The internet provides numerous helpful resources for understanding mental health issues affecting the lives of many people. Companion to "Effective Counseling Skills" by the same author, this volume has been prepared for counselors and the general public to address common life challenges. Part 1 gives the text of practical articles for issues and problems commonly experienced in life including grief, depression, marital difficulties, conflict and communication problems, sexual abuse, suicide, death and dying, anger, loss of caring parents, homosexuality, and addiction. Part 2 is a short lesson book for teachers and school counselors on teaching empathy in the classroom with applications transferrable to the workplace, family life, and personal relationships. Part 3 is a personal Life Story Questionnaire to help increase self-awareness of factors affecting your life and relationships. Simply completing the questionnaire will move you forward in your healing. The articles can also be used freely as handouts in workshops or seminars delivered to schools, church or religious groups, hospital staff.

Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN):2012923369 The definition of professional counseling is to intervene intentionally for a predictable therapeutic outcome for the person seeking help. Professional counselors, therapists, and mental health practitioners derive their living and identity from their knowledge of the special skills and processes described in this book. Based on transcripts of an intensive practical counseling course presented by the author, the style of the manual is conversational with numerous examples of the effective wording of therapeutic statements. Chapter topics include: Clinical Assessment and Suicide Prevention, The Counseling Process and Therapeutic Interventions, Loss and Grief Counseling Skills, Communication and Conflict Resolution Skills, Couple Counseling Strategies, and Counseling Ethics. The Appendix is filled with practical concise articles for common issues and processes in counseling such as: depression, anger, bullying, sexual abuse, relationship/marriage issues, healing infidelity, childhood loss of caring, domestic violence, healing grief, words for dying, suicide prevention, addiction, resolving conflict, and more.

Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN): 2012912261 The main body of this second edition serves as the counselor training and examination manual of the College of Mental Health Counseling and gives away the secrets of effective counselors and therapists. The practical skills and concepts distilled in the present form, are the contributions of countless colleagues and clients who over the years have challenged the creative energies of the author. Effective Counseling Skills is designed to achieve the primary purpose of making counseling skills public knowledge in the belief that the health of society is improved when counseling is known to the most people. The style of the manual is conversational with numerous examples of the practical wording of therapeutic statements. Major topic areas in the main content include an explanation of the client's personal history, suicide prevention, how to begin and deepen the counseling process, helping the client learn healthy ways of relating, moving the client from childhood to maturity, skills for healing grief, and working with couples who want to make progress with issues of conflict, infidelity, addiction, and other common problems. Practical ways to build and manage a counseling practice are presented. A detailed index and table of contents make the volume easy to use as a guide for both the practitioner as well as people seeking help.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2010909087 "It takes courage to face the pain.... it's not easy letting go." This volume is essential to medical professionals, clergy, and school teachers and counselors. Statements for helping the healing of grief, are described and discussed in detail. Numerous examples of statements for supporting grief are given with practical skills and approaches useful to the experienced or beginning grief counselor and also helpful to the general public. The text is written in an informal reader-friendly style with no jargon, difficult words, or concepts. Loss is a common life experience such as death of a loved one, breakup of a relationship, loss of health, loss of employment, loss of one's home and finances, infertility, and other common challenges. The types of loss are reviewed in the book as well as the goals of grief counseling and helpful things to say for healing painful feelings associated with loss and grief, the unfinished business of loss, and the behavior decisions of grief.