A unique practical manual, facilitating the movement and growth of the reader, whilst raising awareness of resistance to change.

Becoming an Effective Counselor is a textbook for advanced clinical courses that guides counselors in training through the most challenging phases of their academic preparation. Chapters blend skills-based content, real-world student examples, and opportunities for personal reflection to help students navigate some of the most difficult aspects of clinical counseling. Written by authors with over 50 years of combined counseling experience, this volume prepares aspiring counselors to assess their progress, remediate deficiencies, and deepen their existing skills in a way that is attentive to both core counseling skills and counselors’ internal processes.

Praise for Becoming a Therapist "This resource is filled with practical and personal advice, relevant stories, and examples, and reads more like help from a friend than a typical textbook." Roberta L. Nutt, PhD, ABPP, Visiting Professor and Training Director, Counseling Psychology Program, University of Houston "Ah, now this is the book I wish had been available when I entered the field. Tom Skovholt has defined the initial experiences and followed the process through to the culmination of the therapeutic experience in a truly great book. Becoming a Therapist is a major contribution to our field." Arthur (Andy) M. Horne, Dean and Distinguished Research Professor, College of Education, The University of Georgia; President-Elect, Society of Counseling Psychology "Becoming a Therapist's informal style is accessible and engaging and yet soundly grounded in evidence and in the wisdom Skovholt has developed through his career-long research on psychotherapists and their development." Rodney K. Goodyear, PhD, Professor, School of Education, University of Redlands; Emeritus Professor of Education (Counseling Psychology), University of Southern California Essential guidance for mental health professionals navigating the start of their helping careers Written for those entering a career in the helping professions, Becoming a Therapist: On the Path to Mastery explores the therapeutic career path for new practitioners, painting a vivid portrait of the novice therapist's journey. This practical book guides you in using the helping relationship to improve the lives of others, whether your chosen profession is in counseling, clinical psychology, social work, school counseling, addictions counseling, family therapy, medicine, community counseling, pastoral counseling, or academic advising. Destined to become the resource every new practitioner turns to again and again, Becoming a Therapist prepares you for the reality of what it means to be a beginning therapist, with relevant discussion of: The fifteen indispensable qualities of every mental health professional The unfolding practitioner self Self-care for burnout prevention and resiliency development The importance of culturally competent practice to practitioner expertise Practice, research/theory, and personal life: the practitioner's learning triangle The significance of peer relationships in the novice experience Steeped in author Thomas Skovholt's years of experience, Becoming a Therapist thoroughly and clearly illustrates the excitement, intensity, anxiety and, ultimately, the satisfaction you can expect as a helping professional.

Becoming a Counsellor is a one-stop reference book for all new counselling trainees. Whether starting out on an introductory course or tackling a postgraduate diploma, this book will make the journey to professional qualification that little bit easier. It addresses the complexities and challenges of counselling training by confronting and unpicking the many potentially daunting issues and questions faced by students throughout their training. The book covers a comprehensive range of topics, including - choosing a course and theoretical orientation - clarifying roles - who′s who on the course? - explaining common pedagogical activities and expectations, including the personal development journal - assessment, supervision and support - ethical and legal issues. While earlier chapters introduce methods of learning and developing for those new to the field, later sections addressing research, supervision and placements will be of interest to students who are studying at a higher level. This engaging, straightforward introduction to counselling will be an essential companion for students new to counselling throughout their training, whether on basic introductory or postgraduate diploma courses.

"Portions of this book appeared first in Stress I and Stress II"--T.p. verso. Includes bibliographical references.

Lessons from the personal experience and reflections of a therapist. The difficulty and cost of training psychotherapists properly is well known. It is far easier to provide a series of classes while ignoring the more challenging personal components of training. Despite the fact that the therapist's self-insight, emotional maturity, and calm centeredness are critical for successful psychotherapy, rote knowledge and technical skills are the focus of most training programs. As a result, the therapist's personal growth is either marginalized or ignored. The Making of a Therapist counters this trend by offering graduate students and beginning therapists a personal account of this important inner journey. Cozolino provides a unique look inside the mind and heart of an experienced therapist. Readers will find an exciting and privileged window into the experience of the therapist who, like themselves, is just starting out. In addition, The Making of a Therapist contains the practical advice, common-sense wisdom, and self-disclosure that practicing professionals have found to be the most helpful during their own training.The first part of the book, 'Getting Through Your First Sessions,' takes readers through the often-perilous days and weeks of conducting initial sessions with real clients. Cozolino addresses such basic concerns as: Do I need to be completely healthy myself before I can help others? What do I do if someone comes to me with an issue or problem I can't handle? What should I do if I have trouble listening to my clients? What if a client scares me?The second section of the book, 'Getting to Know Your Clients,' delves into the routine of therapy and the subsequent stages in which you continue to work with clients and help them. In this context, Cozolino presents the notion of the 'good enough' therapist, one who can surrender to his or her own imperfections while still guiding the therapeutic relationship to a positive outcome. The final section, 'Getting to Know Yourself,' goes to the core of the therapist's relation to him- or herself, addressing such issues as: How to turn your weaknesses into strengths, and how to deal with the complicated issues of pathological caretaking, countertransference, and self-care.Both an excellent introduction to the field as well as a valuable refresher for the experienced clinician, The Making of a Therapist offers readers the tools and insight that make the journey of becoming a therapist a rich and rewarding experience.

If you are thinking of becoming a counsellor, you may be wondering if you could put to good use your own life experience by offering support and understanding to those trying to cope with difficulties that you may have encountered and worked through yourself. The ancient Greek aphorism "know thyself" is immensely important in this regard. For unless counsellors are in harmony with themselves they cannot truly relate to the needs of those they seek to help. It is not enough for the counsellor to play the role of the therapist. He or she has to be the therapist - a very different concept. This book explores the journeys of self-discovery that prompted the pioneering practitioners to direct their skills in particular ways and the influence exerted by their backgrounds, ambitions, and personal histories. The overall objective is to help intending therapists to arrive at an understanding of the inner resources they will need to embark on a counselling career, and to help them determine which approach might best accord with their temperament and lifetime's experience.