A Note from the Author: "During a time when people are (hopefully) recovering from the chaos, uncertainty, confusion, trauma, and disruption from the pandemic, and accompanying deprivations and new challenges, it has never been more important for helping professionals, including counselors, therapists, nurses, physicians, clergy, and teachers, to take care of themselves so they can better serve others. We are models for our clients and patients, demonstrating in our own lives the critical importance of self-compassion and self-care, not just through our talk but by our actions." - Jeffrey A. Kottler Practicing What You Preach: Self-Care for Helping Professionals assists readers in recovering from the strains and demands of working within the helping professions, not through reminders to take a break or a deep breath, but through the recognition that self-care requires a constant commitment to addressing larger and more complex issues that can lead to exhaustion, depression, and burnout. The book reviews the nature and manifestations of acute and chronic compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma, and related issues, examining the origins of these difficulties. It explains why traditional, short-term ideas of self-care usually don't work very well, for very long, and why it's so challenging to begin and maintain healthy habits. The text helps readers recognize and confront complex issues- dysfunctional organizational climates, neglectful or abusive supervisors, overloaded schedules, unresolved personal issues, interpersonal conflicts, and unhealthy lifestyles-and then move toward productive, healthy, long-term resolutions. Written with empathy and deep understanding, Practicing What You Preach is well suited for courses in social work, counseling, family therapy, psychology, human services, health professions, and other related fields, as well as a guide for practitioners.

How do we explain the lurid fascination that most people experience when confronted by real or simulated acts of violence, murder, horror, and crime? This is the subject examined in this candid assessment of our dark vicarious thrills. Based on a series of interviews with perpetrators, victims, and "consumers" of violence, including several celebrities, the author of a best-selling book on serial killers explores what there is about this subject that draws such a wide audience. Unlike many other books that attempt to probe the murky psyches of deviant individuals, this book focuses on normal, average people who, despite themselves, enjoy getting close to the most forbidden, perverse side of destruction and evil. The persons interviewed range from homicide detectives and emergency room personnel to a heavyweight boxer and groupies of serial killers on death row. The author considers ideas from a variety of theories and research to explain our responses to violence, raises questions about the shifting line between normal and abnormal, evaluates the confusion and ambivalence that many people feel when witnessing others' suffering, and suggests future trends in society's attitudes toward violence.

Handbook of Refugee Experience: Trauma, Resilience, and Recovery is a comprehensive resource for students, scholars, and practitioners who work with refugee populations. This collection explores contemporary issues including migration, war, oppression, genocide, health crises, and racial and cultural identities to shed light on the refugee experience. The text offers a balance of theory, research, case studies, narratives, and clinical application, while emphasizing the concepts of resilience, recovery, and successful adaptation. The first section of the handbook examines the social, cultural, and political contexts in which refugees experience their lives. The second section features powerful narratives from refugees that illuminate what it feels like to survive, recover, and flourish after exile. In the third section, readers hear from helping professionals about their struggles, challenges, frustrations, and triumphs while serving refugee populations. The fourth section focuses on clinical considerations, discussing common assessment and treatment issues, as well as practical techniques, interventions, and community-based strategies that have proven successful. The final section focuses on resilience and courage, exploring the gifts refugees, and their helpers, have received after surviving difficult life circumstances. Handbook of Refugee Experience is an ideal resource for counseling, health care, and social work courses, or any other course that prepares future practitioners to assist refugee populations.

Fallen Heroes shares fourteen unique stories of elite athletes who struggled with significant forms of emotional disorders and mental illness within the public eye. The book includes accounts of athletes who succumbed to their mental afflictions as well as stories of those who demonstrated incredible determination and courage to either manage or overcome their personal challenges. Readers explore the unique intersection of extraordinary performance and the emotional struggles that often inform and shape the achievements of famous athletes. They learn about the imaginable pressure athletes endure physically and emotionally to perform on the public stage and how this lifestyle is generally counterproductive to emotional stability and consistent self-care. This textbook includes stories of baseball pitcher Dock Ellis, gymnast Christy Henrich, middle distance runner Suzy Favor Hamilton, cyclist Marco Pantani, hockey player Theoren Fleury, surfer Michael Peterson, football player Lionel Aldridge, and others that range from heart-wrenching to inspirational. Written with respect and reverence to elite athletes and informed by the author's decades of experience in counseling and psychotherapy, Fallen Heroes is an ideal supplemental textbook for courses in kinesiology and health science, physical education, abnormal psychology, counseling, sociology of sport, physical education, and mental health.

Making a Difference: A Story of Adventure, Disaster, and Redemption Inspired by the Plight of At-Risk Girls demonstrates to students across various disciplines that they can assume leadership positions that positively impact communities, organizations, and the world, regardless of their interests, abilities, and career goals. Through personal accounts, Jeffrey A. Kottler and Sara Safari share how they conquered a mountain for a cause, found strength in the service of others in the aftermath of a catastrophic earthquake, and overcame personal and professional obstacles to begin a movement that protects children against abuse and victimization. The text focuses on the plight of children, especially girls, who have been systematically oppressed, but the lessons highlighted throughout are applicable to a variety of other situations and contexts. Readers learn the gifts and privileges of serving others, as well as the difficult realities of this type of work. Kottler and Safari's story guides students through the mistakes, breakthroughs, successes, and failures inherent in ventures of transformative community service. Making a Difference is an ideal supplementary text for courses in social justice, advocacy, leadership, women's studies, gender studies, sociology, social work, and counseling.

Learning Group Leadership: An Experiential Approach equips readers with the basic information, theory, concepts, research, interventions, and guidelines required to help them develop into effective group leaders within a variety of settings. The book employs an experiential approach, encouraging readers to apply what they learn to common scenarios in their personal and professional lives. In the fourth edition of this popular, student-centered, and practical text students first explore the foundations of group work, studying concepts related to group dynamics, multicultural dimensions, key approaches to group intervention, and more. Part II focuses on the skills a group leader must possess in order to lead effectively. Specific topics include group assessment, specialized leadership skills, intervention, and group techniques and structures. In Part III, readers learn how to handle and address coleadership, critical incidents, and the ethical issues. The final section examines advanced group leadership challenges and techniques, including working with difficult members, employing creative interventions, and the application of group leadership to social justice and social action initiatives. The new edition of Learning Group Leadership features updated references and materials drawn from cross-disciplinary fields on group dynamics, increased focus on social justice and advocacy in group settings, numerous activities and reflection exercises, and emphasis on the student experience of being in a group and the early stages of becoming an effective group leader. This text is a valuable resource for courses in counseling, social work, psychology, human services, health professions, and education, or any course with a focus on effectively leading groups.

Although the impact that clients can have on therapists is well-known, most work on the subject consists of dire warnings: mental health professionals are taught early on to be on their guard for burnout, compassion fatigue, and countertransference. However, while these professional hazards are very real, the scholarly focus on the negative potential of the client-counselor relationship often implies that no good can come of allowing oneself to get too close to a client's issues. This sentiment obscures what every therapist knows to be true: that the client-counselor relationship can also effect powerful positive transformations in a therapist's own life.
"How Clients Transform Their Therapists" is Jeffrey Kottler and Jon Carlson's testimony to the significant and often life-changing ways in which therapists have been changed by their patients. Kottler and Carlson draw not only upon their own extensive experience-between them, they have more than fifty years in the field-but also uponlengthy interviews with dozens of the country's foremost therapists and theorists. This novel work will present readers with a truly unique perspective on the business of therapy: not merely how it appears externally, but how practitioners experience it internally. Although these stories paint a complex and multi-layered portrait of the client-counselor relationship, they all demonstrate the profound and unexpected rewards that the profession has to offer.

In Unexplained Mysteries of Everyday Human Behavior, bestselling author, social science researcher, and noted psychologist Jeffrey Kottler helps readers to explore some of the most interesting aspects of the human experience that have yet to be fully explained, providing solid evidence to help settle controversial debates and provide working hypotheses for making sense of the mysteries that confound us. The book begins by discussing what it is about mysteries that perplex and delight us, followed by a discussion of how and why humans are singularly unique among living creatures, as well as how we share more than we might admit with other species. Each chapter that follows explores the nature of a particular behavioral mystery that appears somewhat puzzling: Why do people vote in elections against their own best interests? Why do people close their eyes when they kiss? Why is yawning contagious? Why is racism, prejudice, and oppression so common among all cultures, and why is our species so prone to violence, conflict, and war? In response to each question, the text explores the functions and meaning of these behaviors, reviews some of the most popular theories, and then settles on some tentative conclusions. The final chapter wraps things up by embracing mystery, uncertainty, confusion, and not-knowing as the default position for most of what we think we understand.

Bad Therapy offers a rare and revealing glimpse into the mindset and actions of some of the profession's most seasoned and well-known authors, theoreticians and leaders. Kottler and Carlson guide us through these honest and poignant accounts of failure and entertaining stories of encouragement. Nobly revisiting their therapeutic mishaps and foibles, twenty-two leading cliniciancs show how moments of fallibility result in lessons that constructively lead to mastery.

Related link: Free Email Alerting

Qualitative Journeys: Student and Mentor Experiences with Research takes a fresh approach to teaching qualitative research. Authors Victor Minichiello and Jeffrey Kottler share stories of student qualitative research experiences that reveal the struggles, the joys, the discoveries, and the surprises that take place during the qualitative research journey. By studying examples of student research (including obstacles and how they were overcome), readers learn through the real-life experiences of other students. Throughout the textbook, the authors offer pragmatic guidance for what works and what does not work, along with suggested solutions. Features and Benefits Provides the nuts and bolts of qualitative research in Part I Includes a dozen "qualitative journeys, narratives that tell the story of research studies, how they evolved, what was involved, and how they were conceived and conducted Focuses on research from the perspective of student experiences and demonstrates the partnership between students and their mentors Includes domestic and international examples of qualitative studies and real-life stories that convey the excitement and meaning of research Considers the lessons learned and the main themes derived from all the qualitative journeys

Qualitative Journeys: Student and Mentor Experiences with Research is appropriate for use as a supplement or core text for courses in Qualitative Research, Counseling Research Methods, or Social Work Research Methods."

Featuring a dynamic storytelling approach, Essentials of Psychology: Concepts Revealed Through Compelling Stories introduces students to ideas, theories, research, and major concepts in psychology through highly engaging and accessible narratives. The book is designed to pique students' interest, engage their natural curiosity in psychology, and help them immediately apply key learnings to their own lives. The text covers major concepts and topics in psychology, including social scientific inquiry, sensation and perception, learning, memory, intelligence, cognition, emotion, personality, mental disorders, and more. Each chapter begins and ends with interesting stories that are immersive, entertaining, and help students better understand why we behave the ways we do. Each chapter also touches upon the history, theories, research, notable figures, and applications of the central topic, providing students with a valuable yet manageable introduction to the discipline. With a goal to keep from overwhelming students with more information than they can possibly remember, the text provides a thoughtful amount of information to familiarize students with the essentials of psychology and encourage meaningful, personal connections. A unique and vibrant option, Essentials of Psychology is an excellent resource for foundational courses in psychology, especially for those that seek to engage and inspire.

This text is intended to inspire people to make a difference in their work. Told through the experiences of those who "do good" as a vocation, it reflects the realities of helping others through those who are successful and flourishing in their work. Focused on helping beginners to feel good about their commitment to service, it is thus appropriate as a text in both under-graduate and graduate courses in counselling, human services, social work, education, and similar survey courses. It is also of use to both professionals and those involved in volunteer helping efforts.

'This book is a fabulous resource that helps both beginning and experienced teachers examine themselves and reflect on their own teaching practices' - Michelle Barnea, Educational Consultant Realize, refresh, and awaken the passionate, caring, motivated teacher inside! Who was the best teacher you ever had? Can you remember the excitement and joy that this teacher brought to learning? Do you want to be "the best teacher ever" for your students? Understanding yourself and how you relate to others is the first step in becoming the enthusiastic, inspirational teacher to whom students respond best. On Being a Teacher links teaching to the unique human characteristics that each of us possess. Written with the trainee, beginning, and experienced teacher in mind, the authors help teachers discover their own special traits that make them superlative teachers. This newly revised third edition includes the addition of: - Research-based teaching strategies - Professional development activities - An in-depth look at parent-teacher evenings - Ideas for getting involved in your school and LEA to further your professional growth - Information on learning styles and multiple intelligences - Guides for individual and group reflection This book is ideal for teacher education courses and induction programs and can be used for either individual growth or group study.

Bad Therapy offers a rare and revealing glimpse into the mindset and actions of some of the profession's most seasoned and well-known authors, theoreticians and leaders. Kottler and Carlson guide us through these honest and poignant accounts of failure and entertaining stories of encouragement. Nobly revisiting their therapeutic mishaps and foibles, twenty-two leading cliniciancs show how moments of fallibility result in lessons that constructively lead to mastery.

Related link: Free Email Alerting

Students Who Drive You Crazy, Second Edition, provides educators with a model for assessing, understanding, and responding to their most challenging interactions at school, whether with students, parents, or colleagues. The book addresses some of the most difficult problems educators face today: gangs, violence, disrespect, addictions, verbal abuse, lack of motivation, and obtrusiveness. The author covers the kinds of conflicted relationships that occupy so much time and energy and that can often challenge an educator'sapersonal life as well as professional morale. In addition to synthesizing the theory and research on the subject of difficult student relationships, this resource presents interviews with practicing teachers, counselors, and school administrators and with current and former students were known to drive teachers crazy. All voices speak clearly about their sources of frustration and highlight the elements that made the greatest difference in overcoming obstacles. The updated edition features activities for professional development in each chapter to help readers extend and personalize the content; expanded discussion of the types of challenging student behaviours; additional tips for developing active listening skills to improve communication with students and parents; suggestions for creating caring communities in the classroom; a new section on dealing with aggressive and violent behaviour; information on understanding parent behaviour and suggestions for building positive connections with families; and additional tables and charts that summarize key points.

A Brief Primer of Helping Skills is a highly readable, accessible, and practical introduction to the skills of helping and making a difference in people s lives. In an engaging and concise style, author Jeffrey A. Kottler gives students in various professions an overview of the theory, process, and skills of helping methods. It is designed as an operating manual for those in human service professions to learn the basics involved in developing helping relationships, assessing and diagnosing complaints, promoting exploration and understanding, and designing and implementing action plans.

Key Features"Offers a brief introduction to the helping process" Written in an accessible and conversational style, this book helps students and professionals become familiar with the basic process quickly."Provides personal applications" This book helps students enrich their lives while learning how to be more helpful to others."Includes applications to a variety of settings and disciplines" Students can actually use material and skills in the book in all the various domains in which they function at work, in volunteer agencies, with friends and family. "Uses an integrative approach" The best features of all major theories and research are combined into a unified model of helping that is responsive to different needs.

Intended Audience

This supplemental text is ideal for introductory undergraduate and graduate courses such as Introduction to Social Work, Introduction to Counseling, and Introduction to Human Services in the fields of counseling, psychology, human services, social work, education, family studies, marital and family therapy, pastoral work, nursing, human resource development, and other helping professions. It is also an excellent resource for beginning practitioners."

"This book answers many questions about working with English Language Learners. The anecdotes, examples, and stories help make the theoretical concepts concrete. I really like the hands-on suggestions, and many of the strategies in the book can be used daily." -Brenna Godsey, Science Teacher Canyon High School, Anaheim, CA An authoritative reference for teachers facing an increasingly diverse school population. This third edition of the best-selling Children With Limited English: Teaching Strategies for the Regular Classroom provides preservice and inservice teachers, curriculum specialists, teacher mentors, and administrators with the necessary tools to meet the educational needs of English Language Learners in an inclusive classroom. This revised edition includes more strategies for building communication skills, increased visuals and activities for instruction, and fresh connections to current research, plus a new chapter on literacy and an expanded chapter on integrating current technology into the classroom. Additional aids include: A guided daily lesson plan format with adaptations for English Language Learners A description of language proficiency levels A wealth of tables, charts, and checklists to guide instruction and assessment

Many experiences, both positive and negative, stimulate us to make changes in our lives. While many people readily recognize the need to make changes in various aspects of our lives, quite often their attention is focused primarily on choosing to change. As Jeffery Kottler argues in this innovative new book, however, it is comparatively easy to make the choice to alter our behaviors or attitudes; lasting change is the more elusive goal. In an attempt to reach the personal goals we set for ourselves, we all struggle with the same fundamental concern: how can we make our changes last?
While hundreds of books have been written on the process of change in recent years, few address the vital issue of how to make change endure. Based on original research conducted by the author over the last twenty years, Making Changes Last is a definitive investigation of enduring change.
Hundreds of therapists and change agents, in addition to a diverse group of people who have transformed themselves through travel, trauma, self-initiated experiences, or structured therapy, have been interviewed about their most dramatic opportunities for personal growth, and what contributed to making their changes last. These stories are combined with a comprehensive review of the research on the subjects of treatment maintenance, addictions relapse, permanent learning, and enduring personal; change, into a comprehensive model for understanding this complex phenomenon.
In Making Changes Last, Kottler presents theories and research that examine why changes often do not last, and then offers several practical strategies aimed to help construct an optimal treatment program that will endure over time. Written for helping and leadership professionals, members of the general public too, will find the personable and engrossing narrative both illuminating and inspiring.
Making Changes Last will give readers the knowledge and tools they need to understand the mechanisms and processes of successful, lasting change.

Related link: Free Email Alerting

Graduate school and professional training for therapists often focus on academic preparation, but there's a lot more that a therapist needs to know to be successful after graduation. With warmth, wisdom and expertise, Jeffrey A. Kottler covers crucial but under-addressed challenges that therapists face in their professional lives at all levels of experience.

Based on original research conducted by the author over the past twenty years, this book is a definitive investigation of enduring change. Hundreds of therapists and change agents, in addition to a diverse group of people who have self-initiated experiences, or structured therapy, have been interviewed about their most dramatic growth and the factors that contributed to making their changes last. Written for helping and leadership professionals, as well as the public, this book will give readers the knowledge and tools they need to understand the mechanisms and processes of lasting change.

Think of a time in your life when you overcame a significant, chronic, intractable problem that had challenged you for years, until somehow you managed to completely turn things around in such a way that the change has persisted to this day. How did this happen, and what was it that made the greatest difference? Jeffrey Kottler has often explored this question-interviewing hundreds of people about their change experiences and synthesizing all the research around the globe-and he poses it in the opening pages of Change: What Really Leads to Lasting Personal Transformation. This fundamental query-how do we (or don't we) make conscious and lasting changes in our lives-has been at the center of his career as a therapist, social justice advocate, professor, scholar, and writer, and it offers a starting point for this book. Change is a mystery. There is no panacea, no one answer to how and why some people can alter their behavior, while others cannot, and even amongst the world's experts there is little consensus for what really makes the difference in successful transformations. From professional athletes to clients, colleagues, and his own personal life, Kottler interweaves powerful stories of transformation with contemporary scholarship and change theory in his examination of the varieties of human transformation. The book approaches the change process through a number of lenses, considering a variety of types of change, including those triggered by a traumatic event, hitting bottom in an addiction, inspirational travel, facing fears, and the power of altruism. Each chapter is anchored by stories of remarkable, unexpected, and lasting transformation, meant to inspire as well as illustrate the sheer range of possible change experiences. The book should leave readers with a healthy dose of skepticism for any program that promises to change your life, while also giving them a deeper appreciation for the complexity of the human psyche.

`Any practising or former headteacher will warm to the central contention made by Kottler and McEwan that, although counselling does not form part of the formal job-description of any principal or headteacher, the realities of such a post are that such skills are required in abundance' - School Leadership and Management This book introduces the basic methodology of counselling, consulting and communication skills, and the multiple roles principals must play in today's schools. It describes how to assess systematically the concerns and problems principals encounter with students, staff and parents.