Learning the Art of Helping: Building Blocks and Techniques, 8th edition
Published by Pearson (March 19, 2024) © 2025
Mark E. Young

Title overview

For courses in counseling.

A relationship-focused approach to helping

Learning the Art of Helping emphasizes the skills helping professionals need to be effective, from basic to advanced therapeutic techniques. Blending the latest research on effective treatments as well as clinical wisdom, it takes a common-factors integrative approach to the field. Application features encourage readers to engage with the material and reflect on their role in the helper/client relationship.

The 8th Edition includes over 150 new references and enhanced treatment of the therapeutic relationship, using helping skills with children, and more.

Hallmark features of this title

  • Stop and Reflect sections within each chapter provide students with opportunities to pause, integrate the concepts and ideas, and consider their reaction to real cases and situations.
  • Group Exercises provide additional reinforcement, giving students the chance to practice the skills they've just learned with classmates.
  • Journal Starters allow readers to test new ideas and reflect on conflicts and challenges they develop as helpers that allow them to continue their learning between classes.

New and updated features of this title

  • NEW: More than 150 new references for further reading keep students up to date on evidence-based helping techniques.
  • UPDATED: Coverage on the therapeutic relationship and new research that supports maintaining and monitoring the client/helper alliance is included in Chapter 2.
  • UPDATED: Information on using basic helping skills with children is included in Chapter 10.

The LMS-Compatible Assessment Bank streamlines assignments and grading

  • NEW: Learning objective quizzes, chapter tests and application exercises are included in an LMS-compatible packaged file. Application exercises in each chapter use a short-answer format and issue a model response written by experts.

Key features

Features of Pearson+ eTextbook for the 8th Edition

  • Video Examples, including authentic client/helper interactions and interviews with experts in the field, expand on principles or concepts in each chapter, helping put the reading into context.
  • The Interactive Glossary lets students quickly build their professional vocabulary as they read.

Table of contents

  1. Helping as a Personal Journey
  2. The Therapeutic Relationship
  3. The Cultural Climate and the Therapeutic Relationship
  4. Invitational Skills
  5. Reflecting Skills: Paraphrasing
  6. Reflecting Skills: Reflecting Feelings
  7. Advanced Reflecting Skills: Reflecting Meaning and Summarizing
  8. Challenging Skills
  9. Assessment and Goal Setting
  10. Change Techniques, Part I
  11. Intervention and Action: Change Techniques, Part II
  12. Outcome Evaluation and Termination Skills

Author bios

About our author

Mark E. Young is Professor Emeritus at the University of Central Florida. He received his bachelor’s degree from Miami University, his master’s from Wright State University, and his doctorate from Ohio University. He has trained helpers for more than 30 years and worked as a therapist in community mental health, private practice, college counseling centers, and corrections for more than 15 years. He is co-founder of the UCF Marriage and Family Research Institute, which, since 2003, has been teaching relationship skills to low-income couples. His professional writing has focused on therapeutic methods and techniques, wellness, and couples.

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