Reading chapters 23 and 24 took a weight off my shoulders (metaphorically speaking!) and have created a new respect for student affairs professionals.  It was a relief to read about how much emphasis is put on counseling and helping skills in student affairs.  I would not expect these professionals to take full responsibility for these areas because I think it is still the student’s family and friends to be part of this area however, it is good to know that there are professionals able to assist students.   Page 404 outlined a three stage helping model that I think is great!  It shows that student affairs professionals care about the student and want to create a good relationship with their students before trying to guide them.  This is a good skill I have learned as a parent.  If I simply try to approach my daughters in a way that suggests “I am an adult and I will tell you how to fix your problem” I am usually unsuccessful.  Rather I need to approach my kids in a way that shows I care about them and want to help them through the problem one step at a time.  The same is true when dealing with university students so I am glad this was discussed in the text.  Advising follows a similar model.