"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.

This is the second edition of a book that I hope continues to be of practical value. For counselling must always be that: practical. No amount of talking, on its own, can really make a difference if people do not end up doing something as a result of counselling. The practical thread remains an important one throughout this edition. Counselling Skills for Health Professionals is not just a 'how to do it' book: people are probably too complicated for that approach to be of much use. Counselling is never simply a matter of learning a range of skills which you then apply in a range of settings. In the end, counselling is about facing the person in front of you, listening to them carefully and then supporting them as they work through their problems. For many problems, there are no easy answers and counselling doesn't offer any 'quick fixes'. It is essentially a supportive process. There are many things it cannot do. It cannot change certain social and political situations. It cannot cure diseases. On the other hand, what it can do is offer people more hope. Often, just the fact that there is somone who is prepared to hear your story and to listen to you is all that is needed. I remain convinced that the key issue in all types of counselling is the ability to listen.

Counselling skills are very powerful. Really listening and providing compassionate empathy without judging is a core part of social work practice with service users. This book provides a theoretically informed understanding of the core skills required to provide counselling interventions that work. It provides detailed discussion of three core skills which are identified as: talking and responding, listening and observing and thinking. Over 11 chapters these core skills are described in terms of what they mean, how they can be learned and developed, how they can be used and misused and, most importantly, how specific skills can be employed in a coherent and evidence-informed counselling approach. Loughran also looks in detail at the skills required to deliver interventions consistent with three approaches: Motivational Interviewing, Solution-Focused Work and Group work. Illustrative case examples and exercises offer further opportunities for reflection and exploration of self-awareness as well as for practising and enhancing skills development, thus making the book required reading for all social work students, professionals looking to develop their counselling skills and those working in the helping professions more generally. Terms such as social worker, therapist and counsellor will be included as they inform counselling skills in social work.

Practical Counselling and Helping is a practical, jargon-free guide to counselling. It offers clear information about how counselling and helping may be put into practice, whilst acknowledging and discussing its limitations. Contents include: * what is counselling and helping? * basic counselling and helping strategies * handling difficult situations * further personal development. Drawing from a range of counselling methods, and offering a useful and detailed reading list, Practical Counselling and Helping will appeal to all students in the health professions and to all those professionals requiring a clear account of how they might improve their own communication skills.

An accessible, research-informed approach to personal development issues for the counsellor, therapist or mental health practitioner, complete with learning tasks.

Drawing on their numerous years experience as counsellors, tutors, and writers, Jan Sutton and William Stewart introduce readers to the basic principles that underpin counselling practice. Written in a clear, concise and jargon-free style, and with its wealth of case studies, examples of skills in practice, and practical exercises, this new edition is an ideal text for those embarking on a counselling or psychotherapy course, trainee counsellors, counselling tutors to use in training, professionals working in the area of health care, management and education, and counsellors working in the voluntary sector. It provides insight into various counselling approaches; clarifies the nature of counselling and the role of the counsellor, and assists readers to develop a repertoire of key counselling skills and qualities, such as active listening, genuineness, unconditional positive regard, empathy, goal-setting, etc. The book also addresses the important issues of ongoing supervision to enhance counselling practice, and counsellor self-care to reduce the risk of burnout.

`As a course book or an aide to individual learning this book contains a wealth of information and guidance based on years of study and practice. It is easy to use because it is clearly signposted. I particularly like the way the author addresses the range of issues a student needs to consider before embarking on a counselling course. The structure of building block by block, skill by skill simplifies assessment′ - Counselling and Psychotherapy Journal Good counselling skills are the key to effective helping relationships. Introduction to Counselling Skills, Second Edition is designed to help readers′ acquire and develop these skills, using an easy-to-follow, three-stage model. Drawing on many years experience as a counsellor, trainer and writer, Richard Nelson-Jones describes in detail each stage in the helping process and gives examples to show how the skills work in practice. The examples also demonstrate the variety of contexts in which counselling skills are commonly used, as well as the diversity of issues and problems they can help to address. The book covers: } what counselling skills are } how to conduct sessions } ways to clarify and expand your understanding } how to improve your listening skills } ethical skills. Introduction to Counselling Skills, Second Edition is full of practical features designed to aid learning, including activities related to the particular skill being described, learning outcomes, examples, summaries and a glossary of key terms. For this, the Second Edition, the book has been fully up-dated and new material has been added on the diversity of helpers and clients, the use of training groups and supervision. Combining a clear explanation of skills, with a host of practical activities, Introduction to Counselling Skills, Second Edition is the ideal text for introductory courses in counselling skills, counselling and many other professional areas including health care, management, education and social work.