Pete SandersBesprekingen

First Steps in Counselling is essentially a book about helping and this fifth edition has been updated and revised with the help of two co-authors; Paula J Williams and Andy Rogers. It is for anyone thinking of becoming a counsellor, working or volunteering in a role that requires helping and listening skills, or simply caring for someone. It explains in clear language what counselling is, the theories on which it is based, how it works and how it is positioned in relation to contemporary debates about culture, politics, language, race and power. This is not a ‘how to help' manual; rather it is a questioning, curious, explorative and challenging companion. It aims to be your guide along whichever route you are taking, answer your questions and help you decide if you want to take your interest in counselling to the next steps. First Steps in Counselling remains the text of choice for students and tutors of introductory courses.

A series of books tacking a range of social issues in a way that will develop a sense of citizenship. This book explains what death and dying mean.

'Let's talk about' looks at subjects of specific interest to young children and asks and answers the questions they most frequently raise.

A series of books tacking a range of social issues in a way that will develop a sense of citizenship. This book explains what death and dying mean.

Essential reading for the course I'm doing, but beyond that it's generally enlightening and thought-provoking.

In examining the different ways of working that are generally identified as belonging to the person-centred approach, the book has helped me to reflect upon what I feel is acceptable to my own principles, and that which lies outside them. Not that I'm now without questions or am free of tension between what I believe and what I find myself practicising, but I am better informed and more able to reconcile those tensions to find the path that feels right for me in being in relation with my clients.

I find that I position myself in principle toward the classical client-centred pole, but perhaps in practice, at this stage in my development, veering toward a need to introduce some elements of instrumentality as a prop for a lack of confidence in my ability to embody Rogerian attitudes. My supervisor is helping me to explore this!

Despite misgivings about the title, I found Richard Worsley's chapter, Integrating with Integrity really helpful. His description of how he, in his view, fully maintains a Rogerian attitude whilst giving some rein to his spontaneity and inventiveness was attractive, and I'm now less dubious about having shelled out for his book, Process Work in Person-Centred Therapy, which I'll try to read at some point this year.

I'm rather turned off from Eugene T. Gendlin's Focusing approach, and the process experiential approaches that developed from it, as I'm unhappy with the unequal therapist/client power dynamic inherent in these approaches, although that is an issue they address and seek to redress by therapist ethical awareness of not intruding upon the client's experiencing and autonomy. I've got a couple of Gendlin's books, so I will give him a fair crack of the whip at some point.

Over against my wariness of the experiential approaches is a recognition that the present UK health care provision via the NHS values brief interventions, outcome measures and manualised treatments above the freer-spirit of client-centred therapy, so if I want to work in that setting, the practical (venal?) part of me is attracted towards Counselling for Depression, a manualised integration of client-centred and experiential modalities which the NHS accepts as part of its approved methods of providing therapy from a person-centred orientation.

If nothing else, this book has shown me that I've got a long way to go and, in the best Rogerian sense, that the process has no final end.

I've given this a pretty high rating as it answered just about all the questions I had about person-centred counselling at an introductory level, gives a very good over-view of other counselling approaches and is written in an engaging and interactive way.

Interactive, because there are side panels with exercises, either written, reflective or experiential, to help illustrate the points in the text.

A good foundational book.½

Although a little outdated, this book did a nice job of playing out different scenarios on what child can look like. It gives different ideas of how a child may feel when in an abusive situation and also gives outsiders ideas of how to go about helping those in need. Child abuse is a difficult subject to approach and I think this book is a good starting point.

This could be used to open a dialogue about abuse and for teaching them that they have someone that they can talk to if it is happening to them or someone they love.

(non fiction, young reader) This book provides an overview of child abuse: the types of abuse, how they may happen, why they happen, and the consequences. While this book provided practical information in straightforward language, I found the layout of the book confusing. In the two page spread, one side of the book is like a regular text book and the other side is like a comic strip. Though I found the comic strip to be more interesting to read, it was not laid out like a traditional comic strip and jumped around from box to box. This book would probably be better read one - on -one than in a group. It could be used in a case of suspected abuse to get a little one to open up.

Excellent introduction and insight !

Presents the concept of death as a naturally occuring part of life and discusses how children can cope with the feelings of loss and grief that accompany the death of a family member or friend

From LETTERBOX LIBRARY:

A down to earth and sensitive approach complete with empowering practical tips. "I like this book because it teaches people what it is like to be bullied" (Jade 9 ½ ) Age: 6+ Hardback: 28pp

Price: £10.99

Counselling - General

Counselling

Counselling