Counselling for HIV positive drug users: the advantages and limitations of a person-centred approach.
Int Conf AIDS 1993 Jun 6-11; 9:122 (abstract no. WS-D19-3) Lockley P, Anderson C; Dept. of Education, University of Edinburgh.
This presentation will reflect on a wide range of practical issues and their theoretical implications which arise when the person-centred approach is used in working with HIV positive drug users. It is first of all argued that there are a number of distinct, advantages in using the person-centred approach, with individuals who are coping with the consequences of drug use and HIV infection. Problems which may arise in implementing person centred counselling when the aims and ethos of voluntary or statutory agencies are not compatible with this approach are then explored. The danger of a rhetorical belief that one is providing person-centred counselling substituting for the reality of genuineness and empathy is highlighted. A number of limitations in using the person-centred approach with this client group are then addressed. The question of how suitable the person-centred approach may be for dealing with events in the life of a drug user is raised and considered in relation to the relevant literature.
Keywords: AEGIS, Counseling, HIV Seropositivity, HIV Infections, Meditation, Adaptation, Psychological, Substance-Related Disorders, Cognition, Human, ICA9 930606
WSD193
