The skilled helper : a problem-management approach to helping

Part 1 Laying the groundwork: formal and informal helpers a very brief history what helping is about does helping help? the good, the cautionary, and the bad news is helping for everyone? what this book is and what it is not moving from smart to wise - managing the shadow side of helping overview of the helping model a natural problem-management process the skilled-helper model stage I - the current state of affairs - clarification of the key issues calling for change stage II - the preferred scenario - helping clients determine what they need and want. Stage III: Strategies for action - helping clients discover how to get what they need and want action - making it all happen - helping clients turn decisions into problem-managing action ongoing evaluation of the helping process - how are we doing? flexibility in the use of the model developing a whole-process mentality - miniversions of the entire model understanding and dealing with the shadow side of helping models the helping relationship - values in action the helping relationship the working alliance the culture of helping - values in action the value of respect the value of genuineness - beyond professionalism and phoniness the value of client empowerment - helping clients develop self-responsibility a working charter - the client-helper contract shadow-side realities in the relationship. Part 2 Communication skills for helping: attending, listening, and understanding attending - being visibly tuned in to clients active listening the shadow side of listening to clients listening to oneself - the helper's shadow conversation basic empathy the three dimensions of responding skills - perceptiveness, know-how, and assertiveness basic empathy - communicating understanding to clients the key elements of basic empathy principles to guide the use of basic empathy poor substitutes for empathy tactics for communicating empathy a caution - the importance of empathic relationships the art of probing and summarizing principles in the use of probes the art of summarizing - providing focus and direction integrating communication skills - the seamless use of attending, listening, understanding, empathy, probing, and summarizing becoming proficient at communication skills the shadow side of communication skills. Part 3 Stage I of the helping model and advanced communication skills: step I-A - helping clients tell their stories the goals of step I-A helping clients explore problem situations and unexploited opportunities step I-A and action the shadow side of step I-A evaluation questions for step I-A reluctant and resistant clients reluctance/misgivings about change resistance/reacting to coercion/principles for managing reluctance and resistance step I-B - the nature of challenging/helping clients challenge themselves introduction to challenging - helping clients deal with their blind spots the goals of challenging.