Developed for helping professionals, the third edition of Counseling Theory and Practice explains what it means to be an effective helper, discusses foundations of classic counseling and psychotherapy theories, and provides an overview of emerging theories. Chapter 1 examines the efficacy of counseling and therapy, ethical concerns of counseling practice and provides students the opportunity to examine their view of human nature and how it aligns with the theories in the text. The rest of the book examines classic and emerging theories.

Section 1 explores psychodynamic approaches, including psychoanalysis, Jungian therapy, and Adlerian therapy. Section 2 is devoted to existential-humanistic approaches such as existential therapy, Gestalt therapy, and person-centered counseling, while Section 3 discusses cognitive-behavioral approaches, including cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), rational-emotive behavior therapy (REBT), and reality therapy (RT). Section 4 describes post-modern therapies including narrative therapy, solution-focused brief therapy, and relational cultural therapy, a form of feminist therapy. New to this edition is the last section on the emerging theories of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and neurocounseling.
In this edition, Ed Neukrug is joined by Danica Hays who uses her expertise on efficacy, cultural diversity, and gender issues to enhance each chapter. In addition to the new chapters on emerging theories, the text uses inclusive language and fully updated references, adds new vignettes, and highlights existing videos and websites created by Dr. Neukrug.

This book is accompanied by an expanded Cognella Active Learning component for students comprised of videos, reflection exercises, PowerPoint slideshows, flashcards, and quizzes in a digital environment.

This is an ideal text for both pre-service professionals and those already in the field.

Edward Neukrug, Ed.D. is the Batten Endowed Chair of Counseling at Old Dominion University. An LPC and licensed psychologist, he has experience in a wide variety of settings including schools, social service agencies, and as a private practitioner. He has taught counseling and human services for over 40 years, and is a nationally known author, presenter, and researcher. He is a Fellow of the American Counseling Association (ACA) and in 2022 was bestowed ACA's publication award for his many books, articles, videos, and open access websites.