Counselling Young People: A Practitioner Manual - Humanistic Guide

In this review of Counselling Young People: A Practitioner Manual the bottom line is simple: this is a practice-focused, humanistic textbook for trainees and qualified counsellors who work with adolescents and young adults. The book's biggest selling point is its grounding in the BACPs competencies and its clear translation of theory into practical skills, so readers gain both evidence-based context and usable techniques for client work. For anyone training on a counselling young people course or supervising practitioners, this manual reads as a reliable, applied resource rather than a purely academic text.

Key Features

• Humanistic approach: Presents humanistic counselling as an evidence-based intervention and explains how that model applies in work with young people.
• Therapeutic models: Surveys practical models for counselling young people so practitioners can choose approaches suited to different clients and settings.
• Assessment and relationship: Details assessment processes and how to build the therapeutic relationship, helping clinicians establish safe, effective beginnings to therapy.
• Practical skills and strategies: Offers concrete counselling techniques and strategies that can be used directly in sessions with adolescents.
• Ethical and legal guidance: Covers ethical and legal issues relevant to young clients, supporting compliant and responsible practice.
• Research and outcomes: Explains how to measure and evaluate outcomes so practitioners can demonstrate effectiveness and inform service delivery.

Who It's For

This manual is ideal for students on counselling young people modules, trainee therapists, and qualified counsellors who want a concise, applied reference rooted in the BACPs competencies. It works well for trainers who need a classroom-friendly text that links theory to exercises and assessment.

Those seeking an exhaustive academic treatise on developmental psychology or an alternative-model compendium may find this narrower in scope; the emphasis is on humanistic practice and applied skills rather than exhaustive coverage of every therapeutic orientation.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Clear alignment with the BACPs competencies makes it relevant for vocational training and professional practice.
• Practical techniques and session-focused strategies translate theory into usable tools for clinicians.
• Chapters on research and outcome measurement support evidence-based practice and service reporting.

Cons

• Focus on the humanistic model means readers looking for deep coverage of other orientations may need supplementary texts.

Specifications

Title	Counselling Young People: A Practitioner Manual
Author	Rebecca Kirkbride
Approach	Humanistic counselling, evidence-based
Key topics	Models, assessment, skills, ethics, research, settings
Audience	Trainee and qualified counsellors, trainers
Professional alignment	Grounded in BACPs competencies

Our Verdict

This practitioner manual is a practical, well-focused resource for anyone teaching or delivering counselling to young people. Its strengths are the emphasis on evidence-based humanistic practice and the direct guidance on assessment, ethics and outcome measurement, making it good value for students and practitioners who need usable tools and a clear link to professional competencies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this book suitable for trainees?
Yes. It is written with trainees in mind and maps directly to the BACPs competencies used in many counselling courses.

Does it cover legal and ethical issues?
Yes. There is a dedicated chapter addressing ethical and legal considerations when working with young clients.

Will it help with measuring outcomes?
Yes. The book includes guidance on research methods and measuring and evaluating outcomes for practice.