Maxine Rosenfield

As a volunteer on a helpline and a trainee counsellor, I was hoping that this book would provide some guidance on skills and theory, However, the focus of the book is largely upon the organisational aspects of running a telephone helpline or telephone counselling practice.

There is some information on basic skills and the considerations for counselling remotely rather than face-to-face scattered throughout the book, and there is one chapter that was specifically interesting to me, The show more Counsellor-Client Relationship, which latter was what I was hoping the bulk of the book would contain. This isn't really a criticism of the book, it's just not entirely what I was looking for.

Given its publication date (1997), the sections on communications technology has dated, but the essentials of running a telephone/remote counselling service are still valid.

Possibly of more relevance to new helpline managers and individual counsellors setting up a private practice than to "frontline" agency workers, it was nonetheless an interesting read. show less