Mad or Bad?: A Critical Approach to Counselling and Forensic Psychology

Is an offender with mental health problems fully responsible for their offences? Should certain criminal behaviours be treated with incarceration and rehabilitation – or counselling and psychotherapy? Mad or Bad? asks these questions, and more. It is a cutting-edge text that provides a comprehensive introduction to mental health problems and criminal behaviour, and considers the most common and effective therapeutic approaches for working with offenders and victims of crime.

·           Part 1 explores the predominant tensions between forensic and therapeutic agendas;

·           Part 2 considers how criminal and ‘insane’ identities and careers may be considered gendered, classed, culturally and age-dependent experiences, and be related to power and oppression;

·           Part 3 examines issues around sex and sexuality in forensic and therapeutic settings;

·           Part 4 introduces a range of therapeutic approaches for working with offenders and victims of crime;

·           Part 5 covers forensic and therapeutic practices, including programmes for the prevention of both mental health issues and offending.

Edited by an expert team from the Open University and written by a broad range of contributors, this book draws on a wealth of experience in this popular subject area. It will be a key text for students of forensic psychology, counselling and psychotherapy, and for health and social care professionals working in therapeutic and forensic settings.