Every interaction with a young person who is struggling is an opportunity for change. This highly practical guide helps school practitioners find effective solutions to academic and behavioral problems through brief counseling. It shows how to build on the ideas and resources that students, parents, and teachers bring to the intervention process, within an innovative, research-supported, time-limited framework. Extensive case material illustrates the authors' creative approach to building solutions and "busting problems" by putting clients in the driver's seat. Filled with real-world examples from both elementary and secondary settings, the book presents creative strategies for addressing disciplinary problems, poor academic performance, anxiety, compulsive behaviors, and other common difficulties.
Industry Reviews
"This book provides an excellent, practical introduction to using brief counseling in schools. Unlike many brief therapy books, the authors do not present a series of steps to use when conducting a brief intervention session. Instead, they outline several interrelated approaches that they call recruiting the heroic client, solution building, and problem busting. This presentation has the advantage of more accurately reflecting how these approaches actually play out in sessions....One of the strengths of this volume is the realistic case studies that illustrate the counseling process....I use this book in one of my graduate classes and students find the many sample dialogues extremely helpful. This book also makes a new and important contribution to practice through its recognition of the challenges of using evidence-based practices....Brief counseling skills should be part of the repertoire of all school psychologists. This eminently practical, outcome-oriented approach is an excellent fit for high-caseload school settings. This volume provides clear guidance in how to begin integrating this approach into your current repertoire of counseling skills. For practitioners looking to increase their effectiveness and connect with students, parents, and teachers in more productive ways, this book is highly recommended."
