Essential Research Findings in Counselling and Psychotherapy: The Facts are Friendly comes at a much needed time, as the counselling profession continues to mature in its identity and move towards stronger recognition through the National Counselling Standards. Many therapists know that therapy works, and many know this through their own experience of counselling. But why does it work?

To call it a textbook would do it a disservice, because while it is academically dense, the author’s warmth and personality make it feel like you are having a warm supervision session with an extremely knowledgeable supervisor, who is guiding you to practise effectively and ethically. Mick Cooper invites the reader to examine what they believe therapy is doing, why it helps, and where those beliefs are supported by research. Drawing on an impressive evidence base, the author challenges some of the claims therapists can repeat as if they are conventional wisdom. He also identifies what theories and beliefs we do have evidence for. This book does not just recite research; the author also draws direct implications to practice.

Cooper gently challenges common misconceptions that can be repeated in the profession as if they are established wisdom. For example, he uses empirical research to challenge common assumptions, such as the belief that the therapeutic relationship is the main driver of change, or that clients have to get worse before they get better. Cooper also identifies where the evidence is stronger, where it is more uncertain, and what this means for practice. This book does not simply recite research. It draws clear links between research findings and the everyday decisions therapists make in the therapy room.

One of the strengths of the book is the way Cooper defines and explains key counselling modalities, therapeutic processes, and interventions. Concepts such as transference, cognitive restructuring, chairwork, and many others are described in ways that are both academically grounded and clinically useful. This makes the book valuable not only for understanding research, but also for strengthening practice, case formulation, supervision, and professional reflection.

It is also encouraging to see topics that are often neglected in mainstream counselling texts included, such as alexithymia. Cooper gives meaningful attention to individual client factors and explores how therapy research can be understood in relation to client characteristics. This is particularly useful for therapists who want to move beyond general claims about whether therapy works, and think more carefully about what helps, for whom, and under what conditions.

This book is excellent for students and new counsellors who are developing their craft and professional identity. It is equally useful for experienced therapists and supervisors who want to update their knowledge, deepen their engagement with research, and support supervisees to think more clearly about how therapeutic change happens.

Book Details

Special offer: Essential Research Findings in Counselling and Psychotherapy: The Facts Are Friendly, Second Edition, published June 2026 (ISBN 9781473938021).

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ISBN: 9781473938021
ISBN-10: 1473938023
Published: 11th April 2026
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Number of Pages: 298
Audience: College, Tertiary and University
Publisher: Sage Publications
Country of Publication: Great Britain
Edition Number: 2