As the need for mental health services increases dramatically, the need for competent, effective counselors has risen in tandem. Clinical Mental Health Counseling: An Introduction to the Profession and Practice provides future counselors with a clear, focused orientation to the field. The text helps readers understand the evolution of the role of the mental health counselor and the value served by those within the profession. The book's primary focus is on fostering the development of the reader's professional identity as a clinical mental health counselor. Section I of the text reviews the history and foundation of the profession and highlights the factors that make mental health counseling unique among mental health professionals. In Section II, readers are introduced to the theories and models that guide mental health counselors' practice in case conceptualization and treatment formulation. Section III examines the various roles, settings, and populations served by clinical mental health counselors. The final section discusses those elements that come together to make clinical mental health counseling a profession. Clinical Mental Health Counseling is designed to align with contemporary CACREP competency standards and features coverage of best practices, current laws and regulations, and the impact of technology on practice delivery. The book is ideal for foundational courses in clinical mental health counseling.

Ethical Practice in the Human Services moves beyond addressing ethical issues and principles to helping readers actually practice ethical behavior through awareness of their personal morals, values, and choices. With coverage of ethical standards from six different associations, the text addresses ethical issues and principles in social work, counseling, psychology, and marriage and family therapy. Robust pedagogy includes case illustrations and guided exercises to give readers a deeper understanding of the underlying moral principles and values that serve as a foundation for the various ethical codes.

A blueprint for doing clinical work in field experience, this practical book aids students in developing their professional identity on their journey toward becoming a counselor. Authors Naijian Zhang and Richard D. Parsons help students integrate the knowledge they learn across the curriculum by presenting a roadmap of how to start, navigate, and finish a practicum or internship. Throughout the book, coverage of CACREP standards, case illustrations, exercises, and real-life examples create an accessible overview of the entire transitioning process. Field Experience is part of the SAGE Counseling and Professional Identity Series, which targets specific competencies identified by CACREP (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Programs).

The core text for counselor skill development, Becoming a Skilled Counselor prepares students with the fundamental knowledge and skills necessary to be effective helpers. Authors Richard D. Parsons and Naijian Zhang explain the essentials of the counseling relationship, the dynamic and intentional nature of the helping process, the knowledge and skills necessary to facilitate change and the theories and research guiding the selection and application of interventions. Uniquely focused on the process of counseling, the authors' approach invites students to conceptualize clients using a fluid and dynamic model rather than a linear, step-by-step process. Each chapter is structured to reinforce concepts by first introducing the key constructs and empirical support, then providing application opportunities through detailed case illustrations with dialogue transcripts and guided practice exercises. The text emphasizes mindfulness, intentionality, ethics, and reflection to aid counselors in their journey of self-discovery and professional identity development. Becoming a Skilled Counselor is the first book in Counseling and Professional Identity, a series that targets the development of specific competencies identified by CACREP (Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Programs).

Our ability to take time out to simply look inside and begin to increase our awareness and familiarity with our strengths and resources is a gift and an essential step to becoming more self-reliant. In Connecting with the Expert Within: Re-Awakening to Your Strength and Competence, author and practicing counselor Richard D. Parsons guides you on a personal journey of self-exploration and reflection to help you uncover the able and capable individual at your core. You'll be challenged to reflect upon times in the past when you've employed your resources, talents, and personal strengths to thrive-and how you can leverage those experiences and strengths to face new challenges, tasks, and goals. You'll learn how to position yourself for positive growth, build your self-confidence and self-efficacy, and transform your visions into attainable goals. The book includes a number of exercises that will help you tap into your inner expert and make life-changing discoveries. Connecting with the Expert Within is a self-affirming and inspirational book that teaches you how to apply key concepts of positive psychology, resilience, and personal growth to help you achieve your goals and experience a happier, more fulfilled life.

Preparing for Your Licensing Exam: NCE and NCMHCE well prepares future counselors to sit for their National Counselors Examination and National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination. The book not only helps readers cultivate physical and mental states optimal for testing, it also reviews core concepts and competencies that are likely to appear on the exams. The opening chapter provides readers with a set of strategies and techniques to help them review all they have learned and also facilitate the ability to retrieve that information during testing. The following chapters address key topics within the profession, including professional orientation and ethics, lifespan development, social and cultural diversity, career development theory and practice, theories and techniques, group work and group counseling, assessment, research and program evaluation, and professional development, identity, and supervision. Each chapter features an introduction that identifies competencies assigned by CACREP, NBCC, and NCMHCE and related to the specific content area; descriptions of key theories, concepts, and constructs; sample test questions for self-assessment; and additional resources for further review. All chapters and testing materials included in this text have been prepared by university faculty who specialize in the topics covered in their chapter. Preparing for Your Licensing Exam is an essential resource for any future counselor preparing to take the NCE or NCMHCE.

Recognizing that real-world school counselor practice rarely fits into traditional models or timetables, Solution-Focused Counseling: An Evidence-Based Approach for School Counselors provides readers with evidence-based and effective interventions that work within the realities of time-limited constraints. The text posits that school counselor need to employ models of service that are non-pathologizing in perspective, collaborative, and flexible in approach and which engage students' strengths and previous successes in coping. It offers readers greater insight into the unique perspective and approach that is solution-focused counseling to help future school counselors translate the theory into practice. Each chapter includes a description of theoretical constructs supported by research, case illustrations, analyses of counselor actions and decision-making processes, and guided practice exercises to bring the material to life. Individual chapters address finding hope in the inevitability of change, scaling, creative adaptations for younger students, solution-focused small group and classroom application, and more. A highly practical textbook with emphasis on application in the school counseling setting, Solution-Focused Counseling is an ideal resource for graduate-level programs and courses in school counseling, as well as practitioners within the discipline.

'This should become a standard graduate school text for up-and-coming school counselors. The author knows school counseling, school counselors, and what school counselors face on a daily basis. This book helps it all make sense, and makes it even easier to grow as a counselor' - Gloria Avolio DePaul, Elementary School Counselor, School District of Hillsborough County, Tampa, FL The process of behavioural change often transcends any single counselling methodology. However, successfully employing diverse intervention strategies requires a coherent framework and an integrated approach. Richard D. Parsons presents a transtheoretical, or eclectic, model school counsellors can use to evaluate student information, select the most effective interventions from a variety of theories, and coordinate the interventions with sequential steps for behavioral change. Following the format of the companion books on behavioural, cognitive, and solution-focused school counselling, this concise text includes: - A reflective, meaning-making model as a basis for effective school counseling - An introduction to the fundamental principles of eclectic or transtheoretical practice - Clinical illustrations of eclectic intervention strategies that promote change - In-depth case studies and guided practice exercises Ideal for individual study or for use in group development, this practical guide allows new and less experienced practitioners to grow from 'novice' to 'expert' through ample opportunities for practice and feedback.

A human being's development is a complex, multidimensional process, one open to variations and variances. For professional counselors to effectively serve those in need or provide preventative programs fostering the development of wellness, understanding the intricate nature of human development and the factors that impact that development is vital. Facilitating Growth Through Lifespan Development provides readers with a unique and illuminating review of theories and research that describe and explain the lifespan, including its normative tasks and progressions, and the challenges and roadblocks that can be encountered. Readers gain a deeper understanding of the interplay between one's biological foundations and the physical-social-psychological environments in which an individual's development plays out. The book is organized alongside stages of development, transitioning from conception to death. Each chapter presents theory and research depicting the unique neurological and cognitive changes experienced during a particular stage of development; normative changes in emotional and social development; and conditions that reflect development "outside of the norm" and invite mental health intervention and prevention efforts. Throughout, cases and self-directed exercises foster greater levels of reader engagement and practical application. Featuring a novel approach to the subject, Facilitating Growth Through Lifespan Development is an ideal textbook for courses and programs in mental health counseling and human development.

Introduction to School Counseling: Becoming a Leader, Advocate, and Change Agent introduces readers to the evolution of the role and function of the school counselor and their emergence as leaders, advocates, and collaborators in the provision of quality and equitable education for all students. The primary goal of the text is to provide readers with not only information but inspiration in service of their developing professional identity as a school counselor. Each chapter opens with a reflection from a school counselor, which provides readers with valuable insight into the lived experience of the school counselor. The chapters also employ case illustrations and guided exercises to foster greater understanding of the profession. Dedicated chapters explore the unique dynamic and breadth of the role of the school counselor, how to advocate for systemic change within school environments, ethical standards and behavior, and multi-tiered systems of support. Readers learn how to assist those with educational challenges, address threats to socioemotional development, connect with parents and caregivers, and better understand the nuances and requirements for serving in elementary, middle, and high school environments. Introduction to School Counseling is an inspiring and informative resource for foundational courses in school counseling.

For those in the mental health professions, understanding the nature and dynamics of groups goes well beyond simple curiosity. Groups provide a platform, a medium, and a mode for facilitating growth and development and alleviating and resolving life problems. Understanding and Facilitating Group Process provides readers with the foundational skills they need to competently and confidently engage in and lead group work. The material reflects the knowledge identified as fundamental to professional practice according to 2016 CACREP standards. The content and exercises within the text provide readers with an understanding of the theoretical foundations of group work; the dynamics of group process and development; therapeutic factors; and the characteristics of effective group leaders. Readers learn about types of groups and other considerations that affect conducting groups in various settings. Finally, the text presents ethical and culturally relevant strategies for designing and facilitating a group. Throughout, learning exercises clarify concepts and engage the reader, and Takeaway for Counselors features provide readers with reflections to guide professional practice. Illuminating and essential, Understanding and Facilitating Group Process is an ideal textbook for courses and programs in mental health counseling.

Intervention and Prevention Strategies That Work: Empirically Supported Approaches to Multitiered School Counseling Services assists current and future counselors in the selection and employment of effective intervention and prevention strategies. The text features a collection of compelling and enlightening studies, which serve to provide readers with a sound basis for the design and application of evidence-based solutions. The interventions highlighted throughout the text are supported by methodologically and statistically proven research that ranges from randomized, controlled studies to single-subject case studies and clinical illustrations. Section I provides an overview of the need and value of evidence-based practice in a multitiered approach to school counseling. Sections II and III introduce techniques and strategies that have proven effective when working with students facing challenges related to academic success and social development, including motivational deficits, distractibility, bullying, prejudice, unhealthy peer relationships, and more. The final section discusses proven approaches for working with students who experience anxiety, stress, identity issues, grief, and suicidal ideation. Highly practical and relevant in nature, Intervention and Prevention Strategies That Work is an exemplary resource for practicing and future school counselors.

The Counselor as Practitioner-Researcher: A Practical Guide to Research Methods is designed to help readers integrate a researcher's perspective and research methodology into their professional practice. Approaching practice as a practitioner-researcher not only facilitates the gathering of data and the drawing of useful conclusions, but also results in more ethical and effective practice decisions. Section I provides readers with an overview of the need and value of research in support of the counseling profession and as a basis for sound and successful practice decisions. In Section II, the fundamentals of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed designs are reviewed. Section III highlights specific designs and their value to the counselor as practitioner-researcher, including between group, within subject, action research, and case study designs. The text concludes with an extensive case illustration of counselor research and the steps necessary to developing a specific research plan. The Counselor as Practitioner-Researcher assists those in training and those in practice to not only become informed consumers of research, but also "doers" of research as it guides their practice decisions, affords measures of accountability, and supports program evaluation.