This addition to the Basic Texts in Counselling and Psychotherapy series provides an authoritative and accessible introduction to psychodynamic counselling and its basic principles. Laurence Spurling examines the basic assumptions underlying the psychodynamic approach, its main theoretical ideas and principles of practice, the techniques associated with it and ways of thinking about the conduct of counselling. Making a distinctive contribution to the literature in this area, he also looks at two major themes, namely the involvement of counsellors working with clients with severe emotional and psychological problems and the influence of organizational settings on counselling work. This book should prove a useful guide for both students and practitioners of counselling or psychotherapy, along with those from other professions, such as teachers and nurses, who are called upon to use counselling skills in their work.