Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy (with Web Site, Chapter Quiz Booklet, and InfoTrac ) (Hardcover)

The Student Manual has some of the hands on tests, assessment forms, ethics codes etc. that I wish had been put in the text. Also, the text is so dense and meaty that the questions and definitions in the text are almost essential if you are being tested on this material. The chapters follow along with the book. Each chapter starts with a pretest in which you discover your agreement with the concepts presented (e.g. if you answer yes to all the TF questions in the Behavioral chapter, then this theory fits your style well.) Some of these pretests are inventory surveys that you are supposed to use as a basis of discussion -- I find this stuff highly subjective and useless - but then again I am an engineer and like to know how to actually DO things.

In each of the chapters you get:

1) Initial attitude questionaire that also acts as a list of underlying assumptions for the school of therapy being discussed

2) 3 or 4 page review of the chapter

3) definitions of important terms

4) Questions, Cases, Activities for use in class that would be fine if the prof were there guiding a discussion but are without feedback for the solitary reader.

5) A quiz on the chapter with answer key in back of book.

Chapters with more supplemental material in addition to 1-5 listed above:

Chapter 2: Useless surveys re your attitudes. A "Quick Discrimination Index" which is designed to "assess sensitivity ...to cultural diversity and gender equity" which should have been entitled "Find out how politically correct you are". Apparently, I am discriminatory because I think it is more inportant for moms to be with babies in the first year (when men can breastfeed, I'll change my answer!) This stuff was all fairly worthless.

Chapter 3: Good stuff: sample therapist-client contract, ACA Code of Ethis, APA Code of Conduct.

Chap 5: Blank Lifestyle Assessment Questionaire (for use with clients) with filled out form for "Stan".

Chap 6: Existential Activities

Chap 7: Practice sheet for reflecting feelings

Chap 8: Gestalt exercises

Chap 9: Reprint of the Cycle of managing, supervising, counseling and coaching using reality therapy

Chap 10: Sample worksheet on translating broad goals into specific goals, worksheet on how to be concrete, relaxation exercise

Chap 11: Questionaire for discovering underlying issues ("shoulds" "oughts") REBT Self-Help Form

Chap 12: One of Sitir's exercises to see where you are transfering people from your past onto people in your present. Questions useful for eliciting info on Family Systems from client.

-Counselor characteristics and practice: This was useful for me since I haven't yet practiced

- Ethics: Unfortunately, you have to get the student manual to see the ethical standards of the various prof. organizations.

- Psychoanalitic

- Adlerian

- Existential

- Person-centered

- Gestalt

- Reality

- Behavior

- Cognitive-Behavior

- Family Systems

- Last section ties it all together

Each chapter on an approach starts with a bio on its main proponent, hits key concepts, describes the theraputic process, techniques and who it applies to. A token section of its application to multiculturalism (the author obviously doesn't live in Hawaii where the White European culture is a minority! [grin]) The author then critiques the method for its positive and negative points and tells how he incorporates it. I found this last very useful. There are from 3 to 6 books suggested for furthur in depth study (very useful!) and an extensive bibliography at the end of each chapter (for you grad students like me who have to write papers!)

Advantages - Very interesting. Lots of information. I like the personal comments on real life usefulness. I would have like more exact techniques (what to do, questionaires referenced, tests etc) but some of these are found in the student manual.

Disadvantages - DENSE! This is not an easy read. I notice that most psych articles and books use such complicated language - some of it is precise jargon but some of it isn't necessary. Also, it doesn't treat Transactional Analysis.

Student Manual - You probably should get this (see my review of it)

Overall: very useful. I'm glad it was required for my class. It is a keeper.