An Introduction to Helping Skills

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.

Part I: Theory, Approaches and Skills Helping Roles and Professions: Defining the Terms A Helping Model: Counselling, Coaching and Mentoring Foundation Skills for Effective Helping Advanced Skills for Effective Helping Skills in Context The Reflective and Reflexive Helper The Ethical Dimension of Helping Working with Diversity Supervision and Continuing Professional Development for Helpers Part II: Roles in the Helping Professions Case Study 1: 'Annie', contributed by a learning support assistant in a mainstream secondary school Case Study 2: 'Maggie', contributed by a life-coach in private practice Case Study 3: 'Caller', contributed by a telephone helpline counsellor Case Study 4: 'Diane', contributed by an NHS community drugs and alcohol worker Case Study 5: 'Kane', contributed by a teacher in a children's hospital Case Study 6: 'Letchme', contributed by a registered manager of a children's home Case Study 7: 'Amy', contributed by a counsellor and coach therapist in private practice Case Study 8: 'Joe', contributed by a trainee probation officer Case Study 9: 'Megan', contributed by a care manager assistant Case Study 10: 'Kanta', contributed by a surgical nurse specialist

In this engaging book, Jane Westergaard draws on her extensive knowledge and experience as a helper and educator. Those who are new to counselling, coaching and mentoring are in safe hands here; those who are already familiar with these disciplines will find much to stimulate and provoke fresh thinking. -- David Britten A highly engaging and comprehensive introduction to 'helping' and the skills needed to practice in this field. Accessible, practical and effective. -- Amy Hill I feel it would have been useful to read this book during my foundation studies, or while I was considering training, as it provides an excellent overview. By far the most useful aspect of the book were the activities advocated within the text, which I found positioned certain issues differently to how I learned about them during my training, and coaxed me into examining things in a new way. I would firmly advocate giving this to people in the formative stages of their journey into a helping profession. -- Ben Scanlan