Not everyone possesses the skills required to ensure that professional communication is compassionate and supportive, but the skills can be learned and this book on Counselling Skills provides just the resource needed. Its authors have the experience as practitioners and teachers to imbue the text with wisdom derived from life, academia and counselling. The book is carefully crafted and beautifully written; it includes exercises and examples that enhance learning; it is comprehensive and completely relevant for anyone who seeks to use counselling skills competently in their work.
Professor Sue Wheeler, University of Leicester, UK

The book offers a sound and accessible introduction for anyone considering formal counselling skills training ... As a bereavement counsellor I will gladly keep a place for this book on my bookshelf, as it offers a useful refresher in basic skills. I would certainly recommend it to colleagues within pastoral caring roles and other caring professions.
Sally Smith, Counselling Psychology student at The University of Wolverhampton, UK

This bestselling book is designed to help counselling trainees acquire and develop the skills and techniques needed to have therapeutic impact with their clients. It also provides those in the helping professions with an easy-to-follow model of 'embedded counselling' that provides tools and strategies for offering counselling relationships within a diversity of work settings.

The new edition is thoroughly revised and features nine new chapters, addressing such topics as: an A-Z of practical counselling skills, dealing with difficult relationships, issues caused by cultural diversity or life transitions, and issues in loss and bereavement. The book also covers:

• Key counselling skills such as caring, listening, questioning and reframing, reflection, attunement to a client, challenging and giving advice
• Building a counselling relationship
• Developing understanding of clients' issues
• Resolving difficult feelings and emotions
• Ethical principles of counselling practice
• Working together to change behaviour