In this fifth edition of her best-selling textbook, Clara Hill presents an updated model of essential helping skills for undergraduate and first-year graduate students. Hill's model consists of three stages--exploration, insight, and action--in which helpers guide clients in exploring their thoughts and feelings, discovering the origins and consequences of maladaptive thoughts and behaviors, and acting on those discoveries to create positive long-term change.

This book synthesizes the author's extensive clinical and classroom experience into an easy-to-read guide to the helping process. Aspiring helping professionals will learn the theoretical principles behind the three-stage model and fundamental clinical skills for working with diverse clients. Hill also challenges students to think critically about the helping process, their own biases, and what approach best aligns with their therapeutic skills and goals.

New to this edition are

• detailed guidelines for developing and revising case conceptualizations,
• expanded coverage of cultural awareness,
• updated case examples that reflect greater diversity among clients and helpers, and
• additional strategies for addressing therapeutic challenges.