American Counseling Assn.

Critical incidents in counseling children.

This text revolves around 36 "critical incidents" — moments in the counseling of a child (age 13 or younger) that presented particular challenges and learning opportunities — described by the in-school and out-of-school counselors involved. Each account illustrates common issues such as anxiety, family problems, grief, diversity issues, and self-harm, and concludes with questions posed by the counselor as to the effectiveness and appropriateness of his or her methods. These are followed by responses from other professional counselors, who point out the counselor's strengths and shortfalls, and use the incident to teach treatments for problems common to young children. Contributors especially favor methods, like play and art therapy, that do not rely primarily on verbal communication for treatment. This book is intended for use in master's degree training programs, specialized child counseling programs, and by counseling and social service professionals. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)