This is a comprehensive course text for training new counsellors in basic and more advanced counselling micro-skills which come from a number of therapeutic approaches. The book enables new trainees to learn how to make informed choices about the type of skill to use and how to integrate it within a sequential counselling process. It discusses practical issues including ethics and culture, record-keeping, supervision, and the counselling environment, and offers explanation of the therapeutic approaches related to particular micro-skills and the ways to best combine them to facilitate change and provide effective practice.This accessible introduction to counselling skills is essential reading for teachers and trainees alike, an excellent course text for training new counsellors from a number of theoretical approaches.

PART ONE: COUNSELLING AN OVERVIEW What is Counselling? The Counselling Relationship PART TWO: BASIC PRINCIPLES AND SKILLS Learning the Necessary Skills Joining and Listening Paraphrasing of Content Reflection of Feelings Paraphrasing Content and Reflection of Feeling Use and Abuse of Questions Summarising Creating Comfortable Closure PART THREE: PROMOTING CHANGE THROUGH THE USE OF AN INTEGRATIVE APPROACH An Integrative Approach to Helping People Change Combining Skills to Facilitate the Change Process PART FOUR: ADDITIONAL SKILLS FOR PROMOTING CHANGE Confrontation Normalising Reframing Challenging Self-Destructive Beliefs Exploring Polarities Enabling the Client to Make Use of their Strengths Using the 'Here and Now' Experience Exploring Options Facilitating Action PART FIVE: PRACTICAL, PROFESSIONAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES The Counselling Environment Keeping Records of Counselling Sessions Cultural Issues Influence of the Counsellor's Values and Beliefs Confidentiality and Other Ethical Issues The Need for Supervision Looking After Yourself PART SIX: PRACTICAL EXAMPLES FOR STUDENTS REFERENCES.