“An ideal companion for any therapy programme.” Dr. Marcella Finnerty, IICP College President, Dublin, Ireland McGraw-Hill “This text really is a must-have for all involved in working with others; to empower and enable through a collaborative process.” Prof Andrew Reeves, Professor in Counselling Professions and Mental Health, University of C COUNSELLING Chester and BACP Senior Accredited Counsellor/Psychotherapist, UK O “For students of counselling and psychotherapy this is an invaluable resource that you U will keep returning to during and beyond training.” SKILLS Nicola Blunden, Director of Studies, Person-Centred Pluralist Counselling, Metanoia N Institute, UK S “Essential reading for any student, trainee, or experienced professional in the field.” E Hanne Weie Oddli, PhD, Clinical psychologist and Associate professor at the Department THEORY, RESEARCH AND of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway L L I PRACTICE Counselling Skills: Theory, Research and Practice provides comprehensive coverage of all N aspects of the development of interpersonal helping skills used by counsellors, psychotherapists, life coaches, mental health workers, and practitioners in allied fields of practice. G Distinctive features of its approach to this topic include: S • Attention to the cultural and historical aspects of counselling skills K • Tailored support for evidence-based practice • Grounding in training models such as self-practice and deliberate practice I L This new edition contains a wide range of learning tasks and reflection points to enable readers to work individually or with learning partners to deepen self-awareness, theoretical understanding, and practical skills. L S Specific chapters focus on: • Theoretical frameworks for making sense of counselling skills • Listening, empathy and shared understanding THIRD • Nonverbal and embodied presence • Dealing with difficult situations in counselling EDITION This book is a must-have for students and trainees who are in the process of acquiring and developing counselling, psychotherapeutic and helping skills, as well as a staple resource for experienced practitioners wishing to review and consolidate their skills. M Julia McLeod is Lecturer in Counselling at Abertay University, Dundee, UK. She has been a c counselling trainer and tutor with students from many different backgrounds, as well as having L e extensive experience as a therapist and supervisor. o d Julia McLeod John McLeod is Emeritus Professor of Counselling at Abertay University Dundee, and Visiting & Professor at the Institute for Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy in Dublin, Ireland. A leading M figure in the field of counselling and psychotherapy research, his recent work has focused on the development of a flexible, pluralistic approach to therapy. c L John McLeod e o d THIRD EDITION Counselling Skills Third Edition Counselling Third Edition Skills Theory, Research and Practice Julia McLeod and John McLeod Open University Press McGraw Hill 8th Floor, 338 Euston Road London England NW1 3BH email: [email protected] world wide web: www.openup.co.uk First edition published 2007 Second edition published 2011 Copyright © Open International Publishing Limited, 2022 All rights reserved. Except for the quotation of short passages for the purposes of criticism and review, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher or a licence from the Copyright Licensing Agency Limited. Details of such licences (for reprographic reproduction) may be obtained from the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd of Saffron House, 6–10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS. A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library ISBN-13: 9780335250158 ISBN-10: 0335250157 eISBN: 9780335250165 Commissioning Editor: Clara Heathcock Associate Editor: Beth Summers Content Product Manager: Ali Davis Senior Marketing Manager: Bryony Waters Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data CIP data applied for Typeset by Transforma Pvt. Ltd., Chennai, India Fictitious names of companies, products, people, characters and/or data that may be used herein (in case studies or in examples) are not intended to represent any real individual, company, product or event. Praise for this book “This outstanding book achieves something unique in the well- populated world of therapy skills writing: it expertly handles both depth and spec- ificity. Readers will find here a clear and accessible skills anthology, designed to help you acquire and develop your own wide-ranging abilities. This is held within a critical consideration of the notion of ‘skill’, inspiring readers to see beyond the assumptions inherent to the term. As a therapy trainer I find here a substantial, engaging, and comprehensive skills curriculum. For students of counselling and psy- chotherapy, this is an invaluable resource that you will keep returning to, during and beyond training.” Nicola Blunden, Director of Studies, Person-Centred Pluralist Counselling, Metanoia Institute, UK “John and Julia McLeod have a talent for engaging the reader and painting a picture with words. This third version is a comprehensive text on Counselling Skills and has been greatly supplemented and enhanced. An ideal companion for any therapy programme for both the beginner and the most experienced practitioner looking for ways of refining skills they already possess. It is essential reading for those wishing to be skills competent including counsellors, psychotherapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, teachers, and many other helping professionals. Clearly the authors have considered a plurality of learning styles, with structured, creative, and collaborative approaches included.” Dr. Marcella Finnerty, IICP College President, Dublin, Ireland “An excellent introduction to the fundamentals of change promoting conversations. Examining the depth and breadth of the core concepts, as well as offering vivid illustrations, the authors provide an invalu- able source for developing skills in counselling and psychotherapy. Immensely inspiring as well as effectively useful. Essential reading for any student, trainee, or experienced professional in the field.” Hanne Weie Oddli, PhD, Clinical psychologist and Associate professor at the Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway “The importance of counselling skills in developing and maintaining a meaningful collaborative and respectful helping relationship cannot be over-stated. Sitting at the core of the work of many professional groups, v Julia and John McLeod have, over several years, made a critical contri- bution in explaining in accessible language both the importance and application of such skills. This third edition is yet another outstanding contribution to the field, offering clear definitions supported by mean- ingful exploration of the use of counselling skills in helping relation- ships. This text really is a must-have for all involved in working with others; to empower and enable through a collaborative process.” Prof Andrew Reeves, Professor in Counselling Professions and Mental Health, University of Chester and BACP Senior Accredited Counsellor/ Psychotherapist, UK “This excellent book provides a comprehensive guide to the core coun- selling skills every mental health trainee needs to acquire to compe- tently work in the field. The text is practical and accessible while also being grounded in rigorous empirical research. Notably, the authors are two of the leading psychologists in the field of pluralistic psycho- therapy, meaning that they deeply understand the complex relationship between specific therapy models and the “common factors” of counsel- ling practice. This knowledge is threaded throughout the book and will provide trainees with a productive orientation towards professional development that should benefit them throughout their career.” Dr Tony Rousmaniere, University of Washington, USA “This is an extremely informative and accessible foundational resource for counselling skills training, that is relevant across a range of helping professions. The learning activities are an invitation to explore concepts and theories in greater depth – with particular emphasis on developing self-awareness and understanding. Research evidence is presented in a clear and straightforward way, wonderfully accessible for those who may be unsure of how to link theory and practice. The practical and engaging style of this text will have broad appeal and I particularly appreciate a resource that promotes intentional collaboration at the heart of counselling skills practice!” Dr Steff Revell, Principle Lecturer, Otago Polytechnic, Aotearoa New Zealand For Kate, Emma and Hannah Contents How to use this book xi Acknowledgements xiii 1 Why counselling skills are important 1 2 An A–Z of counselling skills 13 3 Theoretical frameworks 44 4 Learning and training 60 5 Making a counselling space 76 6 Listening 87 7 Shared understanding 99 8 Building a collaborative relationship 120 9 Using counsellor self-awareness 139 10 Conversational resourcefulness 155 11 Non-verbal and embodied presence 172 12 Making meaning 186 13 Emotions 201 14 Behaviour change 219 15 Difficult situations 236 References 253 Index 277 ix