This book is a fantastic resource for anyone beginning (or in the middle of) the the process of applying to graduate school in psychology. Its greates...moreThis book is a fantastic resource for anyone beginning (or in the middle of) the the process of applying to graduate school in psychology. Its greatest strengths are its thorough breakdown of everything the process entails; its explanation of proper etiquette throughout the application process (e.g. "In what situations is it acceptable to contact a program directly?" "What sort of questions are advisable to ask in an interview?"); and its clarification of aspects of both the academic world of psychology (e.g., "What does it mean if a program is the 'scientist-practitioner model'?") and the professional world ("What does an industrial-organizational psychologist do?" "Where might a health psychologist work?"). It offers complete, detailed timetable for those beginning the process early, on-time, and late. For the price, it would be difficult to find a better guide than this APA-published work.
That said, I did have a few issues with the book. Published in early 2007, some aspects of it are due for an update--for example, the book fails to recognize that with most schools, all elements of the application are now conducted online, and that much of the information it suggests you ask about during an interview is available through the department's websites as well. Furthermore, it of course cannot account for changes the standardized tests have undergone since the book's publication, and so its advice for those is dated. And its "step-by-step plan," while useful, is also obsessively detailed and of course, might not be the best strategy for everyone. I wasn't particularly interested in using the forms they provided for planning, but they still contained good information on what to be thinking about during the process.
Lastly, while being APA-published is a strength in that this is about as official a guide as you can get, it also means regular promotion of other APA materials, including their annually-published Graduate Study in Psychology--which, if you intend to follow this book's detailed steps to the letter, you may as well go ahead and buy also.
For anyone planning or even just considering applying to graduate school, I would highly recommend this book.(less)
One of few textbooks that will make it onto my Goodreads, but I feel I earned it, having legitimately read the whole thing. Overall, it was a useful r...moreOne of few textbooks that will make it onto my Goodreads, but I feel I earned it, having legitimately read the whole thing. Overall, it was a useful resource; breaking down counseling skills into the microskills framework was in fact pretty helpful. Mastering one small step at a time in order to put everything together in the end really did feel like an accomplishment.
Still, parts of this book rubbed me the wrong way. For one thing, if I have to read the expression "Creation of the New" one more time, I may barf (in case you're wondering, it's an impossibly New Age-sounding phrase used to describe guiding the client toward transforming his/her perspective and gaining transcendence over a given issue or situation). Secondly, despite this newest edition's purported inclusion of relevant neuropsychological data, the neuropsych sections amounted to little more than brief boxes, generally less than one per chapter and not often very in-depth or helpful.
Still, this text's main goal is to grant an understanding of exactly what counseling is and how to begin the process of learning it, and in those regards I feel it succeeds. The emphasis on multicultural competence was welcome as well. A bit soft overall in my opinion, but still a useful resource, especially for beginners such as myself.(less)
This book might have an alternative subtitle: "85 Protips for Being a Therapist." It was the first of Yalom's books that I've read, and it was a great...moreThis book might have an alternative subtitle: "85 Protips for Being a Therapist." It was the first of Yalom's books that I've read, and it was a great look into the world of an experienced therapist. It's pathetic I know, but I especially appreciated that the content was broken into tiny, bite-size chapters---it was a nice contrast to just about everything else I've been reading for grad school! Although of course I didn't find myself on board with all of his advice (the author would likely roll his eyes knowingly at me, a member of a younger generation who had to trudge through the chapters regarding dream work), there was so much good, insightful, thought-provoking stuff in here. And I must admit---I gained new perspectives on even the things I disagreed with.
I'm looking forward to reading more of Yalom's work.(less)
![Intentional Interviewing & Counseling: Facilitating Client Development in a Multicultural Society [With CDROM]](http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347500152s/6572971.jpg "Intentional Interviewing & Counseling: Facilitating Client Development in a Multicultural Society [With CDROM]")
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