Skills for Effective Counseling – A Faith–Based Integration (Christian Association for Psychological Studies Books) Paperback – 14 Sept. 2016

This is an amazing resource! There is nothing like it on the market that I can see. I wasn’t expecting quite such a thick book, but when I realized it included both the book and the workbook, I understood why it had to be so thick. This would be perfect for a Christian University class, but it is a great resource for anyone, regardless of their beliefs.

Hard skills of counseling with a soft approach to self awareness. This book walks us through each skill with empirical evidence for the skill, diagnostic implications, biblical perspective, ministry application, anecdotal evidence, sample dialogue, and interactive exercises. This book demands in a compassionate way that we engage in self inquiry as counselors, making it an easy and interactive book. A transformative book to read and engage with. I would highly recommend this book to any students pursuing a counseling career or any professors looking for a textbook for a counseling foundations class. Also, for anyone who is a Christian trying to learn how to relate with all types of people. Or someone of any denomination, who is simply wanting to know how to interact authentically and compassionately with a world that desperately wants to be known, seen, and understood.

The graduate-level information contained in this book is presented in a practical and readable format. Readers are given the opportunity to practice the skills at the end of each chapter—answers and explanations for each exercise are provided in an appendix! Additional practice activities are also available at the end of the book. The authors share several successes as well as challenges they have faced in their careers; they are not afraid to be vulnerable and share what they have learned about the power of learning, practicing, and implementing these skills. I read this book as part of my educational and professional endeavors; but I did not anticipate the positive and empowering ripple effect that use of these skills has had in my personal relationships. I have no reservations about giving this book my highest recommendation!

This was assigned for one of my graduate school counseling courses, and has been my favorite book so far. I deeply appreciate the holistic and integrative approach to the counseling process these authors take. I have particularly enjoyed the reflective questions asked throughout the chapters, as working through them has helped me develop further awareness of my counseling tendencies and biases.

Textbook