ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores the philosophy, theory and practice of the person-centred approach in the context of both contemporary psychiatry and mental health services provided by the UK's National Health Service (NHS). It introduces the person-centred approach and the theory and philosophy of Carl Rogers to mental health professionals and discusses a major gap within the current mental health literature. As much as mental health professionals could benefit from learning more about the person-centred approach, many person-centred practitioners could benefit from furthering their understanding of the theories and practices of psychiatry and how NHS mental health services function. Within the person-centred community, certainly in the UK, there have been moves to explore wider applications of the person-centred approach, that is its application beyond therapy. The book highlights the dehumanising effects of the NHS mental health system.
