Discover the practical skills for helping others.

Whether you are considering becoming a counsellor, have to provide some form of counselling as part of your job, or are simply interested in communicating well, Counselling Skills For Dummies provides the perfect introduction to the practical basics of counselling. Starting with a thorough guide to the qualities, knowledge and skills needed to become a ‘listening helper’, the book goes on to provide a framework for a counselling session, helping you to successfully manage a potentially daunting process.

Counselling Skills For Dummies, 2nd Edition:

• Illustrates how you can create a positive relationship between listener and speaker
• Teaches you how to structure a helping conversation
• Explains how asking the right questions are important to the progression of the relationship between speaker and listener
• Shows how you can better understand yourself, which is a crucial step in ensuring that you break down your own barriers to listening

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.

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