Main description:

This book is intended to help students and novice clinicians, as well as more experienced clinicians, in the mental health professions of counseling, psychology, and social work to develop competence in the fundamental skills of their profession. With a solid grounding in such skills as effective use of questions, reflection of feelings, eliciting and modifying dysfunctional thoughts, and behavioral change strategies, clinicians can both acquire a sound understanding of their clients and develop strong helping skills.

Contents:

PART I ESTABLISHING THE FOUNDATION FOR DEVELOPMENT OF FUNDAMENTAL SKILLS 1. Becoming an Effective Clinician Entering the World of the Clinician Characteristics of the Effective Clinician Other Essential Ingredients of Treatment Importance of Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy Making the Transition from Theory to Treatment Understanding the Helping Professions Historical Overview Purpose of this Book Organization of this Book Stages of the Treatment Process Identifying People's Areas of Difficulty Planning the Treatment Structure of this Book How this Book Will Contribute to Your Skill Development Using This Book Effectively Promoting Skill Development Practice Group Exercises Learning Opportunities 2. Antecedents to Effective Skill Development: Multicultural Competence, Ethical Understanding, Social Justice, and Others Paving the Way for Skill Development Learning Goals for the Chapter Ethical Standards Understanding Normal and Abnormal Human Development Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy Multicultural Understanding and Competence Social Justice and Advocacy Integrating the Mind, Body, and Spirit Other Areas of Knowledge and Competence Learning Opportunities PART II USING FUNDAMENTAL SKILLS TO UNDERSTAND AND ADDRESS BACKGROUND 3. Using Questions Effectively to Gather Information and Understand Background Example Illustrating Importance of Questions Purposes That Questions Can Accomplish The Importance of Purpose Formulating Helpful Questions Importance of Background Information Purposes and Nature of Intake Interviews Example of an Intake Interview Learning Opportunities 4. Additional Skills to Gather Information and Understand Background: Structuring the Initial Session, Early Recollections, Genograms, Life Chronology Structuring an Initial Session Making Discussion of the Past Relevant and Meaningful Eliciting Strengths from Discussion of Backgroun Early Recollections Genograms The Lifeline or Life Chronology Learning Opportunities PART III USING FUNDAMENTAL SKILLS TO ELICIT AND MODIFY EMOTIONS 5. Using Fundamental Skills to Elicit and Clarify Emotions Importance of Emotions Definition of Emotions or Feelings Benefits of Attending To and Understanding Emotions Drawbacks to Focusing on Emotions Guidelines for Understanding and Addressing Emotions Effective Attending Tracking Verbal Encouragers Summarization Communicating Accurate Empathy and Reflecting Feelings Learning Opportunities 6. Using Fundamental Skills to Contain and Change Emotions Positive Psychology Strength-Based Reflections of Feeling Facilitating Expression and Identification of Emotions Additional Strategies to Elicit and Identify Emotions Barriers and Solutions to Eliciting Clients' Emotions Nonverbal Expressions of Emotion Using Focusing to Help People Access and Express Emotions Using Gestalt Strategies to Help People Access and Express Emotions The Clinician's Verbal and Nonverbal Expression of Emotions Containment of Emotions Changing Emotions Learning Opportunities PART IV USING FUNDAMENTAL SKILLS TO IDENTIFY, ASSESS, AND MODIFY THOUGHTS 7. Using Fundamental Skills to Elicit, Assess, and Modify Thoughts and Accompanying Emotions and Actions The Power of Thoughts Terminology Eliciting Thoughts Providing Education on Cognitive Therapy Linking Thoughts to Emotions and Actions Determining Whether Thoughts are Helpful or Harmful Assessing the Validity of the Thoughts Categorizing Distorted Thoughts Modifying Distorted Cognitions Chaning Emotions and Actions Rerating Thoughts and Emotions Overview of Process of Modifying Thoughts Learning Opportunities 8. Additional Skills to Elicit, Assess, and Modify Thoughts Building on Fundamental Cognitive Skills Reflections of Meaning Identifying a Focal Concern Problem Solving Information Giving Decision Making Specific Skills Related to Modifying Thoughts Positive Self-Talk and Affirmations Anchoring Reframing Thought Stopping Meditation Mindfulness Meditation Journal Writing Mind Mapping Learning Opportunities PART V SKILLS TO IDENTIFY, ASSESS, AND CHANGE ACTIONS AND BEHAVIORS 9. Fundamental Skills to Identify, Assess, and Change Actions and Behaviors Importance of Actions and Behaviors Development of Behavior Therapy Describing and Measuring Problematic Actions and Behaviors Establishing Goals Creating a Behavior Change Contract Review of Steps to Effect Behavioral Change 10. Additional Strategies for Identifying, Assessing, and Changing Actions and Behaviors Specific Skills to Promote Change in Actions Developing Between-Session Tasks to Promote Change Potential Barriers to Change General Guidelines for Promoting Behavioral Change Empowerment Challenge and Caring Confrontation Visualization Behavioral Rehearsal Modeling Skill Development Breaking Down Behaviors into Small Steps Possibility or Presuppositional Language Relaxation Systematic Desensitization PART VI SOLIDIFYING FUNDAMENTAL SKILLS 11. Reviewing, Integrating, and Reinforcing Learning Checklist of Clinician Strengths Characteristics of the Expert Clinician Opportunity to Apply and Practice Skills Intake Interview of Samuel Gold References Index