Marriages are in trouble today. That is clear. Effective mothods of combating this trend are less evident. Counselors, pastors and social workers need more than mere theories or mere moralizing. They need a practical and comprehensive model for understanding couples and their problems. They need a throughly Christian perspective that is biblical, compassionate and human. Everett Worthington provides this in an integrated, biblically based theory of marriage and marriage therapy with analysis at three levels: the individual, the couple and the family. The model he has constructed, with techniques drawn from the major psychological schools, is standard enough to guide counselors in actual interventions and powerful enough to produce change. A thoroughgoing overview of the assessment process includes practical, workable guidelines for: creating realistic, mutually-agreeable goals for counselor and clients; estimating the number of sessions needed to reach those goals; and planning the actual assessment, intervention and termination sessions. Next Worthington offers specific techniques for enhancing cooperative change, intimacy, communication, conflict resolution and forgiveness within the marriage. But keeping couples from slipping back into old patterns is one of the counselor's most difficult tasks. So Worthington concludes with suggestions for solidifying change and effectively concluding the counseling relationship. Here is a text that will be a standard for counselors, pastors and mental health professionals in the years to come.

Placing a focus on the spiritual needs of death and dying, the theme of this book is that the focus of counselling with people who are dying should be on the psychospiritual aspects of death and dying. It is based on two assumptions - that death and anxiety, not pain, are the most critical issues for the dying, and that the time of dying is an opportunity for growth and transformation. The author believes that it is imperative for counselling professionals to realize that at this time understanding and caring are primary.

The SAGE Handbook of Counseling and Psychotherapy, Second Edition, is the most comprehensive text of its kind and an essential resource for trainees and practitioners alike. Comprising succinct and easy-to-access contributions, the Handbook describes not only the traditional skills and theoretical models but also the most common client concerns brought to therapy and the particular skills required for different practice settings and client groups.

"Filled with practical and effective approaches, this book is an asset to anyone wanting to develop their skills in working with adolescents." Samantha Best, CAMHS Manager and Clinical Nurse Specialist "This publication is a further invaluable resource to counsellors wanting to work with young people. It offers a 'one stop shop' for any practitioner who wants to understand adolescent development and the need for a counselling approach that parallels this, with helpful strategies for enhancing the counselling conversation and the relationship between counsellor and the young person." Barbara Rayment, Director of Youth Access, London "Providing an excellent introduction to counselling young people that is theoretically sound and rich in delivering practical techniques, this book is an important addition to the personal library of counselling students and counsellors" Associate Professor Sylvia Rodger, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia In this third edition of their bestselling text, Kathryn and David Geldard provide a practical introduction to the principles and practices required for successful counselling, to show that working with young people can be both challenging and effective. The book is divided into three main parts, covering: - how to understand the young client as a person - the pro-active approach of working with young people - the counselling skills and strategies needed. This Third Edition has been completely revised and updated, and includes two new chapters. The first, Maintaining a Collaborative Relationship, identifies ways to engage a young person collaboratively throughout a proactive counselling process. The other, Professional and Ethical Issues, deals with these issues as they relate to working with young people. Additional practical case studies and examples show how counsellors can work pro-actively with this age group. The book will be of particular interest as a textbook and resource to all professionals who work with emotionally disturbed young people, and will provide an excellent resource for trainees in courses on counselling, social work, psychology, occupational therapy, mental health and psychiatry, nursing, and education.