The effectiveness of counselling in general practice

Abstract

This paper will consider the evidence of the value of placing counsellors in general practice including the results of surveys, consumer opinions and clinical trials. We are at an early stage in refining our techniques of evaluation and it must be remembered that the majority of studies carried out in this area are flawed in some way, some more than others. However, the results of more recent studies, which have tended to be more specific in the client group investigated, give tentative support to the value of counselling in general practice.