Brief Counseling in Schools 40 Techniques for Rapid Change

by Murphy, John J.

• ISBN13: 9781462562329
• ISBN10: 1462562329
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2026-04-01
• Publisher: The Guilford Press

Summary

With child and adolescent mental health problems on the rise, this timely book offers school practitioners a practical blueprint and 40 effective techniques for supporting meaningful change as quickly as possible. Brief counseling expert John J. Murphy provides evidence-based, culturally responsive tools for helping PreK–12 students resolve frequently encountered psychological and behavioral challenges. The book presents streamlined strategies that can be applied by practitioners of any theoretical orientation to build alliances, set goals, leverage resources, change problem patterns, and empower progress. In a convenient large-size format, the book includes vivid case examples and dialogues, sample scripts, reflection questions, learning activities, and reproducible/downloadable forms for use with students, parents, and teachers.

This book is in The Guilford Practical Intervention in the Schools Series, edited by Sandra M. Chafouleas.

Author Biography

John J. Murphy, PhD, is a school psychologist and Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Psychology and Counseling Department at the University of Central Arkansas. Dr. Murphy is a former high school teacher, a finalist for School Psychologist of the Year from the National Association of School Psychologists, and a recipient of numerous awards for his clinical, scholarly, and advocacy work. He is an internationally recognized practitioner and trainer of brief therapy practices, and his books have been translated into multiple languages. Dr. Murphy has presented workshops and keynotes for school psychologists, counselors, social workers, psychiatrists, and other groups throughout the United States and many other countries.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Foundations of Brief Counseling in Schools 
3. Techniques for Building Alliances
4. Techniques for Setting Goals
5. Techniques for Leveraging Resources
6. Techniques for Changing Problem Patterns 
7. Techniques for Empowering Progress 
8. Other Uses of Brief Counseling Techniques
Closing Comments
References 
Index