Blank Minds and Sticky Moments in Counselling

Practical Strategies and Provocative Themes

Janice Dexter, Graham Dexter

• Publisher: SAGE Publications Ltd
• Year: 2008
• ISBN:
  9781473902909
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Psychology
• Subtopic: Psychotherapy
• Index: Psychology

?I recommend the book as an essential, core, alternative or complementary text for trainees in counselling, hitting as it does, just the right notes of honesty, realism, humour and theory-made-digestible. It deserves to be on the reading lists of all certificate and diploma courses - now? - Colin Feltham, Sheffield Hallam University

Blank Minds and Sticky Moments in Counselling, Second Edition is a popular and down-to-earth guide to the common challenges which arise in everyday counselling practice. Drawing on humour and over 30 years experience, the authors describe a range of strategies to help practitioners and trainees through the ?sticky? moments and offer reassurance that ?you are not alone? in facing these dilemmas.

The book explores what to do when you:

"feel stuck and are failing to help the client move forward

"are faced with a client who struggles with verbal communication

"encounter a client with mental-health problems

"find interpersonal issues are affecting your view of a client

"find yourself at odds with the values of your client

The authors also tackle broader issues concerning what it means to be professional, tensions between theory and practice and offer a four-stage model of counselling as a framework for practice. The underlying goal of the book is to help readers see difficult moments as learning experiences and to feel empowered to be imaginative, creative and flexible practitioners.

Blank Minds and Sticky Moments in Counselling, Second Edition is a rich source of practical advice for trainees and practitioners.

Graham Dexter and Janice Russell are freelance trainers and consultants in counselling.

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• 1 Welcome to the concepts: introduction and overview
• 2 The inside story: or trapped and alone with the couch ...
• 3 Me and you, you and me: interpersonal issues
• 4 Challenging: do I really have to sit here and listen to anything, even when I think it’s drivel?
• 5 Tight lips, heavy hearts: articulating without words
• 6 Counselling clients with mental health problems
• 7 Let’s get all this counselling stuff into perspective: we can only do what we can do!
• 8 They seek it here, they seek it there, they seek for counselling everywhere ...
• 9 Talk, talk, talk: what is all this about?
• 10  Philosophy, psychology, faith and goodwill
• 11  Getting in and out of counselling: professional issues
• 12  Blank minds – hardly ever sticky moments – not any more!
• Bibliography
• Index