`Anyone buying in counselling skills for their company or considering using counsellors in any way should read this perceptive, thought-provoking book' - Personnel Today 'This is the first book centrally about counselling...which puts it firmly and unflinchingly in perspective...The book is comprehensive, knowledgeable, extremely accessibly written without being superficial (a considerable achievement), entertaining, and modestly wise (an even more considerable achievement)' - David Smail, author of The Origins of Unhappiness A clear, readable, radical challenge to the foundations of therapy. The author's ultimate target is not counselling, but the abuse of professionalisation and our current deity - consumerism. The range, passion and depth of the discussion will attract the general reader and a wide diversity of carers and clients. The questions raised should make it mandatory reading for practitioners and their supervisors. Which schools of counselling will rise to the challenge? Which will fail, and fall?