The Reflective Path: Integrating Reflection into Psychotherapy Training,
Practice and Research.
Poornima Bhola is a psychotherapist, teacher, supervisor, and researcher, and currently Professor in the Department of Clinical Psychology at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, India. She leads the MENTEM division, which explores mentalization processes, assessments, and interventions. Deeply committed to advancing psychotherapy, she coordinates the departments psychotherapy training programme and serves as Vice-President of the Society for Psychotherapy Research Asia Affiliate Group. In 2020, she contributed to shaping the Guidelines for Tele-psychotherapy Services for clinical psychologists in India. Her research interests encompass psychotherapy processes, training and development, social cognition, personality dimensions, and youth mental health.
Chetna Duggal is Associate Professor, School of Human Ecology, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, India. She is a psychotherapist with over 20 years of experience and teaches courses on psychotherapy, counselling and supervision in the Masters and post graduate diploma programmes and supervises trainee therapists and practitioners. Her research interests include psychotherapy practice, training and supervision, and adolescent and youth mental health. She heads the School Initiative for Mental Health Advocacy (SIMHA), and Rahbar, an initiative for supervision. She has developed the National Disaster Management Guidelines: Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services in Disasters released in 2023 in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority, Government of India.
Rathna Isaac is a therapist, supervisor and trainer with over 20 years of experience. She is primarily a private practitioner in Bangalore. She also holds the position of external consultant and supervisor for the Couple and Family Therapy Programme at Parivarthan Counselling, Training and Research Centre, Bengaluru, and is on the Board of Studies for the Department of Psychology, St. Josephss College of Arts and Sciences. She has created and conducted both basic and advanced training programmes on couple therapy as well as training modules for early career therapists. She provides group and one-on-one supervision for both systemic and individual relational therapy and is deeply interested in the psychotherapy process.
