The Theory and Practice of Vocational Guidance: A Selection of Readings is a compilation of papers that discusses theoretical foundations and practical applications of vocational guidance. The book presents 36 articles that cover various concerns in career counseling, both in theory and in practice. The first part of the text deals with theoretical concerns in vocational guidance, such as model for the translation of self-concepts into vocational terms; social factors in vocational development; young workers in their first jobs; and the criteria of vocational success. In the next part, the book presents the practical issues, which include needed counselor competencies in vocational aspects of counseling and guidance; an occupational classification for use in vocational guidance; psycho-social aspects of work; and key concepts in the use of psychological tests in vocational guidance. The book will be of great use to any professionals, but will be most useful to those involved in career counseling, such as human resource practitioners, school counselors, and college career advisers.

A handy reference tool to help counselors, pastors, and individuals with specific personal needs find scriptural guidance for resolving problems. Revised and expanded.

An “invaluable” memoir by a counselor who left the elite private-school world to help poor and working-class kids get into college (Washington Monthly). Winner of the Studs and Ida Terkel Award Joshua Steckel left an elite Manhattan school to serve as the first-ever college guidance counselor at a Brooklyn public high school—and has helped hundreds of disadvantaged kids gain acceptance. But getting in is only one part of the drama. This riveting work of narrative nonfiction follows the lives of ten of Josh’s students as they navigate the vast, obstacle-ridden landscape of college in America, where students for whom the stakes of education are highest find unequal access and inadequate support. Among the students we meet are Mike, who writes his essays from a homeless shelter and is torn between his longing to get away to an idyllic campus and his fear of leaving his family in desperate circumstances; Santiago, a talented, motivated, and undocumented student, who battles bureaucracy and low expectations as he seeks a life outside the low-wage world of manual labor; and Ashley, who pursues her ambition to become a doctor with almost superhuman drive—but then forges a path that challenges received wisdom about the value of an elite liberal arts education. At a time when the idea of “college for all” is hotly debated, this book uncovers, in heartrending detail, the ways the American education system fails in its promise as a ladder to opportunity—yet provides hope in its portrayal of the intelligence, resilience, and everyday heroics of young people whose potential is too often ignored. “A profound examination of the obstacles faced by low-income students . . . and the kinds of reforms needed to make higher education and the upward mobility it promises more accessible.” —Booklist

Schmidt is an advocate of comprehensive counseling programs in schools. Written for both students and professionals, this edition gives the history of the development of school counseling, looks at the roles and functions of school counselors, and examines future possibilities for the profession.

Gain a knowledge of counseling methods that are practical and consistent with Christian theological convictions. What do the Scriptures say about counseling? What is the biblical basis for using Scriptures in counseling? What does it mean to think biblically about counseling-related issues? At the root of this book is the confidence that Christ and his Word are not only sufficient for effectively handling the personal and interpersonal challenges of life but are superior to the resources found in the world. The practice of psychological counseling is a ministry and should not belong only to the realm of humanistic and secular theories of the mind. Written to pastors, elders, deacons, seminary students, and laypeople; well-known pastor John MacArthur and contributors present a system of biblical truth that brings together people, their problems, and the living God. This kind of counseling is based on the convictions that: God's Word should be our counseling authority. Counseling is a part of the basic discipling ministry of the local church. God's people can and should be trained to counsel effectively. Counseling: How to Counsel Biblically provides biblical guidelines to counsel people who are struggling. The contributors represent some of America's leading biblical teachers and counselors, including: Ken L. Sarles, David Powlison, Douglas Bookman, David B. Maddox, Robert Smith, William W. Goode, and Dennis M. Swanson.