An Introduction to Helping Skills

Readers will be introduced to the three core approaches of counselling, coaching and mentoring, and shown how they work across a variety of settings, including therapy, teaching, social work and nursing.

Part 1 takes readers through the theory, approaches and skills needed for helping work, and includes chapters on:

• The differences and similarities of counselling, coaching and mentoring
• Foundational and advanced skills for effective helping
• Supervision and reflective practice
• Ethical helping and working with diversity

Part 2 shows how helping skills look in practice, in a variety of different helping professions. 10 specially-written case studies show you the intricacies of different settings and client groups, including work in schools, hospitals, telephone helplines and probation programs.

Jane Westergaard is a senior lecturer at Canterbury Christ Church University. She teaches on a range of programmes specifically designed for students who plan to engage in employment with young people, but not in teaching roles. These youth support professionals include school counsellors, pastoral tutors, voluntary sector youth support workers, classroom assistants, learning mentors, careers advisers and personal advisers.