In this vignette, the client and social worker begin a new session at the point where the last left off. Kirsten, a college student, has come to this private practice setting to discuss her experiences, fears, and difficulties with coming out, particularly after her previous coming out experiences. In the previous sessions, the worker and Kirsten have explored many themes revolving around coming out, her experience coming out to her neighbor, and Kirsten’s anxieties about talking with her sister. The role of the social worker in this vignette is to discuss possible options with Kirsten as she moves toward talking with her sister, engaging in role play Kirsten has requested, and exploring Kirsten’s feelings about the upcoming meeting with her …show more content…
This method is grounded in the strengths perspective, a perspective in which the worker center’s their sessions around the clients’ abilities, gifts, and strengths (Shulman, 2016). Instead of focusing on what is wrong with the client, the worker highlights what is right with the client building on their strengths instead of emphasizing their deficits: the client already has what they need to get better or solve their problem (Corcoran, 2008). The role of the worker in this model is to help the client recognize their potential, recognize what resources they already have, and discuss what is going well for the client and what they have been able to accomplish already (Shulman, 2016). Techniques commonly used in this model, although they are not exclusive to this model, include an emphasis on pre- and between-session change, exception questions, the miracle question, scaling questions, and coping questions (Shulman, 2016). These questions are used for many reasons: for example, the miracle question is used because “sometimes asking clients to envision a brighter future may help them be clearer on what they want or to see a path to problem-solving.” (Corcoran, 2008, p. 434) while coping questions are used to allow the client to see what they are already accomplishing, rather than what they are transgressing (Corcoran, 2008). All
These techniques include showing concern for clients through active listening and empathy, showing respect for and confidence in clients, focusing on client’s strong points and positive traits, resources, replacing discouraging thoughts with encouraging ones, and helping clients to develop a sense of humor about life. (Watts & Pietrzak,2000,p 443) Another method, as mentioned earlier is building a strong rapport with the client. Therapists use a variety of techniques to facilitate change in the client’s behavior. Therapists help clients to choose alternative behaviors to the behaviors that are maladaptive. The next method is getting the client to change how he or she views a situation. This is done inside and outside of counseling. Through this technique a client comes to realize their abilities and strengths. Last but not least, therapists help clients draw on their resources and strengths when faced with a situation that seems troublesome. (Watts & Pietrzak,2000,p
As we all know, there is a solution to every problem - but having the resources and support to resolve one of these could be the hindrance to a satisfying outcome for you, the worker. Often, one feels they haven't done enough to meet the client's needs, especially when you keep hitting road blocks, therefore you go above and beyond - often putting yourself in an uncomfortable situation in the long run. I can see these two concerns listed as being a personal challenge for any human service professional.
Mental health professional have tried to correct their ‘‘gender identity disorder’’ with brutal aversion therapies. Tran’s youth who came out often faced crises throughout their family and social systems. Once out, developing a sense of realness about their new gender became extremely important. An urgent need develops ‘‘to match one’s exterior with one’s interior’’ In ad...
The client must be an active participant, recognizing their own freedoms to struggle with the choices they are about to make in their own therapy. They are not to resist therapy or the four ultimate concerns. They must not hide in their own safe haven but come out into the world and face their demons. They must not blame fault on anyone or anything other than themselves. (Wilson, 2014)
Maslow (1943) describes people as being driven to achieve certain needs and once demand is met they seek to pursue the next, however Rogers (1951) took a softer side by suggesting a humanistic approach. Crucial core conditions of helping were emphasized to include empathy, warmth and genuineness. This aimed at supporting people in becoming who and what they aspire to be. Clearly Rogers described principles rather than stages, it is undoubtedly Egan’s (1998) skilled helper model that encompasses all of these, and is vital in a psychologist’s treatment of their client to facilitate a productive outcome. The helping process has two main objectives; to help the client manage their problems more effectively while developing untried or untapped opportunities more adequately, and becoming more efficien...
...p their own solutions to problems. Clients may need some guidance, education, or direction depending on their abilities and how the therapy is going. It is then that I want to be able to help them feel more empowered and recognize that they can make changes with effort on their part.
Therapeutic intervention serves as the building and power blocks for the clients to build themselves up and help them make changes for a positive outcome. As indicated in the presentation regarding the principles of NASW, social workers must practice those principles when working with the member to help them grow resulting in effective outcomes. Applying this approach means that therapy is client centered and focused around the members values, vision, and supporting their rights for treatment. Social workers help members realize their own strengths to overcome challenges. According to the literature Applying Theory to Generalist Social Work Practice by Langer & Leitz, "all people gravitate toward self-actualization" (Langer & Lietz, 2015, p. 140). The application for humanistic/client centered intervention is that engagement involves gaining trust and acceptance of the client so that the social worker can assess the members biopsychosocial profile that will help gain an understanding of the member and needs and creating a treatment plan with obtainable and measurable goals (Langer & Lietz, 2015). Social worker provides client centered interventions that help the member realize personal strengths and build up self esteem and actualization (Langer & Lietz,
With the strengths perspective, the helping professional’s focus does not lie in assessing what is going wrong in one’s life, but rather what is going right. In doing this, helping professionals can step away from the negativity that is associated with the traditional problem-focused approach to helping, such as client blaming (Mirick, 2016). The strengths perspective challenges the helplessness and hopelessness that clients express without labeling, demoralizing, alienating or stigmatizing them (Laursen, 2003). Thus, a strengths-based approach uses the client’s skills, knowledge, experiences and resources to their benefit, empowering them in the process. The strengths perspective allows helping professionals to view clients as resilient instead of flawed. This by no means equates to the problem or the incurred adversity being ignored. A strengths-based approach simply does not spend time trying to understand the problem and instead focuses on finding a solution. This is accomplished by “identifying, embellishing, exploring, exploiting, and maximising individual and system coping mechanisms, demonstrated successes, and natural and informal support systems” (Sabalauskas, Ortolani, & McCall, 2014, p.
This process recording will reflect an observation that the student social worker discover while working with a client. The student social worker has been visiting with this client for the past seven weeks and has been attempting to establish trust and build rapport with this client to get her to open up more. Specifically, this week the student social worker was successful in executing her strategies to allow the client to feel comfort enough to express her true emotions.
The purpose of this paper is to examine the efficacy of my work as a co-therapist during the fifth conjoint session with the simulated couple; Katy and Michelle. I will discuss our therapy agenda and the goals we hoped to attain during the session. It is prudent to begin by giving a brief outline of the couple’s presenting problem and the patterns of dysfunction that I have identified within their relationship. In my opinion, it is the therapist’s job to recognize patterns and behaviors that disrupt the intimate bond between the partners. It is also important to recognize that it is vital that therapists remain self-aware and avoid judgments based upon their own understanding. This session is my first opportunity to work with a same sex couple and to see therapy unfold over the span of the quarter.
In this paper, the readers will learn that I, Chantiara Johnson, played the role of a therapist. My friend, who is a college Sophomore played the role of client. I will use the techniques that I learned during the first three weeks of this course; these techniques will help me conduct the interview with my client. Throughout this interview, I will mock and reflect a therapy session of a client who is facing the feeling of loneliness and the feeling of not being enough.
By revisiting the cause problem clients will increase discouragement and resistance to a new behavioral change. However, coaches should assist clients generate effective ways to overcome challenges and stay positive by focusing on their strengths rather than their weakness. For example, in the early stages where challenges are still fresh and might appear overwhelming, coaches should put themselves in their client’s shoes by expressing empathy for client feelings.
One of the important things that I learn about myself is that I love to get involved in a profession or activities that allows me to help other people to reach their goals, especially in a mental health field. I also learned that each of the clients in mental health field has different problems and goals that they want to achieve. Thus, me as a future mental health provider will be faced with many different and unique challenges depend on the struggles of our clients. I realized that we have to always make decisions on the spot and also have to alter our ways on how to help our clients depends on their unique struggles. I learned this through working with my CIP clients/mentees. Both of them have their own different goals that they want to achieve. They also have their own uniqueness and differences. Even though we have to teach them the same things or material such as how to lead a conversation etc., we have to teach them in different ways so that it complements their need. Thus, my experience working with my mentees also taught me about some important clinical skills. One of the clinical skills that I learned is how to be flexible. As I pointed out earlier, each client will be different from one another—their background, experiences and therapeutic needs. So, it is important for me to have the skills of flexibility, such as the ability to change my perspective from one to
The common factors that were present in the session, were supportive and strengthened the helping professional relationship. The common factors brought us closer together and enabled us to work more proactively and collectively as a team. There were common factors that were natural and present throughout the entire session, such as the practitioner factors, genuineness, acceptance, and empathy. There were other factors, such as client factors of hope or expectation of change, that arose throughout the session. Keeping the common factors in mind throughout the session, I operated from a strengths perspective, wanting to consciously activate some of the common factors that hadn’t presented themselves yet. For example, on multiple occasions throughout the session I referenced the positive attributes of the client’s social support system. The client, recognizing her own strengths and the value of her support system, increased her awareness of the importance of establishing a support system in another state if she chose to
According to Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi, helping clients develop unused opportunities and potential is positive psychology. Clients need to know that there are other opportunities for a better occupation, health, and home life. Treatment is not just fixing what is broken but helping the client start or redesign their life goals (Ince, 2009 pg.7) Helping the client find out their strengths and how to use them is positive behavior that all professional helpers need to help clients learn to use. Professional helpers have tools to help clients set these goals.