Communication and Interpersonal Skills

‘A comprehensive text covering many aspects of communication and the effective use of interpersonal skills. Suitable for a wide range of students at both basic and post-basic levels of professional education.’Senior Lecturer, University of Brighton

‘I particularly liked the plain language and explanations of the communication theories discussed in this book. I also liked the reflection boxes as I think that this will encourage students to think more about this process and engage with it, something that most students new to reflection struggle with.’Lecturer, University of Huddersfield

‘This book provides a very good introduction to communication skills required at entry level. Students are trained within an inter-professional setting and the text provides them with the necessary underpinning knowledge to start developing their communication skill. The reflection sections are very useful to evaluate your own understanding.’Senior Lecturer, London South Bank University

‘Please pass on my thanks to the authors for this excellent book. I particularly like the use of transactional analysis as a framework – students find it easy to grasp and powerful in assisting them to understand what happens when we communicate. Also the exercises and the encouragement to students to enhance their self-awareness through guided reflection. I look forward to incorporating the ideas into my teaching of communication skills.’Lecturer, Robert Gordon University

Erica Pavord was a Lecturer in Child and Adolescent Mental Health at the University of Worcester and now works as a systemic counsellor with families in Monmouthshire. Before becoming a counsellor, she spent fifteen years as a secondary school teacher. She has a special interest in communication methods and teaches a range of therapeutic communication and counselling skills. Her research interests include understanding attachment narratives and narrative enquiry methods. She has co-written and contributed to a number of books on subjects such as communication skills and child and adolescent mental health.Elaine Donnelly was a Senior Lecturer in Health, Social Care and Psychology at the University of Worcester, where she developed and taught modules of study across many courses on offer in the department at the time with a specific focus on mental health, psychology and communication and interpersonal skills. As a teacher she encouraged students to learn from their experiences and incorporated their feedback in teaching and learning activities. Student feedback and course requirements played an equal part in the development of her written texts which have been well received. Now happily retired, Elaine still maintains the belief that at the core of effective care lies good communication and interpersonal skills.