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Navigating Unconditional Positive Regard: Counsellors' Perspectives on Client Disclosures of Child Sexual Abuse Offending.

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Title: Navigating Unconditional Positive Regard: Counsellors' Perspectives on Client Disclosures of Child Sexual Abuse Offending.
Authors: Pustkowski, Abigail (AUTHOR), Manso, Sarah J. (AUTHOR), Burton, Amy E. (AUTHOR)
Source: Counselling & Psychotherapy Research. Jun2026, Vol. 26 Issue 2, p1-13. 13p.
Subjects: Health services accessibility, National health services, Sex offenders, Qualitative research, Psychotherapist attitudes, Interviewing, Statistical sampling, Judgment sampling, Psychological adaptation, Child sexual abuse, Thematic analysis, Sound recordings, Patient-professional relations, Research methodology, Counseling
Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
Abstract: Objective: This study explores counsellors' perceptions of working with clients who disclose thoughts regarding, or experience of perpetrating, sexual abuse of a child. Counselling of such clients is often framed as emotionally draining, distressing and a challenge for the core conditions of a productive therapeutic relationship, specifically unconditional positive regard (UPR). Method: In‐depth semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 12 counsellors working privately or within the National Health Service within the United Kingdom. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim and the data were explored using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Findings highlighted three themes: (1) The capacity to offer UPR is limited, highlighting the perceived limitations of working with UPR for counsellors, including issues such as incongruence and values conflict; (2) We have a duty of care to clients and victims, illustrating the motivations for working with this client group, including a feeling of duty to both the client and potential future victims; and (3) Working with 'the hurt person underneath', which illustrates how counsellors facilitate their ability to adhere to core conditions through the ways in which they view and position these clients. Conclusion: While encounters may be uncommon, these findings illustrate a need to support therapists working with this population within routine therapeutic practice. This support is needed to overcome barriers to UPR and to build and maintain effective therapeutic relationships for this client group. Implications: Practice Implications ○Counsellors may have personal histories that influence their responses to disclosures of child sexual abuse. Training providers should support trainees to examine their values and experiences and reflect on how this may influence their future interactions with clients.○Counsellors must engage in ongoing unconscious bias examination to help them identify the assumptions and beliefs which may influence their work with sex offenders as clients.○Accessible and high‐quality supervision is needed for anyone working with a client who reveals thoughts or perpetration of child sexual abuse regardless of the setting in which the counsellor is working.Policy Implications ○There is a need for increased opportunities to access supervision regarding child sex offending by practitioners working in private practice and non‐specialist settings where clients reporting child sexual offences are not standard practice. Professional and registering bodies should lead on making these opportunities available to their membership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Counselling & Psychotherapy Research is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Data: Navigating Unconditional Positive Regard: Counsellors' Perspectives on Client Disclosures of Child Sexual Abuse Offending.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Pustkowski%2C+Abigail%22">Pustkowski, Abigail</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Manso%2C+Sarah+J%2E%22">Manso, Sarah J.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Burton%2C+Amy+E%2E%22">Burton, Amy E.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Counselling+%26+Psychotherapy+Research%22">Counselling & Psychotherapy Research</searchLink>. Jun2026, Vol. 26 Issue 2, p1-13. 13p.
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  Data: Objective: This study explores counsellors' perceptions of working with clients who disclose thoughts regarding, or experience of perpetrating, sexual abuse of a child. Counselling of such clients is often framed as emotionally draining, distressing and a challenge for the core conditions of a productive therapeutic relationship, specifically unconditional positive regard (UPR). Method: In‐depth semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 12 counsellors working privately or within the National Health Service within the United Kingdom. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim and the data were explored using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Findings highlighted three themes: (1) The capacity to offer UPR is limited, highlighting the perceived limitations of working with UPR for counsellors, including issues such as incongruence and values conflict; (2) We have a duty of care to clients and victims, illustrating the motivations for working with this client group, including a feeling of duty to both the client and potential future victims; and (3) Working with 'the hurt person underneath', which illustrates how counsellors facilitate their ability to adhere to core conditions through the ways in which they view and position these clients. Conclusion: While encounters may be uncommon, these findings illustrate a need to support therapists working with this population within routine therapeutic practice. This support is needed to overcome barriers to UPR and to build and maintain effective therapeutic relationships for this client group. Implications: Practice Implications ○Counsellors may have personal histories that influence their responses to disclosures of child sexual abuse. Training providers should support trainees to examine their values and experiences and reflect on how this may influence their future interactions with clients.○Counsellors must engage in ongoing unconscious bias examination to help them identify the assumptions and beliefs which may influence their work with sex offenders as clients.○Accessible and high‐quality supervision is needed for anyone working with a client who reveals thoughts or perpetration of child sexual abuse regardless of the setting in which the counsellor is working.Policy Implications ○There is a need for increased opportunities to access supervision regarding child sex offending by practitioners working in private practice and non‐specialist settings where clients reporting child sexual offences are not standard practice. Professional and registering bodies should lead on making these opportunities available to their membership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Counselling & Psychotherapy Research is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=pbh&AN=194812991
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        Value: 10.1002/capr.70128
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        Text: English
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      – SubjectFull: Sex offenders
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      – TitleFull: Navigating Unconditional Positive Regard: Counsellors' Perspectives on Client Disclosures of Child Sexual Abuse Offending.
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              Text: Jun2026
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              Y: 2026
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