Counselling Children: A Practical Introduction

The definitive guide to the skills and techniques used when working with children experiencing emotional problems, this book covers all you need to know about:

• The goals for counselling children and the child-counsellor relationship
• Practice frameworks for working effectively with children
• Play therapy and the use of different media and activities
• Building self-esteem and social skills through the use of worksheets.

This fifth edition has been updated to include:

• A new chapter on technology; its influence on children and ways that technology can be used during counselling
• New content on issues of diversity and difference in counselling children
• The different contexts in which counselling children occur
• Discussion of concepts of wellbeing and resilience
• Updated references and research.

The book is supported by a new companion website that provides training materials and handouts on a range of skills for counselling children including: helping the child to tell their story sand tray work, the use of miniature animals, the use of clay, and helping the child to change thoughts and behaviour.

This highly practical guide is vital reading for counsellors, psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists, nurses and teachers working or training to work with children.

Table of Contents

Introduction to the fifth edition

Part 1 Counselling Children

1. Goals for counselling children
2. The child-counsellor relationship
3. Ethical considerations when counselling children
4. Attributes of a counsellor for children

Part 2 Practice Frameworks

5. Historical background and contemporary ideas about counselling children
6. The process of child therapy
7. The child’s internal processes of therapeutic change
8. Sequentially Planned Integrative Counselling for Children (the SPICC model)
9. Counselling children in the context of family therapy
10. Counselling children in groups

Part 3 Child Counselling Skills

11. Observation
12. Active listening
13. Helping the child to tell their story and get in touch with strong emotions
14. Dealing with resistance and transference
15. Dealing with self-concept and self-destructive beliefs
16. Actively facilitating change
17. Termination of counselling
18. Skills for counselling children in groups

Part 4 Play Therapy – Use of Media and Activities

19. The play therapy room
20. The evidence-base for play therapy and counselling children
21. Selecting the appropriate media or activity
22. The use of miniature animals
23. Sand-tray work
24. Working with clay
25. Drawing, painting, collage and construction
26. The imaginary journey
27. Books and stories
28. Puppets and soft toys
29. Imaginative pretend play
30. Games
31. Technology

Part 5 The Use of Worksheets

32. Building self-esteem
33. Social skills training
34. Education in protective behaviours

Part 6 In Conclusion

"Counselling Children has been an excellent resource to enhance the practice of psychotherapy with children since its first edition published in 1997. I first met the Geldards at their informative workshops in Brisbane in those early years, which thoroughly enhanced my work with children. Their published books were an added bonus. This fifth edition further supports the therapist with an addition of a Companion Website. It is a highly recommended resource, and one that I value, for every therapist working with children."
- Dianne O'Malley, Counselling Psychologist, Young Minds Network

"This book is a classic text for students and practitioners interested in learning more about working with children. It is easy to read and the examples given bring to life the real challenges faced in practice. At the end of each Chapter is a helpful key points box which is ideal for summarising the contents of each chapter. An essential text in the field of counselling and psychotherapy"
- Divine Charura, Senior Lecturer, Leeds Beckett University