Are you thinking of taking up counselling as a career? Or does your work often place you in situations where you could use the skills to 'listen helpfully'? This warm, very practical book will answer your questions and teach you the basic skills and qualities you need. It will also help you to develop as a person and to come to terms with your own feelings and anxieties, without which you cannot function well when faced with other people's raw emotions. Going right back to the beginning, Listening Helpfully explains the essence of counselling, how it works and how it can lead the other person to find his or her own solutions. It includes many skill development exercises, topics for discussion, questions to answer and ideas for journal work. It describes how to deal with strong feelings, how to end a session, how to recognise when the other person should be referred on for further help, and how important it is to have supervision and support. There is also advice on training opportunities and qualifications.