Theoretical Approach

The Exploration of a Theoretical Approach
As part of the learning process for social work majors, the process has involved professional experience within the field we strive to be part of. During the professional experience and throughout the various courses, part of the educational curriculum has allowed students like me to continuously enter the self-awareness and self-development phase. This phase of self-awareness and self-development has been defined by Halbur & Halbur as being an initial step in discovering a personal theoretical orientation that derives from the “life philosophy” of the individual. This life philosophy is influenced by personal experiences and the personal perspective of the world which constantly faces change as the

Step One, Find Yourself; this process serves as an icebreaker to commence the journey. This strategy involves questioning the personal values, life philosophy, and worldview. Made up of six questions in the Halbur & Halbur text, these questions revolved on the personal ideology of counseling from the client perspective. This strategy was in my personal experience the most useful. There are multiple roles that each person fulfills currently; I am a student, a daughter, a sister, a family navigator, advocate, etc. Between these roles how often do we (including myself) take time to reflect on our life philosophy? Sometimes, a trigger may arise such as the current gun debate facing the United States. We identify and advocate to an extent with one opposing side. We have identified a personal value. But, how often do we submerge and reflect on this ever-changing phase? For me, it is a rare occasion. This strategy was refreshing for me; I was able to complete a much needed reflection of myself and my perspective. As the text states, “All helpers may aspire to provide unconditional positive regard and respect for clients, but the reality of clients’ lives and behaviors may make that difficult to accomplish” (Halbur & Halbur, 2015). This is why I value this first step the most. Not because I learned many aspects of myself that I was not aware of, but instead I was able to identify characteristics that could affect my counseling process and identify my individuality