Abstract

When searching for someone to help them reflect upon and improve their lives, people tend to be drawn towards those who are compassionate, committed and wise. This book is aimed at those who recognise these qualities in themselves and wish to develop their capacity to engage with and help others.

The authors argue for ways of approaching helping and counselling that are rooted in care and commitment, drawing upon the experiences and practice wisdom of youth workers, housing support and hostel workers, the clergy and those working in a religious setting, educators and settlement and community workers. They explore the key characteristics of those who counsel and teach and examine aspects of the helping process, focusing on living life well, knowing and being oneself, relating to others and working to make change possible.

This book will be essential reading for students on professional training programmes in youth work, community education, ministry, social care and counselling.

A comprehensive and thoughtful exploration which stays focused to the topic matter introduced in its title. The content of the book is complicated by the gentle manner in which the authors approach their arguments.
Canadian Art Therapy Association Journal
The authors are clear that to be a helper requires us to be able to occupy equally the position of one who is helped and to commit to developing that capacity to help... the authors recognise that those who help are on a lifelong journey of learning. This small gem of a book is certainly one to aid that process.
Dramatherapy, Joanne Hensman, Dramatherapist
This work describes ways of approaching helping and counselling that are rooted in care and commitment, drawing on the experience and wisdem of youth works, housing support and hostel workers, educators, and settlement and community workers. It explores the key characteristics of those who counsel and teach, and examines aspects of the helping process, focusing on living well, knowing and being oneself, relating to others, and working to make change possible.
Book News Inc
Heather Smith has worked in youth projects, a special school, a residential centre working with families where a child has a very serious or terminal illness, and in a housing scheme for younger people. Currently she is a lead tutor in a London further education college. She works both with students experiencing difficulties with studying and participation in college activities, and the staff who teach and support them. Mark Smith has worked as a careers officer, youth and community worker and project worker. He is now the Rank Research Fellow and Tutor at the YMCA George Williams College. Amongst his publications are Developing Youth Work, Local Education and Informal Education.
I very much enjoyed reading this book. It soon became apparent to me that it is built on a wealth of experience and expertise and offers some important insights. Promoting well-being, whether specifically workplace well-being or social well-being more broadly, involves helping people. The authors of this clearly written and well-crafted book are very alert to this and offer the reader some important lessons in how to be a 'helper'. An important text that should be read by anyone involved in helping, whether as a member of the helping professions (social work,nuring,counselling and so on) or, as a manager, supervisor, leader or human resource professional in any setting.
Well-Being