* Is there a place for counselling skills in modern social work?

* If so, how can such skills be employed in practice?

This is a no-nonsense guide to the application of counselling skills to social work practice. It is written from the author's first-hand experience of working in the field and teaching counselling skills to social work students. The book is packed full of useful hints and tips for trainees and busy practitioners, and illustrated throughout with examples of good practice. The examples are drawn from real-life situations in a range of local authority, criminal justice and voluntary sector agencies and have been reworked and rewritten for the book. They include work with adults, children and families and demonstrate the practical use of the various counselling skills described. The author argues that relationships remain at the heart of good social work practice and that interpersonal transactions are highly significant in creating and maintaining an effective outcome.

Counselling Skills in Social Work Practice is recommended to all social work students and qualified social care professionals seeking to improve their practice.