Blank Minds and Sticky Moments in Counselling: Practical Strategies and Provocative Themes

‘I recommend the book as an essential, core, alternative or complementary text for trainees in counselling, hitting as it does, just the right notes of honesty, realism, humour and theory-made-digestible. It deserves to be on the reading lists of all certificate and diploma courses - now’ - Colin Feltham, Sheffield Hallam University. Blank Minds and Sticky Moments in Counselling, Second Edition is a popular and down-to-earth guide to the common challenges which arise in everyday counselling practice. Drawing on humour and over 30 years experience, the authors describe a range of strategies to help practitioners and trainees through the ‘sticky’ moments and offer reassurance that ‘you are not alone’ in facing these dilemmas. The book explores what to do when you: feel stuck and are failing to help the client move forward; are faced with a client who struggles with verbal communication; encounter a client with mental-health problems; find interpersonal issues are affecting your view of a client; and, find yourself at odds with the values of your client. The authors also tackle broader issues concerning what it means to be professional, tensions between theory and practice and offer a four-stage model of counselling as a framework for practice. The underlying goal of the book is to help readers see difficult moments as learning experiences and to feel empowered to be imaginative, creative and flexible practitioners. Blank Minds and Sticky Moments in Counselling, Second Edition is a rich source of practical advice for trainees and practitioners. Graham Dexter and Janice Russell are freelance trainers and consultants in counselling.