ABSTRACT
This chapter, the first of three chapters on the process of helping, introduces Schein’s pioneering work on process consultation, a term that he developed in the late 1960s as a contribution to organisation development theory and practice. Schein defined it as “the creation of a relationship with the client that permits the client to perceive, understand, and act on process events that occur in the client’s internal and external environment to improve the situation as defined by the client”. Process consultation quickly became his best-known and most popular work. The chapter defines process consultation and contrasts it with other forms of helping. It is located in the therapeutic tradition of Carl Rogers. Through his interiority, Schein reflects on how it emerged and how he tested it in action. The questions for study and reflection at the end of the chapter invite the readers to reflect on their experience of being in a helping role.
