Counseling Theory and Practice

Developed for helping professionals, Counseling Theory and Practice explains what it means to be an effective helper, discusses foundations of classic counseling and psychotherapy theories, provides an overview of emerging theories, and gives students the opportunity to develop their own approaches to counseling and psychotherapy practice.

The book is organized into four primary sections, each addressing theoretical schools. Section 1 explores psychodynamic approaches, including psychoanalysis, Jungian therapy, and Adlerian therapy. Section 2 is devoted to existential-humanistic approaches such as existential therapy, Gestalt therapy, and person-centered counseling, while Section 3 discusses cognitive-behavioral approaches, including behavior therapy, cognitive behavior therapy, rational-emotive behavior therapy, and reality therapy. Section 4 describes post-modern therapies and examines the relatively new approaches of narrative therapy, solution-focused brief therapy, and relational cultural therapy, a form of feminist therapy. The final chapter explores a number of more recent and emerging theories.

In addition to foundational information, Counseling Theory and Practice features fact sheets, illustrative vignettes, experiential exercises, an electronic survey that helps students examine their view of human nature, and a complementary website that introduces readers to great therapists of the 20th Century. Additionally, a DVD is provided to demonstrate each of the major theories of the book and help students see how the approaches are enacted. Informative and engaging, Counseling Theory and Practice is well-suited to courses for both pre-service professionals and those already in the field.