Helping Skills Training for Nonprofessional Counselors

Dr. Elizabeth Campbell has created something truly remarkable-she has created an evidence-based helping skills model whereby carefully reading this book and methodically implementing its steps, anyone can become a nonprofessional helper. The LifeRAFT Model is presented step-by-step in this detailed book, and readers can come away with actual skills by learning about the swim stages, raft strategies, and sail steps. Dr. Campbell has written an important book that will truly lead to making an important positive difference in people's lives, and we are fortunate that she has generously shared her expertise in this venue. R. Eric Landrum, PhD, Professor and Department Chair, Boise State University The mental professional manpower shortage in America is enormous. We will never train enough counselors to ease the suffering of all those around us. Waiting until things get bad enough to warrant a referral to a professional is not the answer. The answer lies in this direct, practical, and useful guide to becoming more a thoughtful, caring, and helpful person to those in distress. Paul Quinnett, PhD, President and CEO of the QPR Institute, an educational organization dedicated to preventing suicide Dr. Elizabeth Campbell has built a program for nonprofessional counselors upon a foundation of empirical research. Her application is ideal for undergraduate students; those that are going on to mental health professions will gain the essential skills they need and can later build upon, whereas students who pursue other careers will still find these techniques helpful in their everyday lives. This helping skills text also encourages beginning helpers to know the limits of their own competence-a crucial and often overlooked skill. I can't wait to utilize this resource in my own classroom! Lindsey Root Luna, PhD, Clinical Psychologist, Associate Professor, Hope College