It contains guidelines that every experienced counselor wished they knew going into their first counseling session. It is written at a level that beginning counselors can grasp, yet it is also a good review for practicing counselors.

This text provides a simple condensed description of all the qualities of a skilled therapist. It captures the art of therapy like no other text, is a must as a companion text for beginning therapists, and should be required reading for certification and licensure renewal.

Preface xiii

About the Authors xvii

1 SETTING THE STAGE:

COUNSELING PROCESS

Make personal contact 2

Develop a working alliance 3

Explain counseling to the client 4

Pace and lead the client 7

Speak briefly 10

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

You may confront as much as you've supported 12

If you want to change something, process it 13

Individualize your counseling 14

Notice resistance 15

When in doubt, focus on feelings 17

Plan for termination at the beginning of counseling 19

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

Avoid advice 24

Avoid premature problem solving 25

Avoid relying on questions 27

Listen closely to what clients say 28

Pay attention to nonverbals 29

Focus on the client 31

Be concrete 33

Utilize metaphors 34

Summarize 35

3 A FEW MISTAKEN ASSUMPTIONS 37

Agreement does not equal empathy 37

Do not assume that change is simple 38

Positive thinking does not equal rational thinking 39

Make psychological assessments, not moral

judgments 40

Do not assume that you know clients' feelings,

thoughts, and behaviors 41

Do not assume that you know how clients react to

their feelings, thoughts, and behaviors 43

4 IMPORTANT TOPICS 45

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

Pay attention to issues of gender, race/ethnicity,

and sexual orientation 51

Be open to group and family approaches 54

Refer carefully 56

Watch for deterioration in clients 57

Establish an interest in counseling research 58

Document your work 60

Persevere with clients who no-show 61

Learn how to conceptualize clients 62

Learn about managed care 65

Develop technology skills 67

5 COUNSELOR, KNOW THYSELF 71

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

Be open to supervision 76

Don't hide behind testing 77

On ethical questions, consult 78

6 A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO INTERVENTION 81

Basic counseling texts 83

Person-centered counseling 83

Behavioral counseling 84

Cognitive, cognitive/behavioral counseling, and social

learning theory 85

Gestalt counseling 87

Psychoanalytic and psychodynamic counseling 87

Existential counseling 89

Group counseling 90

Family/systems counseling 91

Multicultural counseling 92

Feminist therapy 93

Brief therapy and solution focused therapy 96

Integrative approaches 99

Research on counseling and psychotherapy 101

Other important sources 104

References 107

Index 123