Counselling Adolescents

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. David Geldard had extensive experience in working as a counselling psychologist with troubled children and their families. He worked in mental health and community health settings, and in private practice.  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.

This clearly written comprehensive book is a must for those people choosing to counsel young people. The engaging writing style makes it a pleasure to read. The book is full of creative ideas and strategies to use, whilst also embedding the approach in theory.

• Part I: Understanding the young person1. The nature of adolescence2. The influence of childhood experiences3. Young people’s environments4. The development of mental health problemsPart II: Counselling Young People and the Proactive Approach5. Making counselling relevant for young people6. Theoretical Foundations for a Proactive Approach7. Promoting change in young peoplePart III: A Proactive Process for Counselling Young People8. The primary counselling functions9. Proactive counselling in action10. Counselling micro-skills11. Symbolic strategies12. Creative strategies13. Behavioural and cognitive behavioural strategies14. Psycho-educational strategies15. Mindfulness Strategies16. The use of technology when counselling young peoplePart IV: Proactive counselling in practice17. Professional and ethical issues18. Case studies