Counselling Children: A Practical Introduction

by Kathryn Geldard, Rebecca Yin Foo

Overview

The definitive guide to the skills, techniques, and concepts used when working with children experiencing emotional challenges. It covers all you need to know about:

· The child-counsellor relationship

· Practice frameworks for working effectively

· Play therapy and the use of different media and activities

· Building self-esteem and social skills through the use of worksheets

· The concepts of wellbeing and resilience.

New to this edition:

· Technology: its influence on children and ways it can be used in counselling

· Counselling in a post-pandemic world and the role of remote counselling and ‘telehealth’

· More discussion of issues of diversity, difference, intersectionality, implicit bias, and an inclusive practice

· Updated case studies to affirm diversity and represent wider populace

· Expanded and updated end of chapter further resources

· Updated conclusion (with reflections on the pandemic)

· Greater focus on inclusive practice and how SPICC model can be applied across various social/cultural groups.

Online resources include digital picture books, worksheets and a list of further reading to support your professional practice and help you extend your learning.

This highly practical guide is a vital resource for counsellors, psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists, nurses, and teachers working or training to work with children.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781529669039
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	11/18/2024
Edition description:	Sixth Edition (Updated Edition)
Pages:	424
Product dimensions:	7.32(w) x 9.13(h) x (d)

About the Author

Dr Kathryn Geldard is now retired from clinical practice. She continues to conduct training workshops for counsellors and organisations and facilitate professional development supervision groups. Her academic career as senior lecturer in counselling at Queensland University of Technology and in the faculty of Arts and Business at the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC), Australia includes programme leadership of the Counselling programme as well as development of the postgraduate Master of Counselling degrees. She is the author of a several textbooks founded on her extensive clinical counselling background with children, young people and their families.

Rebecca Yin Foo is an Educational and Developmental Psychologist who is experienced in providing psychological support for children with developmental disabilities and their families at the Cerebral Palsy League. Her work has led her to take a high level of practical and academic interest in ways of working with children to promote optimal positive outcomes. She currently works in private practice in Brisbane, Australia. Prior to obtaining her honours degree in Psychology and Master’s degree in Educational and Developmental Psychology she completed a Bachelor of Medical Engineering. She has published a number of journal articles and presented conference papers nationally and internationally in relation to her studies in both Engineering and Psychology. She is the third author of the book, Counselling Children: A Practical Introduction.

Table of Contents

Part 1: Counselling Children
Chapter 1: Goals for Counselling Children
Chapter 2: The Child–Counsellor Relationship
Chapter 3: Ethical Considerations when Counselling Children
Chapter 4: Attributes of a Counsellor for Children
Part 2: Practice Frameworks
Chapter 5: Historical Background and Contemporary Ideas about Counselling Children
Chapter 6: The Process of Child Therapy
Chapter 7: The Child’s Internal Processes of Therapeutic Change
Chapter 8: Sequentially Planned Integrative Counselling for Children (the SPICC model)
Chapter 9: Counselling Children in the Context of Family Therapy
Chapter 10: Counselling Children in Groups
Chapter 11: Counselling Children in a postpandemic world
Part 3: Child Counselling Skills
Chapter 12: Observation
Chapter 13: Active Listening
Chapter 14: Helping the Child to tell their Story and Express Emotions
Chapter 15: Understanding Resistance and Transference
Chapter 16: Understanding Self-Concept and Unhelpful Beliefs
Chapter 17: Actively Facilitating Change
Chapter 18: Termination of Counselling
Chapter 19: Skills for Counselling Children in Groups
Part 4: Play Therapy – Use of Media and Activities
Chapter 20: The Play Therapy Room
Chapter 21: The Evidence-Base for Play Therapy and Counselling Children
Chapter 22: Selecting the Appropriate Media or Activity
Chapter 23: The Use of Miniature Animals
Chapter 24: Sand-Tray Work
Chapter 25: Working with Clay
Chapter 26: Drawing, Painting, Collage and Construction
Chapter 27: The Imaginary Journey
Chapter 28: Books and Stories
Chapter 29: Puppets and Soft Toys
Chapter 30: Imaginative Pretend Play
Chapter 31: Games
Chapter 32: Technology
Part 5: The Use of Worksheets
Chapter 33: Building Self-Esteem
Chapter 34: Supporting Social Skills
Chapter 35: Education in Protective Behaviours
Part 6: In Conclusion (and worksheets)

Editorial Reviews

From the time that this book was first written by the Geldards in 1997 I have been recommending it to my colleagues, trainees, and supervisees, having found it to be invaluable in my own work. This forth edition has been greatly expanded including additional material from a third contributor Rebecca Yin Foo, who also writes a helpful introduction... This book is a 'must have' for any practitioner who works with children.

Pat Havell

This book is first class. It is well written and engaging and contains a wealth of exercises and activities to use with children. I love this book.

Sally Riggall

Counselling Children has been an excellent resource to enhance the practice of psychotherapy with children since its first edition published in 1997. I first met the Geldards at their informative workshops in Brisbane in those early years, which thoroughly enhanced my work with children. Their published books were an added bonus. This fifth edition further supports the therapist with an addition of a Companion Website. It is a highly recommended resource, and one that I value, for every therapist working with children.

Dianne O'Malley

This book is a classic text for students and practitioners interested in learning more about working with children. It is easy to read and the examples given bring to life the real challenges faced in practice. At the end of each Chapter is a helpful key points box which is ideal for summarising the contents of each chapter. An essential text in the field of counselling and psychotherapy.

Divine Charura

The book follows a natural progression from the beginning of developing the initial relationship, through looking at different models of counselling, the skills necessary for working with children, to the use of different media – the use of play in all its various forms, visualisations, and the use of worksheets.

The real value for money comes for me with the huge number of online resources, including videos and worksheets available via the use of a code given in the book.

BACP - Lynn Martin

‘I like the interactive style in which the book is written, whereby the reader is invited to consider how they might deal with a situation... following which the authors explain how they approach it... The book is for counsellors in training and a resource for practising counsellors. The methods described can be adapted to different settings, for example school and home... I would recommend this comprehensive and stimulating book to anyone who is interested or involved in working in a therapeutic way with children' - Counselling, The Journal of the British Association for Counselling

‘This book raises interesting questions concerning practical issues within the counselling relationship with the child... The book is clearly written, well organized and lives up to its claim to be jargon-free. It is written in an interactive style which not only encourages the reader to consider and question issues but is also "user-friendly ". Although the authors outline a variety of resource material, they acknowledge the reality of budgetary restrictions in the cost conscious '90s. Good practice is stressed throughout and I found this an easily read, interesting book which should appeal to practitioners from a variety of professional backgrounds. It could easily be described as a working handbook, making it a useful addition to those considering counselling children' - The Lecturer, NATFHE Journal

‘Useful in the training of new counsellors and provides ideas for experienced counsellors.... a practical guide [from which] individuals can extract ideas which have a personal fit...The book provides an introduction to many creative approaches to counselling work with children...A useful summary of basic counselling skills is provided' - Young Minds

From the Publisher