Grit vs Embedding Counselling and Communication Skills

Grit

Angela Duckworth

2016

In this must-read book for anyone striving to succeed, pioneering psychologist Angela Duckworth shows parents, educators, athletes, students, and business people—both seasoned and new—that the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent but a focused persistence called “grit.” Why do some people succeed and others fail? Sharing new insights from her landmark research on grit, MacArthur “genius” Angela Duckworth explains why talent is hardly a guarantor of success. Rather, other factors can be even more crucial such as identifying our passions and following through on our commitments. Drawing on her own powerful story as the daughter of a scientist who frequently bemoaned her lack of smarts, Duckworth describes her winding path through teaching, business consulting, and neuroscience, which led to the hypothesis that what really drives success is not “genius” but a special blend of passion and long-term perseverance. As a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, Duckworth created her own “character lab” and set out to test her theory. Here, she takes readers into the field to visit teachers working in some of the toughest schools, cadets struggling through their first days at West Point, and young finalists in the National Spelling Bee. She also mines fascinating insights from history and shows what can be gleaned from modern experiments in peak performance. Finally, she shares what she’s learned from interviewing dozens of high achievers—from JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon to the cartoon editor of The New Yorker to Seattle Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll. Winningly personal, insightful, and even life-changing, Grit is a book about what goes through your head when you fall down, and how that—not talent or luck—makes all the difference.

Embedding Counselling and Communication Skills

Rebecca Midwinter, Janie Dickson

2015

Embedding Counselling and Communication Skills provides a step-by-step approach for those looking to gain a theoretical and practical understanding of using counselling and communication skills within the helper role and applying these skills in the context of professional practice. This revised edition is brought up to date with new content around the subjects of working online, working across difference and diversity, coaching, grief and loss and managing challenging situations. Written in a clear and accessible teaching style, this book progresses through the ‘initial helper’ communication skills that are used in everyday life, to the more complex and in-depth counselling skills required in a helper relationship. It introduces the reader to a Relational Skills model which demonstrates the phases of relationship development. The authors show what happens within each phase and identify how and when to use skills appropriately. Knowledge of reflective practice, aspects of the relationship and how to manage change ensures the text considers the full range of general and specific skills and abilities required. Learning is brought alive through the use of online video clip sessions of a real helper/client relationship giving the reader opportunities and encouragement to reflect and evaluate their learning. This book will be an essential resource for students taking an introductory counselling skills course, other trainees within the mental health sector, coaches and many other qualified professionals who wish to enhance their knowledge of embedding counselling skills into their work and practice.