The Power of Groups
Solution-Focused Group Counseling in Schools
- Leslie Cooley - California State University Sacramento
Introduction to School Counseling
"A valuable addition to the growing conversation about solution-focused practice in schools. Cooley provides the nuts and bolts of solution-focused group work with students of all ages."
—John J. Murphy, Professor of Psychology
University of Central Arkansas
"The book is a pleasure to read, extremely informative, and helpful. The organization and content teaches a skill in a way that makes the reader feel empowered."
—Cynthia Knowles, Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist and Consultant
A fresh, dynamic approach to build on students' strengths and encourage positive mental health.
Solution-focused brief counseling helps students improve their well-being by concentrating on goals and solutions rather than dwelling on problems. This resource shows how to use this highly effective approach for group counseling sessions so that students can dialogue and learn alongside their peers.
Research-based and practical, this unique guide gives school professionals the foundational theory and knowledge to adapt solution-focused group counseling techniques for any topic, curriculum, or grade level. Readers will find:
- Case studies of real students encountering real problems
- Forms, permissions slips, and sample letters for starting a group
- "Do This" and "Avoid This" sections
- Sample agendas for elementary, middle, and high school levels, complete with activities, session scripts, and discussion questions
Help students address common issues by creating lively, engaging group meetings using this powerful, goal-oriented methodology.
"Provides both theoretical grounding and practical instruction, including multiple case examples, sample wording, and forms to help put into practice this strength-based and goal-oriented approach. This is an ideal text for both graduate-level courses in counseling and for the busy professional searching for a text grounded in theory yet brimming with practicality."
"A valuable addition to the growing conversation about solution-focused practice in schools. Cooley provides the nuts and bolts of solution-focused group work with students of all ages. Packed with practical ideas and materials."
“The book does a credible job of covering SFBC foundations and group counseling tenets and then blending the two into a comprehensive and immensely practical resource. A thorough presentation of basics for beginning counselors and a review for experienced counselors.”
"Beginning counselors will appreciate the ways to ensure the success of counseling groups and the many examples that illustrate the tenets of solution-focused group counseling. Experienced counselors will add to their repertoires of counseling skills and techniques. Solution-focused counseling provides a positive, proactive way of assisting individuals in finding answers to their questions.”
“The book is a pleasure to read, extremely informative, and helpful. The author is clearly an expert on the topic and is able to teach and write to the reader with ease. The organization and content of this book teaches a skill in a way that makes the reader feel empowered.”
"Cooley provides the nuts and bolts of creating and leading solution-focused counseling groups in this succinct and highly readable book. A must for all those wanting to develop their skills in this area!”
“This book provides not only a practical foundation for strength-based, solution-focused group counseling, but also insights that can be generalized to enhance all our interactions with students and staff. For those well seasoned in SFBC and those new to this orientation, it is a exceptional resource for creating change.”