Being-with and being-counter: relational depth - the challenge of fully meeting the client

Following on from a previous publication (Schmid & Mearns, 2006), this paper continues the authors' investigation of the relationship emphasis within person-centered therapy. It explores the concept of relational depth (Mearns & Cooper, 2005), especially in regard to work with hard-to-reach clients, outlining the particular challenges to the therapist seeking to engage the different parts of the client, even those in self-protective conflict with the therapeutic process. The ethical boundaries of therapeutic confrontation and dialogue that constitute relational depth are explored as is the developmental agenda for the therapist.