Conveying the reality of the counselling room, this book provides helpful tips and techniques to enable practitioners to develop and refine their skills. At the heart of this book is the idea of 'situated action'. By this we mean suspending purely intellectual faculties and exploring a different kind of intelligence - one shaped in the real world - in essence what happens to theory when it meets real life. This book offers thirty four skills to achieve this kind of practice wisdom which contain a mixture of reflection, client stories, quotes and images. This text will translate theory into practice for students and be a source of inspiration and reflection for the experienced practitioner.

"For anyone in a caring, facilitative or managing role, Counselling Skills provides a uniquely comprehensive, accessible and practical guide to interpersonal helping. It introduces a way of working that is both focused and personalised: tailored to an individual client's specific goals and preferences. The book will be invaluable to anyone who wants to help others deal with their problems." Mick Cooper, University of Strathclyde, UK "Not everyone possesses the skills required to ensure that professional communication is compassionate and supportive, but the skills can be learned and this book on Counselling Skills provides just the resource needed. Its authors have the experience as practitioners and teachers to imbue the text with wisdom derived from life, academia and counselling. The book is carefully crafted and beautifully written; it includes exercises and examples that enhance learning; it is comprehensive and completely relevant for anyone who seeks to use counselling skills competently in their work." Professor Sue Wheeler, University of Leicester, UK "The book offers a sound and accessible introduction for anyone considering formal counselling skills training ... As a bereavement counsellor I will gladly keep a place for this book on my bookshelf, as it offers a useful refresher in basic skills. I would certainly recommend it to colleagues within pastoral caring roles and other caring professions." Sally Smith, Counselling Psychology student at The University of Wolverhampton, UK This bestselling book is designed to help counselling trainees acquire and develop the skills and techniques needed to have therapeutic impact with their clients. It also provides those in the helping professions with an easy-to-follow model of 'embedded counselling' that provides tools and strategies for offering counselling relationships within a diversity of work settings. The new edition is thoroughly revised and features nine new chapters, addressing such topics as: an A-Z of practical counselling skills, dealing with difficult relationships, issues caused by cultural diversity or life transitions, and issues in loss and bereavement. The book also covers: Key counselling skills such as caring, listening, questioning and reframing, reflection, attunement to a client, challenging and giving advice Building a counselling relationship Developing understanding of clients' issues Resolving difficult feelings and emotions Ethical principles of counselling practice Working together to change behaviour Counselling Skills, 2nd edition is packed with exercises and information on recent studies, to help readers relate theory to their own practice. Written in an accessible, engaging style, with numerous case examples, this book is suitable for students taking courses or modules in counselling skills, counsellors in training, and any professionals who may provide counselling support within their roles, including teachers, doctors, community workers, social workers and nurses.

Many practitioners consider setting up in private practice at some point in their career, whether full-time or alongside other employment. The Essential Skills for Setting Up a Counselling and Psychotherapy Practice provides comprehensive yet accessible coverage of all the major skills needed to succeed. Based on the authors' extensive experience, this book provides a valuable insight into how to minimise the risks associated with working privately, offering practical advice on how to keep a balance between self-development, personal health and meeting the needs of clients, whilst maintaining high standards and making a reasonable living. Acknowledging the fact that being a good therapist may not, in itself, be sufficient to be successful in self-employment, the authors discuss the need for sound business skills, professional development, self-knowledge and motivation. Divided into three sections, the book covers all the essential business, professional and personal skills and includes discussion of subjects such as insurance, finance, legal issues, marketing, stress management, security and retirement planning. The focus on skills and how to acquire and develop them makes this book an invaluable reference for all mental health professionals who are considering setting up their own private practice. This book will prove to be an invaluable reference for all mental health professionals who are considering setting up their own private practice.

Counselling Skills for Working with Shame helps professionals to understand and identify shame and to build shame resilience in both the client and themselves. Shame is ubiquitous in counselling where there is an increased vulnerability and risk of exposure to shame. While many clients experience feelings of shame, it is often overlooked in the therapeutic process and as a result can be left untreated. It is particularly pertinent when working with clients who have experienced trauma, domestic or complex abuse, or who struggle with addiction, compulsion and sexual behaviours. Written in an accessible style, this is a hands-on, skills-based guide which helps practitioners to identify what elicits, evokes or triggers shame. It gives a general introduction to the nature of shame in both client and counsellor and how these become entwined in the therapeutic relationship. It focuses on increasing awareness of shame and how to release it in order to build shame resilience. With points for reflection, helpful exercises, top tips, reminders and suggestions for how to work with clients, this is a highly practical guide for counsellors, therapists, mental health practitioners, nurses, social workers, educators, human resources, trainee counsellors and students.

For any student or practitioner needing to gain a sound understanding of the complex fields of gender variance, gender identity and gender dysphoria, this book provides the ideal starting point for the knowledge and skills that you need. Emphasising the need for affirmative practice in gender care, it provides an overview of the subject areas and process issues which most commonly arise in counselling, combining theoretical with practical perspectives. It explores the diverse range of identities including masculinity, femininity, non-binary, gender dysphoria, trans and cisgender. It also addresses challenges which many clients experience in their daily lives - in the workplace, when coming out, when transitioning and in intimate relationships. The authors highlight the importance of education and reflection to enable good practice. They feature case studies, vignettes and reflective exercises throughout the text, making it a useful tool for professional development as well as suitable as a text for students.

An introduction to basic theoretical and practical skills essential for all health care professionals. Early chapters explore theoretical issues relating to the nature of counseling and self-awareness. Later chapters consider specific skills and discuss ways in which counseling skills can be learned. Includes individual and group exercises. This third edition contains new material on aggression and personal safety.

Providing guidance and advice on the challenging art of listening, this book responds directly to the expressed learning needs of hospice and palliative care volunteers regarding their communication skills in end-of-life care. Listening can be mentally, physically, and spiritually exhausting, often highlighted in books about hospice and palliative care but never taking the spotlight. This accessible companion provides hospice and palliative care workers with a variety of helpful insights and suggestions drawn from a solid base of current theoretical concepts and clinical research. With personal reflections on being listened to, the guide includes strategies for becoming a more effective listener, as well as exploring the challenges of listening, the need for self-care and spiritual and ethical considerations. By expanding their own capacity for empathy, compassion and understanding the wider narrative of illness, hospice and palliative care volunteers will become even better listeners in their essential roles.