I think that I'm better equipped to work with anyone in a target population when I am able to develop a sense of that person's feelings and motivations. By trying to understand them first, I think that it aids me in helping them to see solutions to a given problem from their own viewpoint if at all possible.
From my limited experience in the mental health field, I believe that it is of primary importance to develop a trusting relationship between myself and a given client in order to work with that person. One can't count on a client to be open and honest without that sense of trust. In my experience, the development of a good rapport was always more easily accomplished by showing the client that I approach our interaction in a role of servitude. My job is to help them, and I am very interested in their feelings, motivations and experiences because they know themselves more intimately than anyone else.
A doctor may see a patient presenting with a headache. Simple fix. Just take some aspirin and the problem is solved. A good doctor will ask the patient varied details about their lifestyle as well as to research the patient's medical history in order to get a more comprehensive idea of where that headache may stem from in order to identify the underlying cause(s) and deal with them rather than to treat the symptoms alone.
In my opinion, clients are much more apt to open up and reveal those underlying causes when using an approach based upon respect and the development of trust. Sure, many of the behavioral issues that I have seen could be resolved with logical solutions that seem rather easy to implement from my perspective. But I'm not trying to help me, am I?
Make no mistake, using one's own experience from one's own perspective can be very useful in the field of social work because it is important to set a positive example. Somebody who has a tendency towards physical violence and a marked difficulty in their ability to cope with their triggers might be positively affected by my example if they witness my refusal to strike a client who strikes me because I recognize that the person who struck me has lost control and that I refuse to be manipulated when provoked.
The thing is, it is difficult to replace such an example as witnessed firsthand with verbal examples and to expect the person to fully understand. Though my logic might be sound in a verbal explanation, the opportunity to provide a firsthand example gives the client the ability to empathize with me and to understand exactly how somebody can function in a positive manner and maintain self-control in a situation where they have been unable to do so.
The ability to think rationally and the ability to utilize logic are definitely assets in this field, but equally important is the necessity to cultivate a trusting relationship that suggests that you and your client are on equal footing. Being able to provide airtight defenses for your stances and to win arguments may highlight a social worker's intelligence, but it can do so at the cost of alienating one's clients. "He thinks he's so smart, but he has no idea what it's like for me."
Also, if the social worker is focusing primarily upon being the one who is understood it can suggest to the client that their input is not valuable and it can weaken their desire/ability to recognize their own active role in their own recovery and ability to solve their problems, once again resulting in a sense of unequal footing.
Now, it may very well become necessary to shift the focus eventually. Once a client has told you all that they can contribute or all that they feel comfortable contributing at that point, and you have done your part in making sure to clarify with them any details that you may not have fully understood, then it may be appropriate to share your own experiences and perspectives. If they feel that you have made a genuine attempt to understand them and they have been able to give you the whole picture as they see it, they are far more likely to be open to considering viewpoints from an alternate perspective with lasting results.
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