The Elements of Counseling Children and Adolescents

Tailored to the specific needs of the child and adolescent client, this concise, easy-to-read primer provides essential and practical guidelines for counsellors and psychologists who are training to work with children in both clinical and school settings. It is modelled after the highly successful and time-tested Elements of format used in many teaching disciplines. The book distils the basic concepts that beginning professionals must keep in mind as they approach practice, offering guidance in logical, numbered sequence from setting the stage for the counselling process through the essentials of building and maintaining an active counselling practice. Not only does the book facilitate learning with its precise, easily digestible rules and principles, it provides potent guidance for both common and particularly troubling situations. Throughout the text, each concept is addressed first as it applies to children and then to adolescents. Key features such as using developmentally appropriate language and activities and fostering growth and self-reflection are covered, along with critical issues such as collaborating with parents and other professionals, responding to crisis situations, misconceptions and assumptions that can hinder therapy, and counsellor self-awareness and care. The book discusses a variety of interventions and techniques that are most effective in work with young clients. Case examples of client-counsellor dialogues in each chapter illustrate foundational concepts, and information is supported by references to empirical and theoretical works. The book also includes an overview of how to use the text for transcript analysis in training programs. Written by experienced counselling and therapy professionals, this versatile text will be a welcome addition for courses specific to counselling children and adolescents as well as other courses across the curriculum in school counselling; school psychology; marriage, child, and family counselling; and clinical social work. An instructors guide includes sample syllabus, activities, and ideas for student self-evaluation. Key Features:: Distils the essential components of therapy and counselling with children and adolescents in a highly useful, time-tested Elements of format Delivers short, essential text specific to child/adolescent counselling Adaptable to a range of counselling-related courses across the curriculum Provides illustrative examples of counsellor-client dialogues Includes instructors guide