'Audit-mindedness' in counselling: Some underlying dynamics

Some key ideological beliefs that typically inform and underlie 'audit-mindedness' in counselling are critically examined. Specifically, and drawing upon the radical and neglected ideas of psycho-social analyst Wasdell, it is argued that the preoccupation with 'quantity' and measur-ability that typifies 'objective' counselling outcome studies reflects, at least in part, the disintegrative splitting process that pervades technocratic culture; and that this is in turn rooted in the pathological aspects of early developmental experience. Positivist conceptions of the scientific method are seen to be not only fundamentally ideological and pathology-driven, but a singularly inappropriate means of evaluating the efficacy of counselling and psychotherapy. The article then considers the possibility of transforming the ideological belief system that underlies the positivist conception of science which drives the demand for 'objective' outcome studies in counselling and psychotherapy. It concludes by considering some implications for counselling practice of these challenging arguments.