How Can I Help?: What You Can (And Can't) Do To Counsel A Friend, Colleague Or Family Member With A Problem

How Can I Help? is a how-to guide for anyone wanting to help a friend solve a problem. The authors draw on their extensive experience as psychotherapists to describe and demonstrate counseling skills and problem-solving techniques. Written in down-to-earth language, the book offers insights and information people can use to address real life problems involving relationships, careers, personal affairs, health challenges and more.

Each chapter provides an overview of a specific step in the helping process, an explanation of why that step works, a description of how to accomplish it and tips on how to evaluate what to do next. The authors include examples of typical problems to illustrate why giving advice rarely works, show how to keep people on track, identify when confrontation is appropriate and plan to transition away from the helping role once the problem is resolved. Readers also learn how to set limits, recognize when professional help may be needed and how to withdraw at any point in the process if he or she decides to do no more.

How Can I Help? is go-to guide for parents, teachers, managers, volunteers and caregivers, a resource for education and training in a wide variety of organizations, an invaluable read for anyone who wants to be helpful, to feel competent and be confident that they can.