Pledge, Deanna S. : University of Missouri-Columbia
Review
"This text is well written, comprehensive, and accurate in providing a variety of critical information
pertaining to clinical practice with both children and adolescents."
-- Teresa Christensen, University of New Orleans
"I give Counseling Adolescents and Children my complete endorsement as a text for beginning and seasoned counselors.
The text is well written, effectively organized, and loaded with useful information that will prove to be an invaluable
resource for those in the field and a helpful teaching tool for counselor educators working with counselors in
training. I believe the author was successful in developing a manuscript that is a powerful blend of the theoretical
and the practical and is written in the context of a family systems approach that places as much emphasis on the
family as it does on the client being served. I also appreciate a well-researched manuscript that is presented
in a conversational style of writing in which the reader is guided by a trained therapist and supervisor with many
years of practical experience. This manuscript provides the kind of hands-on guidance and practical suggestions
that are often missing in most textbooks of this type."
-- John C. Worzbyt, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Thomson Publishing Web Site, November, 2003
Summary
This book provides readers with an understanding of theoretical bases, the counseling process, specific problems
and disorders, and the professional issues that surround the work of counseling children and adolescents. Its unique
child-centered, family approach to counseling emphasizes the interaction and assistance of family members, which
is critical in the counseling process. Within the text's discussion of empirical knowledge regarding various aspects
of working with children, adolescents, and families, Pledge offers practical information that students can readily
apply to their work.
Benefits:
Coverage of developmental phases, family considerations, and theoretical models provides readers with a solid
foundation in the issues central to effective counseling with children and adolescents.
The book provides detailed information on the process of counseling with children and adolesceents and the
skills needed when working with this population.
Client-therapist dialogues help illustrate and apply concepts presented in the text.
This text addresses specific problems and disorders counselors commonly face when counseling children, including
mood disorders, behavior disorders, developmental disorders, and normal developmental challenges.
Coverage of professional concerns, such as ethics and issues in treatment settings, helps readers to understand
unique challenges they may face in practice.
Practice-oriented examples such as a sample treatment plan, a "no-harm contract," and specific protocols
provide students with tools to apply in practice.
An accompanying workbook provides additional exercises and cases for readers to analyze, and it includes exercises
that help students explore personal biases, prejudices, and hidden fears. By engaging in self-exploration and case
study, students can begin developing a professional identity and clinical style.
Table of Contents
Part I: THEORY.
1. Developmental Phases.
2. Family Issues.
3. Application of Theory.
Part II: APPLICATION.
4. Early Stages of Counseling.
5. Working Stages of Counseling.
6. Termination.
