ABSTRACT
It should be a given that most people train as therapists in order to help others. However an understanding of our values and principles, i.e., personal moral qualities can be a great help. There is also a debate about whether these can be learned or are innate.
In this chapter, Heather Dale draws on her research into therapists’ personal moral qualities, their importance for practitioners and how they can be developed through personal development groups. In particular, she discusses the four important ones: courage, humility, integrity and wisdom. These qualities have been chosen as they are not much discussed in the counselling literature. They are defined and explored, with the use of a case study set in a personal development group.
