Learning the Art of Helping: Building Blocks and Techniques [With DVD] » (4th Edition)

Mark Young is a Professor at the University of Central Florida. He received his doctorate from Ohio University. He has trained helpers for more than 20 years and worked in community mental health, private practice, college counseling centers, and corrections for more than 15 years. His professional writing has focused mainly on therapeutic methods and techniques, wellness, and counseling couples.

Assuming no prior knowledge of counseling techniques, this highly interactive text takes students step by step through the acquisition of the skills and techniques for effectively helping their future clients. The author's straightforward writing style, clearly stated instructions, and numerous practice exercises prepare students to use assessment information, plan treatment, and implement helping strategies. Coverage encompasses the full complement of commonly used techniques, from basic "building block" skills to more advanced therapeutic skills.

Unique Features

• Stop and Reflect exercises ask readers to consider their reactions to real cases and situations.
• Group Exercises offer opportunities for critical thinking and class discussion.
• Journal Starters encourage readers to test new ideas and reflect on conflicts and challenges as they develop as helpers.
• New! Video Exercises ask readers to watch unscripted, unrehearsed counseling sessions on the enclosed DVD and answer critical-thinking questions based on specific observations and skills.

Praise for Learning the Art of Helping

“Young’s long experience as a therapist and training mentor is evident throughout as he leads the novitiate into the essentials of helping….the inclusion of structured reflection opportunities permits the learner to become a participant/observer along the route the author has taken.”

– Deborah J. Youngman, Boston University

“[The text] stands out as a result of the nice flow between the chapters [which] actually mirrors the students’ learning process, the dialogue style that addresses the reader directly, the numerous [opportunities for] self-assessment, [and its] liberal use of client-helper dialogue with examples of good and bad responses. It is a one-stop shop for the beginning helper.”

– Brigitte Matthies, California State University, Los Angeles

Chapter 1 Helping as a Personal Journey

The Demands of the Journey

Becoming a Reflective Practitioner

How a Helper Develops: Perry's Stages

The Development of Expertise

The Challenge of Development

The Perfect Helper or When Do I Quit Developing?

Who Can Be an Effective Helper?

What Can You Bring to a Client?

Chapter 2 The Nuts and Bolts of Helping

Defining Some Important Terms

How is Professional Helping Different from Friendship?

What Can You Expect from a Helping Relationship?

Learning Basic Skills and Common Curative Factors

Stages of the Helping Process: A Road Map

Chapter 3 The Therapeutic Relationship

The Importance of the Therapeutic Relationship in Creating Change

How Can a Helper Create a Therapeutic Relationship?

Other Factors That Help or Strain the Therapeutic Relationship

Chapter 4 Helping Someone Who Is Different

Differences That Can Affect the Therapeutic Alliance

Challenges Caused by Differences in Culture

Helping a Client Whose Culture is Different from the Helper's

Challenges Caused by Differences in Gender

Chapter 5 Invitational Skills

Listening to the Client's Story

Nonverbal Communication Between Helper and Client

Nonverbal Skills in the Helping Relationship

Opening Skills: How to Invite

Chapter 6 Reflecting Skills: Paraphrasing

Reflecting Content and Thoughts, Reflecting Feelings, and Reflecting Meaning

Reasons for Reflecting

The Skill of Paraphrasing: Reflecting Content and Thoughts

Common Problems in Paraphrasing

Chapter 7 Reflecting Skills: Reflecting Feelings

The Importance of Understanding Emotions

The Skill of Reflecting Feelings

How to Reflect Feelings

Common Problems in Reflecting Feelings

Chapter 8 Reflecting Skills: Reflecting Meaning and Summarizing

Meaning: Uncovering the Next Layer

How to Identify Meaning Issues with a Clint

Summarizing

The Nonjudgmental Listening Cycle

Chapter 9 Challenging Skills

When Should We Use the Challenging Skills?

Giving Feedback

How to Give Feedback

Confrontation

How to Confront

Evaluating Confrontation and Client Response

Chapter 10 Assessment and the Initial Interview

Why Assessment?

Testing as an Assessment Tool

Assessment is a Critical Part of Helping

Categorizing Clients and Their Problems

Beginning Assessment Methods

Chapter 11 Goal-Setting Skills

Where Do I Go from Here? Set Goals!

What are the Characteristics of Constructive Goals?

Who Owns the Problem? The Technique of Focusing on the Client

The Technique of Boiling Down the Problem

Chapter 12 Change Techniques

Giving Advice and Information

Brainstorming

The Skill of Alternate Interpretation

How to Teach a Client to Use Alternate Interpretation

Chapter 13 Outcome Evaluation and Termination Skills

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Helping

Basic Outcome Evaluation Methods

Termination

Dealing with Loss at Termination

How to Maintain Therapeutic Gains and Prevent Relapse Folliwng Termination

Chapter 14 Curative Factors and Advanced Change Techniques: Part I

Curative Factors

Treatment Planning and the REPLAN System

The Therapeutic Factor of Enhancing Efficacy and Self-Esteem

Silencing the Internal Critic: The Technique of Countering

Practicing New Behaviors

Role-Playing

Homework

Chapter 15 Curative Factors and Advanced Change Techniques: Part II

Lowering and Raising Emotional Arousal

Techniques that Stimulate Emotional Arousal and Expression

Activating Client Expectations, Hope, and Motivation

Providing New Learning Experiences

Glossary