Thriving! : A Manual for Students in the Helping Professions

Many idealistic students seek careers in which they can help others by counseling. Yet preparation for such careers involves special stresses and strains--as well as special rewards. This book supports and comforts readers along the arduous path and illuminates the way forward past the pitfalls. Throughout, the authors illustrate their points with compelling real-life stories and anecdotes.

Lennis G. Echterling is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist at James Madison University and has been affiliated with the JMU Counseling Programs for over 20 years. His fields of research include counselor education, crisis intervention, disasters and terrorism, resilience and thriving, and brief counseling. He has provided crisis intervention, consultation and training in response to many catastrophic events, including tornadoes and floods throughout the United States, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in Mississippi and Texas, the tsunami in India, the 9/11 attacks at the Pentagon, the shootings at Virginia Tech, violence in Mexico, and landmine explosions in Jordan, Kurdistan, Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon. He is also a member of a volunteer team that offers support to fire fighters, law enforcement officers, and emergency medical service providers.

His accolades include the James Madison University’s Distinguished Faculty Award, JMU Altogether One Award, Virginia Counselors Association’s Humanitarian Award, the national Counseling Vision and Innovation Award from the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, and the State Council for Higher Education of Virginia’s Outstanding Faculty Award.