Counseling Children and Adolescents

Sun, 21 Feb 2021 11:53:12 GMT

Counseling Children and Adolescents: Working in School and Clinical Mental Health Settings

Book Being Reviewed:
Ziomek-Daigle, J. (Ed.). (2017). Counseling children and adolescents: Working in school and clinical mental health settings. Routledge.

Reviewers:
Raymond Blanchard

Curricular Areas:
Counselor Education, Professional Identity, School-Based License

Subject Headings:
Elementary School, Middle School, High School, Social Justice

Review:
Counseling Children and Adolescents: Working in School and Clinical Mental Health Settings presents six sections that encompass many CACREP core areas for counselors-in-training, including developmental models and considerations, theoretical orientations, counseling skills, diagnosis, assessment and treatment, and social justice and advocacy. The chapters provide a strong, clear foundation that counselors can learn and build upon in their practice. Unique to this text is the introduction of concepts in both school counseling and clinical mental health counseling (CMHC), which can further enhance knowledge and collaboration amongst and across practicing clinicians no matter the setting. Additionally, this book has several strengths, including the ethical and legal issues counselors must consider when working with children and adolescents, a broad summary of the various mental health disorders specific to children and adolescents, and the use of data and goal development in practice. All of which are foundational knowledge for counselors in both school and community mental health settings.

Dr. Ziomek-Daigle collaborated with well-known leaders in child and adolescent mental health to develop this important text for future and practicing school counselors and clinical mental health counselors alike. For graduate students and practicing counselors, this easy-to-read book is a must-have due to the rich glossary of terms and informative tables applicable to both teaching and clinical practice. Furthermore, there is a wealth of resources (i.e., suggested readings, references, additional resources) to further build on the concepts and information presented. The reader is provided a level of introduction and depth to the subject with opportunities for further learning. The references and resources provided include counseling theories, models of development, and approaches used in both settings (i.e., schools or clinical mental health) from key figures and researchers in the field. This is especially helpful for the future or practicing counselor (school or CMHC) who are developing their mental health practice in various settings. Additionally, with the rise of school-based mental health settings, this is an excellent text to learn about the many aspects of the school setting and areas of focus when working with children and adolescents (e.g., trauma, grief).

For counselor educators, this text provides clear objectives at the start of each chapter, process questions, scenarios, and case studies making this a great addition to courses on counseling children and adolescents or school counseling. Additionally, this text provides a strong foundation to teach future counselors about counseling children and adolescents who may work in schools, clinical mental health settings, or a combination of both, such as school-based mental health clinics. Particularly for CMHC students, introducing concepts in school counseling can enhance their skills and understanding when navigating the school system or working with children and adolescents in general. Overall, this is a well-developed text that will benefit both future and current practitioners working with children and adolescents.