Brief Counseling That Works : A Solution-Focused Approach for School Counselors and Administrators

by Gerald B. Sklare

• ISBN13: 9781412904582
• ISBN10: 1412904587
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-11-10
• Publisher: Corwin Pr

Summary

"This book will aid adults who seek to be more effective in their interactions with youth, but even more important, it offers a framework to help school personnel reconnect to the values and purposes that brought them into education and keep their interactions with children consistently grounded in their best intentions." William Madsen, Training Coordinator Family Institute of Cambridge "What you are about to read represents an ingenious application of narrative ideas to work in schools. While many people use these ideas, this book develops them in novel and interesting ways. This is some of the most creative and exciting work I have seen in this field." Jeffrey Zimmerman, Director Bay Area Family Therapy Training Associates Reduce discipline problems, improve relationships, and help students achieve their goals! With caseloads often exceeding 500 students, counselors cannot afford to spend countless hours on traditional approaches to individual problems. Solution-Focused Brief Counseling (SFBC) offers counselors an effective approach that leads to rapid, observable change in students. Brief Counseling That Works, Second Edition, combines step-by-step instructions with vivid case examples to provide a comprehensive and practical overview of the fundamental principles of SFBC. Author Gerald B. Sklare has extensively revised this second edition to include new adaptations of solution-focused methods, more opportunities to practice the SFBC model, and an expanded discussion of ways school administrators can use SFBC. This concise guidebook contains many valuable tools, including: Reproducible materials for use with Solution-Focused Guided Imagery Short case studies and session transcripts to illustrate what SFBC looks like in practice Guidelines for using solution-focused methods with referred discipline cases Practice exercises to help readers apply the techniques Sample forms to use in SFBC This essential resource for counselors will also be helpful to teachers and school administrators who advise elementary and secondary students, as well as psychologists and social workers who work with youth both in and out of the school setting.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Overview of the Contents	x
What's New in This Edition	xi
Who Can Use This Book	xiii
Acknowledgments	xv
About the Author	xvii
1. Counseling in Schools: Problems and Solutions	1	(18)
A New Solution	4	(4)
SFBC With Diverse Populations	8	(1)
Central Philosophy	9	(1)
Solution-Focused Assumptions	10	(3)
Additional Guiding Concepts	13	(3)
Summary	16	(1)
Practice Exercise	17	(2)
2. Setting Goals	19	(22)
Opening the First Meeting: Explaining the Process	19	(2)
Developing a Goal: Using Outcome Questions That Detail Solutions in Positive Terms	21	(6)
The Miracle Question	27	(6)
"What Else" Questions	33	(1)
Establishing Well-Developed Goals	33	(5)
Summary	38	(1)
Practice Exercise	38	(3)
3. Discovering and Constructing Solutions	41	(22)
Rediscovering Unrecognized Solutions	42	(2)
Empowering Through Recognition of Students' Resources	44	(5)
Scaling a Baseline and Progress	49	(2)
Flagging the Minefield: Identifying and Overcoming Obstacles to Success	51	(1)
Concluding the Initial Session With a Message	52	(8)
Summary	60	(1)
Practice Exercise	61	(2)
4. Connecting the Pieces	63	(22)
Components of the First Session	63	(4)
Case Study With Pedro: Session One	67	(16)
Summary	83	(1)
Practice Exercise	83	(1)
Additional Exercise	84	(1)
5. Conducting Subsequent Sessions	85	(12)
Subsequent Session Components	86	(3)
Scaling	89	(1)
Assessing the Need for Further Counseling and Writing a Message	90	(1)
A Road Map and Note Sheet for Second and Subsequent Sessions	91	(3)
Subsequent Sessions With Pedro	94	(1)
Summary	95	(2)
6. Working With Reluctant and Mandated Students	97	(12)
Helping Involuntary Clients Become Customers to the Process	97	(6)
Administrators' Use of Solution-Focused Principles When Students Are Referred for Discipline	103	(1)
Solution-Focused Goal-Formulated Sequence for Reluctant and Mandated Students	104	(3)
Summary	107	(2)
7. Expanding Solution-Focused Concepts	109	(22)
The 20-Minute Session	110	(4)
A Case of Abbreviated
Solution-Focused Counseling	114	(2)
Counseling Referral Form	116	(1)
Use of Puppets in Solution-Focused Brief Counseling	116	(4)
Solution-Focused Group and Classroom Counseling	120	(6)
Solution-Focused Guided Imagery	126	(1)
Summary	127	(1)
Final Thoughts	128	(3)
Appendix A: Counseling Session With Kasey: A Practice Exercise	131	(16)
Appendix B: Solution-Focused Guided Imagery Activity	147	(10)
References	157	(4)
Index	161