Contacting the ‘unavailable' client – contact impairment and pre-therapy or contact work

Although there are acute causes to the limitation of the ability for contact, these can be worked with in the ‘normal’ person-centred way (Point 64). However, there are clients for whom their unavailability for contact is a chronic condition. Such clients may include those with severe learning difficulties, serious mental disturbance or both. For such clients pre-therapy or ‘contact work’ may be suitable therapeutic strategies (Point 34). However, although pre-therapy can sound deceptively simple it is actually difficult to do well.