Counseling Hints: Each chapter contains special boxes that present quick tips for achieving optimal use of the micro skills. Some of these tips are related to how to teach the skill while others are related to how to apply the skill. The former is helpful to instructors while the latter is targeted to students.

Healthy People 2010 Leading Health Indicators: Each chapter weaves one of the Healthy People 2010 leading health indicators into the text. This connects the book directly to the public health community where a lot of health counseling is done. It also connects the text to public and community health educators who use Healthy People 2010 as their “blueprint” for practice.

Diverse Perspectives: This feature identifies issues related to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, Socioeconomic status, and age. These issues are introduced through the text in this feature.

Case Studies: Filled with case studies that span all ages, racial/ethnic groups, socioeconomic groups, sexual orientations, etc.

Helpful Graphics: These graphics and charts present a hierarchical Ivey Microskills model, communication models, assessment tools, and other material that lends itself to visual presentation.

Student Learning Objectives: Each chapter provides clear student learning objectives.

Student Study Questions: Each chapter includes questions that students can use to review key concepts presented in the text and to reinforce student learning objectives.

Chapter Summaries: Each chapter includes a succinct summary that presents a broad overview of the chapter and connect the material to the text as a whole.