This pragmatic book explains the "how" of integrating counselor training into practice by bridging the gap between educational knowledge, clinical skill, and counselor identity. Drs. Jude and Julius Austin combine their personal and professional experiences with contributions from other skilled clinicians to break down the counseling process and inspire counselor confidence in the ongoing quest to do counseling well.

Following an introduction to basic counseling ethics and several types of sessions, each stage of counseling is explored, including presession preparation, meeting the client, building the therapeutic relationship, managing and trusting the process, developing a unique personal style, tracking therapeutic progress, ending therapy, and postsession tasks. The discussion then shifts to getting the most from supervision, competent multicultural/antiracist counseling, and the dos and don'ts of distance counseling. A sole case study is presented throughout the book to illustrate therapeutic techniques, and key takeaways are summarized in an epilogue.