The document discusses task centered approaches to helping, which emerged from social work to provide a systematic yet practical process. It breaks problems down into discrete parts, sets mutually agreed upon goals, and proceeds in small sequential steps. The four stages are: 1) developing a problem focus through questioning, 2) reaching agreement on goals and contracts, 3) developing goals into manageable tasks, and 4) ending and reviewing the work. While pragmatic, it is critiqued for assuming rational clients able to identify problems and goals. Overall, task centered approaches aim to achieve tangible results quickly in a collaborative manner.