The fifth edition of this highly readable book examines all of the essential skills required to be an effective leader of a variety of groups in a variety of settings. It explores the history of group therapy work, and the development of groups–how they grow, how they change, and how various groups differ. It addresses the specifics of working with children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly. And, it discusses ten prominent theoretical perspectives from which groups can be approached, covering how each theory evolved, how it is practiced, and the results it most commonly achieves. Includes coverage of working with gay/lesbian/bisexual clients in groups and includes expanded coverage of the multicultural aspects of group work and understanding the influence of culture, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation and other factors on how groups function and what they can accomplish. For professionals in the field of group counseling.
I am a native of Decatur, Georgia. My parents were Virginians. My wife, Claire, is a Connecticut Nutmegger. Two of my three children were born in Birmingham, Alabama, the other in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. My previous academic appointments were at Fairfield University and UAB but since 1990 I have been a professor in the Department of Counseling at Wake Forest University.
I have been president of the American Counseling Association, the American Association of State Counseling Boards, and Chi Sigma Iota (international counseling honorary). I have written about counselor identity, family therapy, groups, counseling theories, ethics, and the creative arts in counseling. I am a licensed professional counselor and continue to practice as a clinician. I have taught counseling courses throughout the United States and in Canada, Estonia, Austria, and Malaysia. In the spring of 2010 I was a Fulbright Specialist to Turkey. Counseling has also taken me as a keynoter or presenter to South Africa, Argentina, Australia, and Germany. I was a mental health responder after 9/11 in New York (Pier 94)and after the Virginia Tech shootings. In the mid-1990s I worked in the homes of Mother Teresa.
When not writing books I enjoy reading history and humor, swimming, walking, and "hanging out" with my family. I am somewhat of an existentialist although I use a variety of approaches in my work as a counselor.
