Thinking and Acting Like a Solution-Focused School Counselor » (New Edition)

Richard D. Parsons is a full professor in the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology at West Chester University. Parsons has over 32 years of university teaching in counselor preparation programs. Prior to his university teaching, he spent 9 years as a school counselor in an inner-city high school. Parsons has been the recipient of many awards and honors, including the Pennsylvania Counselor of Year award.

Parsons has authored or coauthored over 80 professional articles and books. His most recent books include Counseling strategies that work! Evidenced-based for School Counselors (Allyn & Bacon), The School Counselor as Consultant (Brooks-Cole), Teacher as Reflective Practitioner and Action Researcher (Wadsworth Press), Educational Psychology (Wadsworth Press), The Ethics of Professional Practice (Allyn & Bacon) Counseling Strategies and Intervention Techniques (Allyn & Bacon), and The Skills of Helping (Allyn & Bacon). In addition, Parsons has authored or coauthored three seminal works in the area of psycho-educational consultation: Mental Health Consultation in the Schools (Jossey-Bass), Developing Consultation Skills (Jossey-Bass), and The Skilled Consultant (Allyn & Bacon).

Parsons has a private practice and serves as a consultant to educational institutions and mental health service organizations throughout the tri-state area. He has served as a national consultant to the Council of Independent Colleges, Washington, DC, providing institutions of higher education with assistance in the areas of program development, student support services, pedagogical innovation, and assessment procedures.

With session transcripts, in-depth case studies, and practice exercises, this concise guide gives counselors solution-focused techniques that help students use their strengths to attain goals.

Preface vii

Acknowledgments ix

About the Author xi

Introduction to Book Series: Transforming Theory Into Practice 1

Part I Solution Focus: A Model Guiding Reflective Practice 3

1 The School Counselor as Reflective Practitioner 5

Counselors in Search of Meaning 5

Counselors Reflections Guiding Practice Decisions 6

Orienting Frameworks Guiding Reflection 12

Summary 12

2 The Fundamentals of a Solution-Focused Organizing Framework 15

More Than Just New Techniques: A New Perspective 16

Fundamental Principles Guiding Solution-Focused Practice 20

Final Thoughts 35

Summary 37

Part II Solution-Focused Discourse and the Strategies Employed 39

3 Highlighting the Possibility and Process of Change 41

Problem Deconstruction 44

Competence Talk 47

Exception Talk 49

Summary 51

4 Solution Identification and Implementation 53

Collaborative Relationship 53

The Miracle Question 55

Setting Effective Goals 60

What's Next? 68

Summary 68

5 Identifying and Implementing Goal-Attainment Strategies 71

Using Language of Change 72

Focusing on Strengths 74

Working With Exceptions 77

Externalizing the Problem 82

Developing Tasks 83

Summary 84

Part III From the Eyes of the Solution-Focused Expert 87

6 Solution-Focused School Counselor: Reflection "in" and "on" Practice 89

Case 1 Nikita 90

Case 2 Charles 99

Case 3 Eli 106

A Caveat 112

What's Next? 112

7 Practice in Procedural Thinking 113

Randall: The Sixth-Grade Bully 114

Maria: Just Can't Say No! 122

Epilogue: A Beginning ... Not an End 129

Resource: Ethical Standards for School Counselors 130

References 143

Index 145