Book excerpt: There is a need for a book that fully examines the specific and unique awareness, knowledge, and skills that are necessary for student affairs and other practitioners to be effective and ethical in their helping, counseling, and advising roles. This book addresses the core assumptions and underlying beliefs that impact the helping, counseling, and advising roles and skills that are central to higher education. It synthesizes and integrates information from traditional counseling therapy texts and offers examples of how to utilize such skills within student affairs. Written for faculty members and professionals.