View source for Co-counselling

{{Short description|Method of personal change}}
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'''Co-counselling''' (spelled '''co-counseling''' in [[American and British English spelling differences|American English]]) is a grassroots method of personal change based on reciprocal peer counselling. It uses simple methods. Time is shared equally and the essential requirement of the person taking their turn in the role of counsellor is to do their best to listen and give their full attention to the other person.  It is not a discussion; the aim is to support the person in the client role to work through their own issues in a mainly self-directed way.

Co-counselling was originally formulated in the early 1950s by the American [[Harvey Jackins]] and originated in a [[schism]] in the [[Dianetics]] movement (itself in part derived from schisms in [[general semantics]] and [[cybernetics]]).<ref>Hubbard, "[http://www.dianetics.org/en_US/l-ron-hubbard/articles/terra/ Terra Incognita: The Mind] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060204155459/http://www.dianetics.org/en_US/l-ron-hubbard/articles/terra/ |date=2006-02-04 }}," ''The Explorers Journal'', winter 1949 / spring 1950 (on the bridge between cybernetics and general semantics)</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.geocities.com/soho/studios/8215/dia.html |title=Rich's Home Page – ''Comparison of Re-evaluation Counseling Terms and concepts with Dianetics'' |access-date=26 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091020220546/http://geocities.com/SoHo/studios/8215/dia.html |archive-date=20 October 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Jackins founded the [[Re-evaluation Counseling]] (RC) Communities, with headquarters in [[Seattle]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]], [[United States]]. His son, [[Tim Jackins]], is currently the international leader of Re-evaluation Counseling and its main affiliates. Like other offshoots of Dianetics such as Scientology and the Landmark Forum, Re-evaluation Counseling has features of a cult and an authoritarian leadership structure that actively suppresses dissent and critique.

There are a number of smaller, separate, independent organizations that have resulted from breakaways from, or re-workings of, Re-evaluation Counseling. The principal one of these is Co-Counseling International (CCI).

==Theoretical framework and assumptions==
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The original [[theory]] of co-counselling centres on the concept of distress patterns.<ref>Jackins, Harvey (1965); ''The human side of human beings''; Rational Island, Seattle; {{ISBN|0-911214-60-7}}</ref> These are patterns of [[behaviour]], that is, behaviour that tends to be repeated in a particular type of circumstance, that are irrational, unhelpful or compulsive. The theory is that these patterns are driven by the accumulated consequences in the [[mind]] of (not currently) conscious [[Memory|memories]] of past events in which the person was unable to express or discharge the emotion appropriate to the event. Co-counselling enables release from the patterns by allowing "emotional discharge" of the past hurt experiences. Such cathartic discharge includes crying, warm perspiration, trembling, yawning, laughing and relaxed, non-repetitive talking. In day-to-day life, these "discharging" actions may be limited by social norms, such as, for example, taboos around crying, which are widespread in many [[culture]]s.

Having temporary, undivided, supportive attention from another person often gives rise to strong feelings towards that person; your counsellor often becomes your best friend for life. Sometimes people "fall in love" with each other. This is similar to the phenomenon of [[transference]], particularly when one of the partners is felt to have more authority because, for instance, they are more experienced, are teachers of co-counselling, or have authority roles within the organisation. The organisations differ in the ways that they handle this. The inability to trust and feel in real relationships is sometimes exacerbated by the intimacy of co-counselling relationship, making transference a possibility. But participants are strongly encouraged and supported to counsel through these feelings, often leading to profound changes in their perspectives and abilities around closeness. For the most part, co-counselling relationships become life-long, therapeutic partnerships that enable the participant to have healthier relationships in general.

==Therapeutic context==
Many co-counsellors take the view, often quite strongly, that co-counselling is not psychotherapy.  In the beginning, this was because Re-evaluation Counseling decided not to draw on any discipline of psychotherapy for its theory and practice,<ref>Jackins, Harvey (1997); ''The list''; Rational Island, Seattle (p4, 1.019)</ref> although RC did incorporate some ideas from psycho-analysis such as "unconscious promptings" which Jackins adapted and relabeled "restimulation".  A similar view is taken by some non-RC co-counsellors who regard psychotherapy as involving specialist techniques used by a therapist on a client and is therefore not peer and the client has little or no control over the process.<ref>Pyves, Gretchen (2000); [http://www.co-cornucopia.org.uk/coco/articles/therapy1.htm ''Co-Counseling versus Counseling''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303181709/http://www.co-cornucopia.org.uk/coco/articles/therapy1.htm |date=3 March 2016 }} accessed 24 November 2006</ref>

Others consider that co-counselling is psychotherapeutic, in that it enables change or therapy to take place in the [[Psyche (psychology)|psyche]], [[soul]] affect or being of an individual.<ref>Evison, Rose & Horobin, Richard  (1999); ''Co-Counseling as Therapy''; Co-Counseling Phoenix, Pitlochrie; available at [http://www.co-cornucopia.org.uk/coco/articles/cocother/index.html] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160709223544/http://www.co-cornucopia.org.uk/coco/articles/cocother/index.html|date=9 July 2016}} accessed 24 November 2006</ref> Co-counselling takes a positive view of the person (i.e. we are all essentially good), considers the mind and body as an integrated whole and acknowledges the value of catharsis; it is regarded as an approach within [[humanistic psychology]], a view that would be rejected by some within RC.<ref>Jackins, Harvey (1980); [https://www.rc.org/publication/books/br/br_459_hj ''The Working Class, the World, and RC''] accessed 27 November 2015</ref>

==Re-evaluation Counseling==
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==Co-Counselling International==
Co-Counselling International (CCI) was started in 1974 as a breakaway from Re-evaluation Counseling by [[John Heron (social scientist)|John Heron]], who was at the time director of the Human Potential Research Project, [[University of Surrey]] UK, and Tom Sargent and Dency Sargent from [[Hartford, Connecticut|Hartford]], [[Connecticut]], [[United States]].<ref>Heron, John (1998); ''Co-Counselling''; South Pacific Centre for Human Inquiry, Auckland; available at [http://www.co-cornucopia.org.uk/coco/articles/hman1fun.html] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303184027/http://www.co-cornucopia.org.uk/coco/articles/hman1fun.html|date=3 March 2016}}; first edition (1974); Human Potential Research Project, University of Surrey, Guildford</ref> Unlike other breakaways from RC, which involved changes of leadership but otherwise continued to practice in similar ways to RC, the CCI break was ideological, and CCI developed in significantly different ways.

==Relations between CCI and RC==
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The existence of other co-counselling organisations is generally not mentioned in RC, and RC co-counsellors are often not aware of their existence.

Amongst those within RC who know about it, CCI is often seen as an "attack organisation" and was specifically condemned as such in many private and public conversations by Jackins, who claimed that Heron had started it against a specific agreement not to, and in breach of RC guidelines he had previously agreed to.<ref>New, Caroline & Kauffman, Katie (July 2004); ''Co-Counselling: The Theory and Practice of Re-Evaluation Counselling''; Brunner-Routledge; {{ISBN|1-58391-210-X}} (p129)</ref> In turn, Heron and many of his supporters claimed that RC was [[Authoritarianism|authoritarian]] and [[cult]]-like, and later, that Jackins engaged in [[sexual abuse]] of clients. RC supporters parried that CCI fostered a [[Human sexuality|sexually]]-liberal atmosphere that blurred the boundaries of co-counselling and [[Interpersonal relationship|relationships]]. 

The history of co-counselling including its origins with RC is normally taught on CCI Fundamentals courses.<ref>Evison, Rose & Horobin, Richard (1985); ''How to Change Yourself and Your world''; Co-Counselling Phoenix, Pitlochrie; {{ISBN|1-870224-01-9}}</ref>  CCI, by its nature, has no corporate opinion about RC, and individual CCI co-counsellors have their own views.  Most CCI co-counsellors have a benevolent view toward RC, regarding it as a different, alternative approach to co-counselling.  Membership of RC is not a bar to membership of CCI, and a few people manage to do both despite the RC ban.

==See also==
*[[Tim Jackins]]
*[[Harvey Jackins]]
*[[John Heron (social scientist)|John Heron]]
*[[List of counseling topics]]
*[[Critical friend]]

==References==
<references/>

==Further reading==
*Jackins, Harvey (1970); ''Fundamentals of co-counselling manual''; Rational Island, Seattle; {{ISBN|1-58429-073-0}}
*Jackins, Harvey (1973); ''The human situation''; Rational Island, Seattle; {{ISBN|0-911214-04-6}}
*Ernst, Sheila & Goodison, Lucy (1981); ''In Our Own Hands''; The Women's Press, London; {{ISBN|0-7043-3841-6}}
*Evison, Rose & Horobin, Richard (1988); ''Co-counselling'' in J Rowan & W Dryden (eds) ''Innovative therapy in Britain''; Open University Press, Milton Keynes; {{ISBN|0-335-09827-4}}
*Caroline New, Katie Kauffman (July 2004); ''Co-Counselling: The Theory and Practice of Re-Evaluation Counselling''; Brunner-Routledge; {{ISBN|1-58391-210-X}}
*Postle Denis (2003) ''Letting the Heart Sing - The Mind Gymnasium'' London: Wentworth; {{ISBN|0070505691}}
*R.D. Rosen, Psychobabble, 1975, chapter on Jackins and Co-counselling.

[[Category:Personal development]]
[[Category:Counseling]]
[[Category:Health movements]]