Counselling Skills For Dummies

Learn to: Develop the knowledge and skills to become a 'listening helper' Discover the framework for a counselling session Create a positive relationship between listener and speaker Improve understanding of yourself to break down barriers to listening Learn the practical skills to become a 'listening helper' Actively listening to people in distress, and having healing dialogues with them, is fundamental to what a counsellor does. Whether you're considering becoming a counsellor, are called upon to provide some form of counselling in your job, or you'd simply like to improve your listening and communication skills, this book gets you up and running. Counsellor and therapist Gail Evans provides you with the practical tools to become a 'listening helper' and supplies you with powerful strategies for successfully navigating what can be a challenging process. Listen to yourself first – discover if counselling is the right path for you and how to overcome your personal barriers to being a 'listening helper' See the whole person – learn to understand people within the context of their whole lives and the social and psychological forces that shape their experiences Identify the problem – find out about the types of problems you'll encounter and how to read the signs and symptoms of distress Have a game plan – use a proven three-stage process for beginning a helping conversation, going deeper to identify the problem, and moving towards resolution Be prepared – discover strategies for dealing with unplanned or unexpected conversations in a variety of contexts and media Open the book and find: Ways to overcome your own barriers to listening Common personal problems counsellors deal with A framework for structuring helping conversations Expert advice for dealing with difficult or dangerous situations Tips for counselling friends and family Fascinating real-life case studies

Introduction 1 Part I: Focusing on Yourself First 7 Chapter 1: Introducing Counselling Skills 9 Chapter 2: Understanding Yourself through Personal Development 17 Chapter 3: Taking Care of Yourself 37 Chapter 4: Maintaining Good Practice 49 Part II: The Listening Helper 61 Chapter 5: Being a Listening Helper 63 Chapter 6: Qualities, Skills, and Knowledge for Listening 81 Chapter 7: Recognising Your Own Barriers to Listening 97 Part III: Structuring a Helping Conversation 111 Chapter 8: Establishing a Helping Relationship 113 Chapter 9: Stage One: Beginning the Discussion 129 Chapter 10: Stage Two: Deepening Understanding 155 Chapter 11: Stage Three: Working with Action and Endings 165 Part IV: Understanding People and Problems 191 Chapter 12: Being Prepared for Common Personal Problems 193 Chapter 13: Understanding People from a Social Perspective 211 Chapter 14: Understanding Individuals from a Psychological Perspective 223 Part V: Handling Challenges 239 Chapter 15: Coping with Different Types of Helping Conversations 241 Chapter 16: Dealing with Difficulties 253 Part VI: The Part of Tens 263 Chapter 17: Ten or So Key Counselling Skills 265 Chapter 18: Ten Resources for Improving Your Counselling Skills 271 Chapter 19: Ten Great Counselling Books 277 Part VII: Appendixes 281 Appendix A: Case Studies and Discussion 283 Appendix B: Becoming a Counsellor 301 Index 315

Gail Evans is a Licensed Counsellor with more than 30 years' clinical experience. A former Head of the Counselling Studies Unit at Sheffield Hallam University, Gail now works as Programme Director at The Academy: Sheffield Psychotherapy and Counselling Education (SPACE), a new institute for teaching counselling and related subjects. She is also co-founder of Cornerstone Counselling and Therapy Centre, based in Sheffield.