The organization is absolutely beautifully direct and clear throughout all of the chapters I read. I was very pleased to see that the author kept a level of topic exploration, theory development, and application parallel throughout each one. The writing style is engaging and super informative. The material humanizes the theorist and their contribution in that time period. The case study of Justine was really consistently well done with appropriate treatment planning based on assessment and really well said evaluative elements. -- David K. Hollingsworth The content, order, organization and flow are well done and presented in a logical, easy-to-follow order. Well done! The history/background of each theorist is very well done, interesting and a great opening for each chapter. -- Jennifer L. Crissman Ishler Techniques, especially those presented in the chapters addressing behavioral and cognitive-behavioral approaches, are very practical. They can be demonstrated during a class session and can easily be practiced by students in a field-based setting. -- Trace Pirtle This is a well crafted product that has included the snippets, histories, time periods, and humanizing things I have collected over 25 years of teaching the course... It reads wonderfully well with the best mix of science, history, and academics I have seen. I think the author has produced an excellently crafted tool for exposing the reader to the meat of our practices, while making sure they will get a feeling of the person and the times it was developed in! -- David K. Hollingsworth Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy: An Integrative Approach is excellent! Not only does it cover the foundational counseling theories that all students should know, but it also puts them in an historical and cultural context that helps students understand the theories' developments. The author synthesizes recent development in counseling theories and examines how social constructivism, multiculturalism, and non-Western counseling theories have influenced contemporary counseling theorists while exposing students to a range of newer, culturally-aware theories of psychotherapy. Perhaps the greatest strength of the text is its integration of cultural awareness throughout the text, and not just as an addendum to discussions of standard counseling theories. I intended to use this text each time I teach a graduate counseling theories course! -- David T. Goode-Cross, PhD This is a well-written and comprehensive coverage of the traditional, contemporary and evolving theories of counseling and psychotherapy. It is done from an integrative, strength-based perspective, while being attentive to national, international, and diversity issues. Among its many appeals to the reader are information on the backgrounds on the theorists, the case studies, and the section that helps a person to determine one's approach to counseling. A must read and resource for anyone interested in and active in the field of counseling and psychotherapy. -- Lee N. June. Ph. D. As a school we are using Elsie Jones-Smith's text, Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy in our Advanced Social Work Practice class. As I work through the text in order to teach, I see that the author has put many of the values I have into a teachable form. This is by far the most outstanding text I have used or read. I am most appreciative to the author for the chapter on strengths and I can only hope my students learn as much as I am. -- Mark Shaffer