Counseling Skills for Beginners

Becoming a counselor—especially at the beginning stages—is so much more than just learning how to reflect feelings or ask open-ended questions. It's a complex and complicated journey of learning to calm oneself, grasp the reigns of professionalism, hold a sense of groundedness in wildly uncomfortable moments, and at the same time, listen intently to what is (and isn't) being said, respond therapeutically, develop some intention, and conceptualize all at the same time! It's no wonder that beginning-level counselors often erupt in uncomfortable laughter after short role plays. In this book, the author empathically walks with students and makes the process of becoming a counselor a little easier by using a four-stage model: presence, exploration, depth, and action. The text offers numerous experiential exercises to help students understand the material intuitively and give them the feeling of what counseling is like, so they can transfer this into their work with clients.