ABSTRACT
This is the first question a researcher has to face. Your desire to ‘do’ some research may have evolved from a personal interest, but how do you know that other people may be interested enough to take part? And where can you find all those willing participants? If you are working in a large organisation or have a clutch of like-minded colleagues, then your research might get off to an easy start. However, a lot of counsellors and psychotherapists work in private practice like myself, which can be quite a solitary existence; thus the thought of carrying out research can be a daunting one. Using one’s own clients as participants in research can create difficult ethical dilemmas, and dual relationships may already exist between counselling colleagues who may also be friends, competitors or supervisees. Inviting them to become part of your research project may produce additional complications.
