Brief Counseling That Works

Gerald B. Sklare, EdD, LPCC (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor), NCC (Nationally Certified Counselor), is a profes-sor in the Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. Both his master’s degree and doctorate are in counselor education from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. He has served as a teacher and counselor in elementary, junior high, and high schools; he has conducted workshops around the United States on SFBC; and he has practiced in school settings and in private practice using this approach.Hear from the author himself here.

• PrefaceOverview of the ContentsWhat’s New in This EditionWho Can Benefit From This BookAcknowledgmentsPublisher′s AcknowledgmentsAbout the Author1. Counseling in Schools and Other Settings: Problems and SolutionsOrigins of Solution-Focused Brief CounselingDifferences and SimilaritiesEffectivenessCore “Rules”Solution-Focused AssumptionsAdditional Guiding ConceptsSummaryPractice Exercise2. Setting GoalsOpening the First Meeting: Establishing Rapport and Explaining the ProcessDeveloping a Positive GoalThe Miracle Question“What Else” QuestionsEstablishing Well-Developed Goals: An OverviewSummaryPractice Exercises3. Discovering and Constructing SolutionsDiscovering Unrecognized Solutions: Instances of SuccessEmpowering Clients Through Recognition of Their ResourcesScaling a Baseline and ProgressFlagging the Minefield: Identifying and Overcoming ObstaclesConcluding the Initial Session With a MessageSummaryPractice Exercise4. Connecting the PiecesComponents of the First SessionCase Study With Pedro: Session OneSummaryPractice Exercises5. Abbreviated SFBC SessionExplaining the ProcessDetermine What the Client Wants to AchieveUse Scaling to Determine Clients’ Views of Their Present SituationWhat’s the Highest Number the Client Has Ever Been?The MessageA Case of an Abbreviated SFBC SessionSummary6. Conducting Subsequent SessionsSubsequent Sessions: Getting StartedComponents of Second and Subsequent SessionsAssessing Whether Further Counseling is NeededWriting a MessageTools for Second and Subsequent Sessions: Flow Chart and Note SheetSubsequent Sessions With PedroSummary7. Working With Reluctant Clients and Challenging SituationsHelping Involuntary Clients Become Customers for CounselingSFBC With Students Mandated for Counseling in Lieu of Disciplinary ActionTurning Difficult Situations Into Workable GoalsSummary8. Expanding Applications of Solution-Focused Concepts10-Second “Counseling”Solution-Focused Counseling Referral FormUse of Puppets in SFBCUse of Sand Trays in SFBCSolution-Focused Group CounselingClassroom Counseling Using SFBC MethodsSolution-Focused Parent-Teacher ConferencesSolution-Focused Guided ImagerySummaryFinal ThoughtsAppendix A: Counseling Session With Kasey: A Practice ExerciseAppendix B: Solution-Focused Guided ImageryAppendix C: Practice Detailing a Non-Specific GoalReferencesIndex

"Simple yet spectacular, my students and I LOVE Brief Counseling that Works. It presents a user-friendly, time-efficient, and very effective approach to counseling school-aged youth (and adults)!"