The second edition of Human Growth and Development Considerations in Rehabilitation Counseling is a collaborative effort of Drs Sales and Brodwin, as well as counselling professionals throughout the country. Dr Sales was a past president of the National Rehabilitation Association and the National Conference on Rehabilitation Education. Dr Brodwin served as a commissioner for the Commission on Standards and Accreditation of the Council on Rehabilitation Education and is on various editorial boards. As influential leaders, counsellors, and educators in the field of rehabilitation, Drs Sales and Brodwin have created a real-world and practical resource book for counsellor educators and their graduate and undergraduate students.
This text contains essential knowledge on human growth and development with an emphasis on disability, and meets accreditation standards for this area. With a foundation in human growth and development, counsellors can enhance therapeutic relationships and assist consumers in forming realistic goals. Chapter One highlights the significance of human development in counselling. ‘The authors of this text believe that counselors, no matter what specialty, need a strong foundation in human growth and development to understand their consumers at any point across the life-span’ (p.7). The second chapter reviews the theories of human development and connects them to the unique experiences of people with disabilities. Each theory is presented in the areas of heredity, external influences, developmental stages and disability.
Chapters Three through Seven explore the stages of development from prenatal through childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, middle adulthood and late adulthood. Each chapter addresses unique issues related to rehabilitation counselling within each stage of development. A unique feature of this book is the case studies used to enhance knowledge and application of human growth processes in counselling individuals with disabilities. Chapter Eight, written by Dr Paul Leung (University of North Texas), describes the unique multicultural issues and challenges that clients and counsellors face. A comprehensive approach allows counsellors to better understand strengths and challenges consumers encounter in different stages of development, along with individual disability factors.
Chapter Nine is a disability narrative telling the story of Dr Sue Kroeger, a counsellor educator (University of Arizona) who saw strength and opportunity in her own disability. As the author reflected, ‘disability may be the distinguishing feature that shapes how I see and interpret the world, my values and beliefs, and my work, leisure, and relationships’ (p. 209). The final chapter, Chapter Ten, discusses death and dying, recognizing the many roles counsellors may have in end-of-life planning.
Human Growth and Development Considerations in Rehabilitation Counseling is a valuable tool and resource in rehabilitation counsellor training. This text provides real-world information on human development and its importance and application in counselling individuals with disabilities. It guides readers through all the phases of human growth and development, providing comprehensive information on the unique roles that counsellors serve in the rehabilitation process.
