Introduction to Counseling

Book excerpt: Introduction to Counseling by Michael Scott Nystul provides an overview of counseling and the helping professions from the perspective of art and science—the science of counseling that generates a knowledge base proven to promote competency and efficacy in the practitioner, and the art of using this knowledge base to build skills that can be applied sensitively to clients in a multicultural society. The Fifth Edition has been organized into three sections: (1) an overview of counseling and the counseling process, (2) multicultural counseling and counseling theories, and (3) special approaches and settings. It continues to address key topics and issues, including gender, culture, and sexual orientation, and offers ways to integrate multiculturalism into all aspects of counseling, rather than view it as a separate entity. Highlighting emerging trends and changes in ethical codes, as well as reflecting the latest updates to the Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM-5), the book successfully illustrates the importance of art and science to modern-day counseling.