Individual Counseling and Therapy

I sent this email to Dr. Chen, and I am putting here so others can find this gem of a book."I have read dozens and dozens of books on counseling and empathy and communication over the last few years leading up to grad school, and yours is among the most comprehensive and clearly written.I have been locked into so many arguments with classmates in my other classes because I downplay the intellectual, theoretical side to focus on building empathy and, thanks to Carl Rogers, trying to become someone different, to be a different way in the world.Your book really refocused that for me and gave me confidence that, while I know I have to learn these intellectual things, they are ultimately not what makes the counselor the kind of person that can really liberate someone from their loneliness. Carl Rogers' metaphor of people sending messages from within their tightly curated personal dungeons, just hoping that someone will hear them, speaks to me, and your book also had this through-line.Thus far, in my 7 classes, I have often felt despondent, that counseling might not be what I hope for it to be. Maybe it won't, but your text thus far has given me more hope that this career will align with my own values and desire for dynamic growth."

This book is a jewel in the jungle. I encourage Amazon to add a sixth star to their system of reviews to highlight when a book is exceptionally well written. In today’s society where we have too much of everything, sometimes we need to distinguish what is exceptional from the rest, it is a matter of fairness and a way to appreciate those who devote their lives to the study of human behavior by making contributions to help humanity to live with emotional wellness . To write this book requires a vast amount of academic and spiritual study plus an overdose of wisdom . It gathers the best techniques and principles of each approach in counseling and psychotherapy ( CBT, Gestalt, Existentialism, SFT, Positive Psychology, Narrative Therapy, Mindfulness, Humanism, Psychoanalysis, etc.) and it guides therapists throughout the process of therapy in a simple, unique and a beautiful manner . This book is a piece of luxury for any psychotherapist who achieves to deliver empathy to their clients at a higher level and wants to have a sophisticated guide to counsel in a holistic, knowledgeable and elegant way. Quality, precision, and perfection are elements that you will find in each page of this book and in its extraordinary essence.

My class is reading this right now in graduate school, and it's among the most absorbing texts we've used in the program. I actually look forwarding to reading it each week, as opposed to simply getting homework done. The prose is lively, the examples are vivid, and the authors' belief in the magic of counseling is evident throughout.

Beautifully written. This book is concise, practical, organized, and filled with insight. It was masterfully crafted, showing deep wisdom and practicality in the field of individual counseling. I highly recommend this for counseling students whether is is required reading for courses or not. It is well worth the time to read and because of its layout and organization, a wonderful resource for future reference. I know I will use mine into the future. Thank you for this wonderful book!

This is a well written, easy to understand and follow book that should be taught everywhere and every therapist whether starting the counseling program or presently working as a counselor, should read and apply. It speaks to the core of what therapy is all about and transforms you for better not only as a human being but also as a therapist.

I loved how concise the book is, it easy to read, and includes exercises at the end of the chapters. The exercises help readers practice skills covered in the chapters. All in all, the text does a great job of covering skills and other topics that are important to therapy.

This was a great guide to practice for individual therapy. The trick is to use the techniques that fit you best instead of memorizing everything. It's easy to follow and good to keep in your library.

Great tool. You'll like this book if you prefer short explanations and bullet points. I think it's a great reference for basic and advanced skills.