Counseling: Books

What does authentic Christian counseling look like in practice?This volume explores how five major perspectives on the interface of Christianity and psychology would each actually be applied in a clinical setting. Respected experts associated with each of the perspectives depict how to assess, conceptualize, counsel and offer aftercare to Jake, a hypothetical client with a variety of complex issues.

John Sharry's book is a jewel in the solution-focused literature. It is clearly and engagingly written, draws on a host of ideas from different therapeutic approaches and is packed with practical examples. There is no better book on strengths-based therapy with children and adolescents. Every team should have one' - Chris Iveson, Brief Therapy Practice Counselling Children, Adolescents and Families describes an innovative approach to therapeutic work which builds on the strengths of children and their parents. As the author's experience shows, helping clients to focus on potential solutions rather than problems can be a powerful means of engaging them in the therapeutic process, even in the most conflicting family circumstances. Harnessing the client's personal, family and community resources in this way also helps counteract their feelings of powerlessness and the possibility of increasing reliance on professional services.

The book illustrates how social emotional learning is important to both individual students and to school climate, and it shows school counselors how to expand their own emotional awareness and resiliency. The book also integrates the latest findings from the field of social emotional learning with the new ASCA guidelines for school counselors.

The Handbook for Social Justice in Counseling Psychology: Leadership, Vision, and Action provides counseling psychology students, educators, researchers, and practitioners with a conceptual "road map" of social justice and social action that they can integrate into their professional identity, role, and function. It presents historical, theoretical, and ethical foundations followed by exemplary models of social justice and action work performed by counseling psychologists from interdisciplinary collaborations. The examples in this Handbook explore a wide range of settings with diverse issues and reflect a variety of actions.

Christians are faced with the same range of problems as everyone else. However, Christian therapists understand deeply the unique issues involved with their therapy. The Christian Therapist's Notebook is a single source for innovative, user-friendly techniques for connecting the everyday world of the client with Christian principles and Scripture. This creative, timesaving guide assists therapists in helping clients achieve therapy goals through professionally sound and principled exercises while always maintaining a positive, supportive connection with Christian beliefs. Helpful features include Scripture references relevant to common problems, case studies, vignettes, professional resource lists, client resource lists, in-session exercises, homework exercises, and handouts.

All young people need a safe, supportive place to "just talk" with caring peers and an attentive adult. Tested with thousands of teens in many kinds of schools (plus community centers, churches, and workshops), these guided discussions are proven ways to reach out to young people and address their social and emotional needs. Teens gain self-awareness and self-esteem, practice problem-solving and goal-setting, feel more in control of their lives, and learn they have much in common with each other--they are not alone. Each session is self-contained and step-by-step. Many include reproducible handouts. Introductory and background materials help even less-experienced group leaders feel prepared and secure in their role. For advising teachers, counselors, and youth workers in all kinds of school and group settings.