Therapeutic Communication

Book excerpt: The Second Edition of Herschel Knapp’s Therapeutic Communication: Developing Professional Skills provides beginners and seasoned professionals with the skills to navigate the facts and feelings endemic to professional therapeutic communication. With a comprehensive perspective, Dr. Knapp clearly and effectively explains differences between casual and therapeutic relationships, focusing on key elements such as the therapeutic process, social and emotional factors, and professionalism. Organized into discrete sections to highlight individual skills, each chapter follows a unified format, encouraging readers to apply their knowledge frequently. “Students often struggle with core concepts related to therapy. This book takes those struggles and clears up any doubts about the basics and guides them toward becoming experts in their field.” —Daniel Velazquez, Cetys Universidad “Whether you’re a therapist or a high school counselor, the skills outlined and described in [this book] are paramount to the success of any helping relationship.” —Lisa Clark Keith, Fresno Pacific University “I was inspired by Dr. Knapp’s ability to capture the emotions, techniques, and skills necessary to have a successful helping relationship in an easy to follow manner . . . the text takes the reader from the beginning to the end of a counseling relationship seamlessly . . . Students will find the straightforward nature of the book a staple of their professional library. This is the type of text you keep close at hand throughout your professional career.” —Shawn P. Parmanand, Walden University