Counselling Central » Gerard Egan

Gerard Egan : The Skilled Helper

admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:46:01 +0000

Gerard Egan, PhD, is a Professor of Organisation Development and Psychology and author of The Skilled Helper. He has written over a dozen books, some in the field of counselling, including Interpersonal Living and People in Systems. The Skilled Helper is currently the most widely used counselling text in the world.

Most of the counselling work that Egan does takes place within a variety of organisations and institutions worldwide. He describes this work as his fourfold approach; consultant, coach, counsellor and confidant.

In the first Chapter of his book The Skilled Helper, Egan describes what helping is all about, including the positive and negative elements. He also addresses the issue of whether or not helping is for everyone.

In the second chapter we are introduced to the helping model, which Egan refers to as the Skilled Helper Model. You can read a detailed description of this model by clicking here.

The third chapter focuses on the value of respect, the culture of helping and the value of client empowerment, an important element of any counselling relationship.

Part two of the book (chapter four to six) describes the power of active listening, basic empathy techniques and the art of summarising.

Part three (chapter seven to twelve) deals with helping the client to tell their story, reluctance and resistance from the client and how to successfully challenge.

Part four (chapter thirteen to eighteen) focuses on discovering what the client really wants, and what they are willing to do to get there, and finishes by discussing strategies for achieving these goals.

I would recommend this book to anyone studying to be a counsellor, it is usually standard reading on counselling courses, or to experienced counsellors who are serious about taking their skills to the next level. You can purchase the book by clicking the The Skilled Helper: A Problem-Management Approach to Helping to the left under ‘Links’.

Gerard Egan’s Self Titled Egan Model

admin — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 18:25:04 +0000

Gerard Egan was professor of organisational development and psychology at Loyola University in Chicago. Egan considered his methods to be more about prevention than cure. He believed the challenge for psychology was to get out of text books and into social settings. He also believed that clients were either in a troubled or crisis situation, or not as effective as they wanted to be.

The Egan Model

Stage One: The present – where you are at now
1. Help the client tell their story (prompts, active listening, open questions, S.O.L.E.R).
2. Help the client break through any blind spots (use reflection).
3. Help the client find the right problem/opportunity to work on (prioritise).

Stage Two: Preferred – where you want to be
1. Help the client use their imagination to spell out possibilities (question and explore their views).
2. Help the client chose realistic and challenging goals (action plan).
3. Help the client to find incentives that will help with commitment (what they will get out of it).

Stage Three: Strategies – How are you going to get where you want to be?
1. Help the client find possible actions (timing).
2. Help the client to find best fit strategies (what will work for the client).
3. Help the client to draft an action plan.

Gerard Egan and SOLER

admin — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 20:57:17 +0000

Gerard Egan defined the acronym SOLER as part of his “Skilled Helper” staged approach to counselling. It is a non-verbal listening process used in communication, and a key skill taught to counsellors as part of their training. But what is it?

SOLER stands for:

S: Sit SQUARELY on to the client, preferably at a 5 o’clock position to avoid the possibility of staring.
O: Maintain an OPEN posture at all times, not crossing your arms or legs which can appear defensive.
L: LEAN slightly in towards the client.
E: Maintain EYE CONTACT with the client without staring.
R: RELAX. This should in turn help the client to relax.

SOLER should be used as an integral part of active listening (See my other post on this subject). To find out more about the life and work of Gerard Egan, and read a review of The Skilled Helper, click here