This is the second edition of a book that I hope continues to be of
practical value. For counselling must always be that: practical. No
amount of talking, on its own, can really make a difference if people do
not end up doing something as a result of counselling. The practical
thread remains an important one throughout this edition. Counselling
Skills for Health Professionals is not just a 'how to do it' book:
people are probably too complicated for that approach to be of much use.
Counselling is never simply a matter of learning a range of skills which
you then apply in a range of settings. In the end, counselling is about
facing the person in front of you, listening to them carefully and then
supporting them as they work through their problems. For many problems,
there are no easy answers and counselling doesn't offer any 'quick
fixes'. It is essentially a supportive process. There are many things it
cannot do. It cannot change certain social and political situations. It
cannot cure diseases. On the other hand, what it can do is offer people
more hope. Often, just the fact that there is somone who is prepared to
hear your story and to listen to you is all that is needed. I remain
convinced that the key issue in all types of counselling is the ability
to listen.
