The elements of counseling / Scott T. Meier, Susan R. Davis.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Meier, Scott T., 1955-

Contributor:

Davis, Susan R., 1956-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Counseling.

Physical Description:

xvii, 125 pages ; 21 cm

Edition:

Fifth edition.

Place of Publication:

Belmont, CA : Thomson Brooks/Cole, [2005]

Summary:

This brief, practical, nuts-and-bolts primer covers the basic elements of counseling in an abbreviated outline format. Rather than a primary text for a course, this book serves as a quick reference for both counselors in training and practitioners, designed to give them immediate access to information without having to read pages of commentary. This handy guide focuses on relationship building, the counseling process, and self-exploration, the foundations upon which further intervention is laid, and presents information that is essential for beginning counselors to know and for experienced counselors to remember, covering such topics and issues as what counseling is, as well as what it is not.

Contents:

1 Setting the Stage: Counseling Process 1

1 Make personal contact 2

2 Develop a working alliance 3

3 Explain counseling to the client 4

4 Pace and lead the client 7

5 Speak briefly 10

6 When you don't know what to say, say nothing 11

7 You may confront as much as you've supported 12

8 If you want to change something, process it 13

9 Individualize your counseling 14

10 Notice resistance 15

11 When in doubt, focus on feelings 17

12 Plan for termination at the beginning of counseling 19

13 Arrange the physical setting appropriately 21

(a) Dress appropriately 21

(b) Attend to physical space 21

(c) Conduct counseling in a quiet setting 21

(d) Avoid interruptions and distractions 21

(e) Be prompt 22

(f) Invest in a box of tissues 22

(g) Remember confidentiality 22

2 Strategies to Assist Clients in Self-Exploration 24

14 Avoid advice 24

15 Avoid premature problem solving 25

16 Avoid relying on questions 27

17 Listen closely to what clients say 28

18 Pay attention to nonverbals 29

19 Focus on the client 31

20 Be concrete 33

21 Utilize metaphors 34

22 Summarize 35

3 A Few Mistaken Assumptions 37

23 Agreement does not equal empathy 37

24 Do not assume that change is simple 38

25 Positive thinking does not equal rational thinking 39

26 Make psychological assessments, not moral judgments 40

27 Do not assume that you know clients' feelings, thoughts, and behaviors 41

28 Do not assume that you know how clients react to their feelings, thoughts, and behaviors 43

4 Important Topics 45

29 Develop crisis intervention skills 45

(a) Take control of the situation 48

(b) Determine the real client 48

(c) Emphasize strengths 49

(d) Mobilize social resources 50

30 Pay attention to issues of gender, race/ethnicity, and sexual orientation 51

31 Be open to group and family approaches 54

32 Refer carefully 56

33 Watch for deterioration in clients 57

34 Establish an interest in counseling research 58

35 Document your work 60

36 Persevere with clients who no-show 61

37 Learn how to conceptualize clients 62

38 Learn about managed care 65

39 Develop technology skills 67

5 Counselor, Know Thyself 71

40 Become aware of and address your personal issues 71

(a) How did you decide to become a counselor? 72

(b) With what emotions are you uncomfortable? 72

(c) What amount of progress is acceptable? 73

(d) How will you deal with your clients' feelings toward you? 73

(e) How will you handle your feelings for your clients? 74

(f) Can you be flexible, accepting, and gentle? 76

41 Be open to supervision 76

42 Don't hide behind testing 77

43 On ethical questions, consult 78

6 A Brief Introduction to Intervention 81

44 Basic counseling texts 83

45 Person-centered counseling 83

46 Behavioral counseling 84

47 Cognitive, cognitive/behavioral counseling, and social learning theory 85

48 Gestalt counseling 87

49 Psychoanalytic and psychodynamic counseling 87

50 Existential counseling 89

51 Group counseling 90

52 Family/systems counseling 91

53 Multicultural counseling 92

54 Feminist therapy 93

55 Brief therapy and solution focused therapy 96

56 Integrative approaches 99

57 Research on counseling and psychotherapy 101.

Notes:

"5"--spine.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0534574181

OCLC:

56327944