Explaining Confidentiality
From my interview video recording, I effectively explained the concept of confidentiality to the client, what it encompasses, and its limitations. It is among the critical pillars of social work, which forms the foundation of a successful therapeutic relationship where highly sensitive, personal, and intimate emotions, thoughts, and information can be shared (Maidment & Egan, 2016). In this regard, a practitioner is professionally obliged to explicitly explain the aspect of confidentiality and its scope at the beginning of the sessions. I addressed this area considerably well from a critical evaluation by providing the information at the earliest engagement stage. According to Barcaccia et al. (2019), this guarantee is critical in fostering the patient’s willingness to share their story and encouraging their full participation in therapeutic care. For instance, I informed the client that whatever we would discuss would remain between us and within the confines of the office. Therefore, the provision of the explanation at the introductory phase of the engagement was strategic and commendable since it created a trusting atmosphere where the client could have complete confidence in making sensitive disclosures.
Additionally, I performed well in informing the client about the limitations of confidentiality and the specific circumstances under which such privacy would be breached. For instance, I illustrated that I would disclose the shared confidential information with my supervisors if necessary, particularly if there were any danger of harming himself or other persons (Janebova, 2017). Since it is vital for the client to fully understand and agree to the applicable confidentiality limitations from the outset of the therapy, I made him aware of it at the appropriate time. From this perspective, I’m satisfied with how I addressed this critical area of social work.
Building Rapport
In building a robust therapeutic alliance and rapport with the client, I demonstrated genuine concern, empathy, and an unconditional positive during the first interaction. In accomplishing this, I affectionately asked the client what brought him to my office after discussing and assuring them about their privacy and confidentiality. This question helped set the stage and created the ideal foundation for our subsequent interaction. I also adopted a non-judgmental attitude, set aside personal opinions, and showed complete support and acceptance. For instance, after the client enumerated his problems and highlighted the need for help, I assured him that he had come to the right place where they would get appropriate support. Marais and Merwe (2016) contend that such a gesture of accepting the client contributes significantly to feelings of confidence and self-worth, ultimately creating an intimate bond and relaxed atmosphere. In the initial moments of my interview, I engaged the client with warmth and friendliness by making excellent eye contact and speaking calmly, which underscored my genuine and sincere desire to support.
Additionally, I discussed privacy and confidentiality at the onset of the engagement, which eased the client’s mind and motivated self-disclosure. Similarly, I described the collaborative nature of the counseling and illustrated how we would work as a team, allowing the patient to feel respected by treating them as a partner in the entire process. Moreover, I indicated that I would often solicit his opinions and thoughts on various issues, integrate reflective listening, and use positive affirmations. For instance, I identified with the patient’s situation and validated the genuineness of his feelings when I assured him that I understood his predicaments, especially regarding his perception of being a weak father. Such actions amplified sociability, deepened our interpersonal connection, and nurtured a safe, healing environment.
Empathic Responses and Reflection of Feeling
In counseling, empathetic responses and reflections of feelings are superior to other forms of feedback or reactions. In the interview session with the client, I addressed this concept by consistently reflecting on the experienced sentiments and the underlying reasons as expressed by the patient. For instance, I communicated my compassionate discernment back to the client in such a way that he would feel heard and understood and ultimately alleviated their distress and initiated relaxation. I strived to stay attuned to his experiences throughout the session and offered a validating and insightful appreciation of the circumstances. Notably, I often made such statements as ‘can you explain that further, which were intended to highlight the implicitly expressed attitudes and feelings to draw them out for enhanced clarity. The achievement of empathy and reflection of feelings was apparent when the client demonstrated satisfaction with being understood.
Open-Ended Questions to Explore the Client’s Presenting Situation
During the interview, I utilized a variety of open-ended questions to encourage client engagement, gather more information, and deepen our relationship. For instance, after informing the patient about confidentiality, I asked what brought him to the office and how his children were dealing with the family situation. Thompson et al. (2016) assert that open-ended questions and ‘so’-prefaced declarations effectively stimulate comprehensive responses and balance the tasks of assessment and treatment. The strategic utilization of these questions promoted positive interactional consequences and fostered a more panoramic presentation of the client’s situation.
Summarizing and Paraphrasing
Summaries and paraphrases are valuable tools in the counseling process. They constitute an integral part of listening and ensure that the client knows that their story is heard. In my interview, I adequately utilized these two instruments to deepen the quality of the engagement, enhance the reflection of words and emotions, clarify content, and check the accuracy of my perceptions as a counselor. For instance, I paraphrased and summarized the client’s remarks regarding the challenges in his marriage due to cultural issues.
Active Listening
During the interview session with the client, I practiced active listening throughout to fully understand the depth of his emotion and the content of the message. To achieve this, I was conversationally engaged with the client, paraphrasing, summarizing, and reflecting on what he said while withholding judgment and advice. Chenoweth and McAuliffe (2017) argue that active listening helps the client feel understood, appreciated, and humanized. Additionally, it facilitates the therapist to gain more profound insights into the client’s situation and perspective. For instance, I rendered undivided attention when he spoke about his marriage partner, reserved any premature opinions regarding such remarks, and allowed the discussion to evolve without any leads.
Ways of Improving Practice
Among the leading ways to improve my practice is by initiating the conversation with a general talk geared to relieve tension and help the client feel more relaxed. For instance, I could help improve the mood and change the client’s perspective by incorporating positive therapeutic humor to diffuse anxiety and tension, particularly in my experience with cultural disparities in Australia. Such a strategy would make the situation less serious, enhance comfort, and reinforce the therapeutic bond. Additionally, I could enrich and deepen the conversation by asking questions or making comments which promote further disclosure or underpin my attentiveness. For example, I would have asked the client how he interpreted his progressive immersion in alcoholism and whether it meant the loss of control of the situation. Such conversational interactions would emphasize the client’s self-determination, heighten the level of voluntarism and responsibility, and advance the collaborative client-helper relationship.
Use of Self when Working with Others
A critical component in any professional relationship is the ability to integrate personal attributes and qualities. In counseling, the use of self is manifested in incorporating knowledge, skills, and values gained in social work education alongside personal life experiences, cultural heritage, and personality traits. In the video, I often referenced the client’s situation by indicating that I understood where they were coming from and even illustrated a personal experience of how cultural issues in Australia could impact relationships. Sleater and Scheiner (2020) and Trevithick (2017) assert that this strategy enhances the bidirectional attunement between the therapist and the client and amplifies the counselor’s authenticity. By projecting my awareness of the challenges confronting the patient and making a self-disclosure, I achieved complete engagement in the therapeutic alliance and humanized their experience.
Understanding my Positionality as a Social Worker
Positionality refers to one’s worldview and social location and significantly influences how an individual responds to such issues as power differentials across various contexts. During the interview, I understood this concept by appreciating the cultural diversity in Australia and its potential impact on relationships in the country. Consequently, this minimized many problems, including the devaluation of individuals, miscommunication, and disengaged conversations. According to Jacobson and Mustafa (2019) and Holmes (2020), positionality improves a therapist’s social reality as viewed through sexuality, gender, race, and such factors. For instance, I reckoned the diminished masculinity occasioned by the family dysfunction significantly eroded the client’s self-worth, especially among his friends.
Effective and ethical counseling is predicated on the therapist’s understanding and mindfulness of how the client-counselor differences. During the session, I was consistently aware of the existing diversities, which helped me navigate complex segments of the interview. For instance, my knowledge of the client’s culture and other contextual factors fostered a robust therapeutic bond and enabled in-depth exploration of specific issues without being judgmental. Healy (2017) argues that a profound understanding of the social context helps decide the appropriate ways to communicate, including how we ask questions, the approach we adopt on sensitive issues, and the problem-solving process. In this regard, cultural diversity within the community offered invaluable support since I was already connected to the problems the client was raising. Through this dimension, I continually indicated my understanding of the client’s predicaments and the source of his frustration. Since I was not detached from the social realities of the community, the client’s reluctance to share such intimate and even embarrassing information diminished, including how his friends perceived him as a weak man reduced.
Managing Assumptions and Feelings and its Impact when Working with the Client
Management of assumptions and feelings is a fundamental component of impactful counseling. During the session, there were various instances where I was compelled to manage my assumptions and feelings through solicitation of additional information and to adopt a non-judgmental attitude. Additionally, I embraced the client as someone in need of support instead of condemnation, listened with undivided attention, and continually engaged in summaries and paraphrases, which shifted my perspective to a shared understanding. For instance, I often asked the client to elaborate on areas where I felt the need for more insights and allowed him to speak uninterrupted with the assurance that he was being heard and understood.
Consideration of Personal Attributes Against those of the Client
Such personal attributes as gender, culture, religion, ethnicity, and age directly influence the outcomes of therapy sessions. Since counseling is impacted by the contextual environment in which it is conducted, it is imperative for practitioners to consider such aspects in their practice. During the sessions, I considered these factors by contextualizing the therapy within the community in which it was taking place. This is illustrated by the specific indication of my understanding of the client’s circumstances, specifically within the broader cultural and social environment. For instance, I helped the client become more comfortable in his current situation, particularly regarding the strained relationship with his wife, which created an impression that his feelings were valued and considered.
Integrating Theory in Developing Social Work Practice Skills
Social work practitioners are equipped with theoretical knowledge, which serves as a conceptual screen for such issues as case assessment, intervention planning, and outcome evaluation. Muurinen and Kaariainen (2020) espouse the view that integrating theory in social work enhances practice skills by enabling new understanding and competencies. In the recorded session, I incorporated various theories to provide explanations and meanings to the empirical practice. For instance, explaining confidentiality provided a starting point for the therapeutic session, helped develop an organized approach and offered a perspective through which I conceptualized and addressed the client’s needs with appropriate interventions. From this perspective, the ego psychology theory anchored my view that the patient would better achieve therapy objectives through introspection and reflecting on his ways to formulate solutions to address the current challenges. Similarly, the critical race conceptual framework provided an individual-context perspective, which enhanced my understanding of cultural diversity and other contextual considerations. Therefore, integrating theories in practical social work fostered such skills as self-confidence, esteem, and self-development.
References
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Chenoweth, L., & McAuliffe, D. (2017). The Road to Social Work and Human Service Practice with Student Resource (5th ed.). Cengage Australia.
Healy, K. (2017). The skilled communicator in social work: The art and science of communication in practice (1st ed.). Macmillan Education.
Holmes, A. G. D. (2020). Researcher positionality – A consideration of its influence and place in qualitative research – A new research guide. International Journal of Education, 8(4), 1-10. Web.
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Maidment, J., & Egan, R. (2016). Practice skills in social work and welfare: More than just common sense (3rd ed.). Taylor & Francis Group.
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Muurinen, H., & Kääriäinen, A. (2020). Integrating theory and practice in social work: An intervention with practitioners in Finland. Qualitative Social Work, 19(5−6), 1200−1218. Web.
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Thompson, L., Howes, C., & McCabe, R. (2016). Effect of questions used by psychiatrists on therapeutic alliance and adherence. British Journal of Psychiatry, 209(1), 40−47. Web.
Trevithick, P. (2017). The ‘self’ and ‘use of self in social work: A contribution to the development of a coherent theoretical framework. The British Journal of Social Work, 48(7), 1836−1854. Web.
