A Counseling Primer ─ An Introduction to the Profession

A Counseling Primer presents an introduction to the counseling profession that provides students with a foundation for success. This engaging and accessible text covers the core CACREP Standard of Professional Orientation with a comprehensive overview of the field. It:

Anticipates the questions of beginning students with a series of chapters that ask who counselors (and clients) are, what counseling is, when and where it is practiced, and why counselors choose the profession.
Introduces students to the basics of essential attending and listening skills.
Challenges readers with case vignettes and discussion questions.
Encourages self-reflection and offers skills for observation of others.
Supports student learning with extensive pedagogical features and resources.
Enhances the reading experience with a robust online instructor’s manual.
This engaging textbook is full of useful features to enhance the learning experience. Each chapter includes "points to ponder", case examples, an "in practice: what would you do?" vignette with discussion questions, and a chapter summary. A self-reflection journaling exercise, termed the TFAC Chart (Thoughts, Feelings, Actions, Context) reinforces the material from each chapter and facilitates student growth.
A Counseling Primer: An Introduction to the Profession is accompanied by a rich array of supplementary materials that are made available to qualifying adopters and their students completely free of charge. Our online resources are hosted on the Moodle course management system.
Instructor Resources include:

A sample course syllabus
Chapter-by-chapter PowerPoint lecture slides
Chapter-by-chapter Instructor Notes, including chapter summary, learning objectives, and instructions for suggested in-class activities and assignments
An interactive test bank for each chapter (including multiple choice, true or false, and essay question formats).
The tests and notes are available for download by instructors in a variety of useful formats, to suit your needs.
Student Materials include:

TFAC (Thoughts, Feelings, Actions, and Context) Journaling forms for self-reflection
Class handouts for assigned and optional review activities

Mary H. Guindon, PhD, is retired Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Counseling and Human Services at Johns Hopkins University. She is now in private practice specializing in coaching, consulting, and counselor supervision.

Part I: Orientation to the Profession. Introduction. Who? Answers About Counselors and Clients. What? Answers About the Definition of Counseling, Its Past, and Its Present. What? Answers About the Body of Knowledge: Ethics, Social and Cultural Diversity, Human Growth and Development, and Career Development. What? Answers About the Body of Knowledge: Helping Relationships, Group Work, Assessment, and Research and Program Evaluation. Where? Answers About Settings and Surroundings. When? Answers About Processes, Phases, and Procedures. Why? Answers About Caring and Social Justice. Part II: How? Basic Skills. Basic Attending Skills. Basic Responding Skills. Questioning Skills and Systematic Inquiry. Affect and Empathic Understanding Skills. Responding to Thoughts and Behaviors. Final Comment. Appendices A. Personal Journal. B. Internet Resources for Professional Counselors.