groups are extremely helpful in my learning process.
Targeting their book at both novice and experienced practitioners, Capuzzi and Gross clearly seek to emphasize the need for counselors and therapists to create and/or possess a strong foundation that will guide them in their development of their craft and their ability to help others. Essentially, before counselors and therapists are able to help others effectively, they will need to possess the personal and the professional attributes to help them promote the core conditions that are critical to a helping relationship. They will need to know how to tap into their personalities and their knowledge of different sets of strategies for connecting with their clients and helping the latter to deal with their problems effectively (20-1, 38-9).
Moreover, Capuzzi and Gross highlight the importance for practitioners to adopt an open mind in learning about the different types of thdories and paradigms. In order to create a personal theory that encapsulates their unique perspectives, values and experiences with targeted client populations, all practitioners must take the time and effort to integrate information from diverse sources including theoretical knowledge and empirical practice. Therefore, only by acquiring the knowledge about the different theoretical paradigms and exploring their applications, as they are presented in this book, will practitioners be able to learn how they can develop a personal approach (38).
From my perspective, both of these points are highly valid to the therapeutic profession. Because of the intensely personal and direct nature of the interaction between professionals and clients and the impact of the process, it is critical that professionals are adequately prepared to cope with the challenges of this profession. In order to be effective, professionals should possess and develop the personal attributes that will allow them to create a cond...