Ego Psychology and Social Work Practice - Dissertation Example

Social Work Analysis Part I Process Recording This is a session that took place at my office between 10 am and 11:30 am on the 2nd of January, 2007. The client here is a person (S. B), who has had a drug abuse problem. This is my third session within him. The previous two sessions had taken place over the Christmas weekend, where he had admitted to substance abuse. This meeting started with S.B bursting into my office without an appointment. I have put forth a recording of the five minutes which demonstrated the areas where I can help S.B the most. Actual Conversation Thoughts and Feelings at my end S. B: Mr. A, you will have to help me. (Nervous twitching) Me: Please take a seat, S.B Anything in particular you would like to discuss? Have you had breakfast? At this point, I almost mention that he is standing in my office without an appointment, yet I look at him silently. For over a week I had been waiting for this client to open up about his problems. This might just be my breakthrough. I notice the nervous twitching and decide to question him about that first. S.B: (Nervous twitching more prominent now). No…actually…I am too nauseous to eat. Me: What would you like to talk about? I realize that he obviously has a hangover and is in need of some substance right away. I decide to divert his attention. S.B: I really want you to help me. (He relaxes a little). I need to talk. At this point, I decide to get him to say anything that is on my mind as this is the point where he has realized that he needs help. Acknowledgement of this fact is enough to begin real treatment of any sort. Me: I’m listening. S.B: I need to get over my…problem. You know what that is. (I nod). Me: We will fix it – together. Is there anything that can help you decide how this started? He starts repeating himself which is a common symptom with clients like him. S.B: My relationship with my father. He was in the army – very, very strict; a disciplinarian. I felt traumatized growing up. (He shakes while he talks). I simply nod, encouraging him to go on. Me: was this habit a revolt? S.B: Yes, in college, I thought it would help when the pressure of studies got too much to handle. I realize here that the S.B has some sort of dependency on his father. Me: Did your father help you with your studies earlier? S.B: Yes, always. He was very strict. I never missed homework. I think I have found the missing link. Me: Did you feel lost without his guidance, without someone pushing you to study? S.B: Yes, actually I was very lost. It has been a year since I joined college and it is very tough. I don’t know what to do. These are the five minutes where I learnt the cause of the client’s suffering. We spoke for a very long time and decided to begin his treatment soon. He admitted during the session that he had taken drugs on at least six occasions, yet he felt like he was addicted. Below is the analysis of this session on the basis of the recording above. Part II Analysis In the above session, two things have been made very clear. These are as follows: S.B, the client, does not have a very serious addiction to drugs. He needs a sense of motivation to tackle the challenges of being on his own for the first time in his life. On the basis of this, I decide to apply the cognitive behavior theory and initiate S.B into cognitive behavior therapy. (Beck, 1993) The analysis that went into arriving at this decision are as follows. Cognitive Behavior Theory A person’s cognitive development is basically a mental set up that has been formed as a result of the factors in his or her environment that have influenced the following factors in his or her life: - Beliefs - Values - Tendencies - Assumptions - Disorders. (Beck, 1993) Let us go back to the word “cognitive” for better understanding of the factors listed above. To begin with, every human being is initiated into a particular belief or value system right from the time he or she is born. As a matter of fact, many studies and social scientists believe that informal education or orientation towards one’s basic belief and value system begins once a child is conceived in a mother’s womb. According to numerous studies, a foetus responds to every little sound while in the mother’s womb. This is but a small example of informal training. (Brearley, 1994) Informal education by no means stops once a child enters an educational institution. Formal education through an educational institution simply sharpens the brains and prepares it to recognize those symbols that will bring a person towards actual worthwhile learning through external experiences. No theory is complete without practice. In fact, any theory that has been propounded without practice is a failure towards imbibing competency of any kind within any individual. (Beck, 1993) A person’s basic cognitive development is an expression of the balance and the relationship between this theory and practice. In the case of S.B, the client, there was a negative relationship between theory and practice in life. Thus, his problem was not substance abuse; his problem was the learning system that he had become used to under the guidance of his father. Substance abuse basically became a side effect of this basic problem. (Adams, 2002) Learning problems The art of learning is akin to the art of knowing about an entire world, its varied cultures, nation and people apart from the details like geography, history and science that make these who and what they are. Education is a medium through which learning takes place in order to build up a substantial knowledge base. It is the base upon which perceptions are measured and formed. These perceptions form the basis of cognitive development. (Beck, 1993) This knowledge base takes a person through a variety of life experiences to help him or her practice a profession, meet people and basically, make a life. In fact, experience is the most important part of forming perceptions that fuel cognitive development. Yet, S.B must seek to realize the fact that the process of worthwhile learning is not limited merely to educational institutions. When we talk about worthwhile learning, we may define it as a form of expression that reveals a person’s identity and gives him or her a sense of belonging. This sense of learning carries a person from strength to strength and gives his or her life a sense of direction. In effect, there is a strong leaning towards sifting through the information one comes in contact with, through various sources, in order to take what is necessary to one’s basic purpose and leave behind what is unnecessary. (Brearley, 1994) Here, it is imperative to state that this purpose in life itself is born out of learning and fathering of information. Life’s experiences therefore are not limited to school or college or to any other educational institution. They come from the environment that a person steps into from the time he or she is born, and carries on through the various phases of life where he or she steps into varied real life scenarios. The gathering of varied life experiences gives a person a sense of worth through the teachings of such experiences. (Beck, 1993) In this regard, S.B had little impetus from within to help shape his own experiences. This was being done for him by his father. Since time immemorial, it has been believed that the education system begins at home. This is true of learning when it comes to values in life. To begin with, the role of experience and learning from the same in one’s life is one that fulfils the need to belong. This sense of belonging springs from one’s immediate environment where there is focus on the values that one is born into and more specific and subtle details like culture, region, terrain, so on and so forth. (Dryden, 1999) Experience offers people first hand knowledge of a variety of symbols that one comes to associate with a place. This is not always possible when done in theory as it is done in various educational institutions. Practice is a much needed feature of the learning process so as to complement and contribute to the body of theory that one is formally introduced to within the educational institution. This in turn generates a more enriching quality to one’s experiences so that worthwhile learning may take place. (Adams, 2002) In S.B’s case, there was no contribution from his own side towards any kind of worthwhile learning. He did not really get a chance to step out of his father’s shadow and experience cognitive development for himself. He did not get a chance to experience ‘right’ or ‘wrong’, before deciding the elements of his conscience. He was merely told. Therefore, he took to drugs at the first instance that he got to spend in the outside world on his own. Bereft of his father’s guidance, he took to drugs as it seemed the easier way out. The session shows that S.B had taken drugs only six times. Yet, in his mind he was addicted to drugs. This was not true. He needed a strong motivational factor or factors that would help him embrace the process of learning and not feel scared about it. Dryden, 1999) Motivation to Learn Let us stop for a moment and consider the word “formal”. This word has been used above in the context of generating the difference between theory and practice as it may be seen from a variety of perspectives. To begin with, a person’s formal education begins at school and goes on into college and higher institutions thereon. Yet, there is a strong play of “informal education” in a person’s life. (Beck, 1993) Informal education begins in a person’s life from the time he or she takes birth. Many studies and scientists believe that informal education or orientation towards one’s basic belief and value system begins once a child is conceived in a mother’s womb. According to numerous studies, a foetus responds to every little sound while in the mother’s womb. This is but a small example of informal training. Informal education by no means stops once a child enters an educational institution. Formal education through an educational institution simply sharpens the brains and prepares it to recognize those symbols that will bring a person towards actual worthwhile learning through external experiences. No theory is complete without practice. In fact, any theory that has been propounded without practice is a failure towards imbibing competency of any kind within any individual. (Adams, 2002) It has been believed, therefore, that formal and informal education stand at either side of a thin line. This thin line is the educational institution within which the individual is trained for taking life’s experiences in a certain way so as to make the most of the same in terms of worthwhile learning and practical application. Worthwhile learning and practical application are two important dimensions of any educational system. An educational system is the organization of knowledge that springs from experience, duly taught within an educational institution. So as one can see, it is a cycle of facts. Educational institutions create the scope for the application of facts and ideas within which an individual may measure and react to real life eventualities in the most effective manner. (Beck, 1993) This is true of any level of education – whether primary, secondary or even professional. At every level of education, worthwhile learning comes in phases where it is learnt through the basic teaching at the educational institutions. These facts are then correlated with the environment within which an individual thrives and grows through an on going process of learning. In this process of growing, no learning is worthless – in fact the experiences outside the educational system and the educational institution add credibility to the teaching that goes on within it. It may therefore be asserted that formal education is a process of teaching, whereas informal education is a process of learning. (Brearley, 1994) There is a vast difference between “knowing” and “learning”. In knowing and learning a certain skill, whether by birth or subsequent settlement, there is a certain amount of satisfaction that helps contribute to one’s sense of identity. Knowing here is the process of being aware of the theoretical part of the game. Learning is the part where a person actually plays this game as per the rules that had been taught within the educational system that he or she follows. The design of an educational system, in fact, must depend on the practical experiences outside it that make it worthwhile to teach and finally learn a particular thing. This brings into play the actual aptitude level of the individual and shows what he or she is best suited for in life. This also has certain mental implications as it shows the person’s basic aptitudes, besides brining him or her face to face with the challenges of implementing the learning that takes place through life’s experiences. This makes a person draw from experiences of the past, learn from present experiences and contribute to future experiences, which will shape his or her overall life experiences. This also renders a certain amount of creative and communicative competency to a person and his or her sense of confidence with which he or she carries out interpretations of situations and symbols when interacting with people. These interactions are the basis of life’s experiences and give a person the chance to learn about oneself as well as others. (Beck, 1993) For example, when people interact with each other, they learn so much. For starters, the way people react to each other teaches them about their flaws and plus points. That way, they learn important lessons when it comes to conducting oneself in various spheres of life – whether professional, personal or social. These are he three basic spheres within which a person operates. (Adams, 2002) Client’s Affiliation in the Learning Process In light of the above discussion regarding the learning process, the basic thing that comes to the fore as far as S.B is concerned is that he is not inclined towards aligning his informal means of learning with the formal means of learning. This in itself is a deterrent from full fledged cognitive development. S.B is affiliated to only the formal means of learning as the informal part was taken care of by his father. In this regard, it is important to note that he was only being “taught”, yet he was “learning” nothing. (Brearley, 1994) When faced with the challenge of taking to formal education without the support of his father’s informal means of teaching, S.B went into panic mode and decided that he was addicted to drugs. As his grades were falling, in his subconscious mind, the addiction to substances would be the only way he could avoid getting punished. He has been very clear in his mind of punishment, which is why he takes it so hard when he is not able to study or do well, for whatever reason. (Beck, 1993) S.B’s affiliation here needs to be changed. He needs to be initiated through more workshop activities into the informal modes of learning. Only in this way will he take pleasure in learning. Further, this will give him a sense of achievement and he will take the initiative to try something higher in order to further his achievements – i.e., formal learning. Once S. B takes to learning through his experiences, he will be able to relate the same to learning within the classroom as well. As discussed above, theory without practice is not real learning. In S. B’s case, there needs to be an initiation into practice first so as to slowly initiate him into theory as well. Only with practice will he be able to understand theory and take to it. This will create the willingness to learn more. (Adams, 2002) Cognitive Behavior Therapy According to the cognitive therapy model by Aaron Beck, the world of “automatic thoughts” is often formed by a person’s childhood impressions and experiences. In this case, cognitive theory has to reach out to S.B in order to create an atmosphere for learning which will extend into the three basic spheres of his life and thus change his basic cognitive setup through this therapy in context of worthwhile learning. (Beck, 1993) The phrase ‘worthwhile learning’ is of great importance here as S.B does not think of himself as competent enough to learn. So through his experiences, he has to be shown that he has learnt things that have shaped him and that the way he is positive. In this regard, he needs to know that he has learnt worthwhile things so that he is further motivated to try the same. (Adams, 2002) The therapy has been fashioned as follows to reach into the three basic spheres of his life in terms of worthwhile learning: 1. The Professional Sphere The professional sphere is one where a person practices his or her profession or basic occupation in life. This sphere may include one’s superiors, subordinates, colleagues, business partners, employees, and even external parties like buyers, suppliers, creditors, bankers, share holders and many more. The professional sphere adheres to the environment within which a particular profession is conducted in tandem with various other people and services. This may include medicine, law, engineering, management, information technology and many others including subsidiary fields. A profession is a body of knowledge that brings into being certain real life scenarios wherein this knowledge must be applied. Therefore, one finds that most middle level and higher level vacancies require a certain amount of years spent in “experience” apart from actual academic qualifications. (Aspin et al, 2001) This demonstrates the fact that actual learning takes place within the operational sphere of one’s profession – the experts agree that experience along with educational qualifications are preferred over educational qualifications without substantial experience. People with less experience are generally relegated to lower positions in their professions. Therefore, irrespective of the list of degrees one may have, one always has to start at the bottom of the ladder as far as professional experience is concerned. (Aspin et al, 2001) Professional experience helps a person translate theory into practice through the act of learning something new with each new scenario in the work place. This in itself is proof of the fact that worthwhile learning does not take place only within the educational institutions or the educational system it is something that needs to be experienced in order to be committed to one’s long term memory for future reference. These experiences thus serve the purpose of reference points in the future from which a professional can draw in order to mould theoretical learning in accordance with the situation at hand. (Adams, 2002) This very act of moulding theoretical learning with real life situations is what constitutes the realm of worthwhile learning. Experiences therefore shape the perception and actual use of theories that are taught within educational institutions. Within a profession, authenticity comes from the act of practicing theory. This opens the professional’s mind to a whole new world of practice based theory which in simpler terms translates to worthwhile learning beyond the educational institutions. (Aspin et al, 2001) 2. The Social Sphere The social sphere is one of the many levels at which learning takes place. Learning is an on going process that is garnered through interactions between people, cultures and regions at various levels. The social sphere is one where there is an exchange of ideas and recognition of personal values as well as flaws and plus points. (Byram, 1994) In this regard, it is necessary to shift focus to the process of worthwhile learning in the social sphere and garnering communicative competency. In the social sphere, this process is important in every individual’s life as the knowledge comes only after learning. The very process of learning is a journey throughout which an individual is brought face to face with experiences. These experiences form his or her general perspective on things. In this way, there is a certain level of competency which in turn, springs from the areas and experiences that a person finds comfortable to deal with. Learning within the social sphere is a crucial part of describing how theory shapes a person’s experiences. (Illich, 1973) These theories come to the fore in the course of a person’s competence to communicate ideas, notions and influencing factors regarding his or her culture. Here, it is imperative to point out that learning in the social sphere is a matter of putting across and exchanging worthwhile ideas, and notions so as to contribute to and enrich an individual’s basic sense of identity and personality. Interactions in the social sphere lead to the following factors that shape a person: Exchange of thoughts, facts and ideas regarding cultures Learning more about one’s own culture Creating impressions that enrich a person’s value and belief system. (Illich, 1973) Through these three basic functions, an individual creates communicative competency which furthers the cause of worthwhile learning. Experiences in the social sphere teach a person how to exchange ideas more than anything else. This leads to a powerful knowledge base that can be built up only outside the educational system. It is that sphere where a person learns how to communicate and influence people. This is an important part of learning as it imbibes a person with the attitude to take on challenges head on. (Adams, 2002) Learning will always remain a great challenge, and a matter of great satisfaction. While this is a matter of creating awareness when speaking in context of the social sphere, it is also a matter of creating certain comfort level that will trigger communicative competency in that sphere where a person’s personality is shaped through a plethora or social experiences. (Illich, 1973) To be more precise, learning worthwhile things in the social sphere can take place on the basis of the communicative approach – i.e., through reading, listening and repeating exercises that will prompt greater teacher – student interface and thus help correct any deviations on the spot. A vital element of this approach or model is communicative competency which is the goal that a learner strives to achieve when trying to imbibe, consciously or sub consciously, certain qualities into his or her basic personality through factors like awareness, hero worship or even simple observation. This in turn brings about the growth of a wide knowledge base upon which social skills are garnered and practices to perfection. (Illich, 1973) This communicative competency becomes the very fabric of a person’s life in the social sphere when it comes to understanding circumstances, people and cultures. This fact has special importance in the area of cognitive development. The cognitive development is the most basic and important sensor that differentiates between kinds of experiences. This sensor has to be honed right from the beginning of an individual’s life so that there is an affiliation in the child’s mind towards a culture and a place. In honing this part of one’s cognitive development, there is scope to increase his or her competency. (Burke, 2002) This cognitive development is a mere expression of a person’s ability to translate theory into practice. This is where worthwhile learning in the social sphere takes place in order to help a person develop into a sociable human being. This learning thus, takes place outside the educational environment, free from its formal system and organisation. (Burke, 2002) 3. The Personal Sphere The personal sphere is where one exercises one’s right over a certain domain. Yet, gaining this right is not an easy task. It is important for a person to learn about the personal value and judgment systems that surround him or her in the form of family and friends so as to handle them appropriately in terms of various situations. The competence that an individual demonstrates in terms of dealing with situations and people to exercise his or her right over a particular domain constitutes the worthwhile learning process in the personal sphere. (Aspin et al, 2001) The personal sphere derives its sense of communication at two levels: Verbal Communication Non Verbal Communication (Illich, 1973) Verbal communication is that level where people use sounds and words to get across to each other. This again has two levels of functions. The first level is where both people involved know each well and for a long time. In this case, then play of verbal communication is effortless and actually minimal. Here, it is imperative to mention another scenario. When two people who know each other well are interacting with a group of people or within a crowd, they tend to lean more towards verbal communication when speaking of one another. (Hollis, 2000) Yet, there is less verbal and more of non verbal communication in the same scenario when the two people in question are communicating with each within a group. These scenarios are important studies in group dynamics for the personal level of learning, as a lot of worthwhile learning takes place when a person communicates within a group. This helps the other person in he relationship, see the person in question in light of various ideas, characteristics and other such factors that are prevalent in group communications. This leads to various kinds of judgements on the basis of such worthwhile learning through shared experiences. (Illich, 1973) The second level of verbal communication takes place in instances where people are just getting to know each other in terms of forging new friendships or entering into new relationships. Here, the communication is more or less verbal as there is a lot of talking to do for the two people, or the group of people to get to know one another. This is in the early stages of any relationship where one needs to ‘hear it from the horse’s mouth’ before forming an opinion and going forward with the new relationship. It gives an individual an insight into his or her own preferences in terms of beliefs, values and characteristics desired in friends or spouses. (Illich, 1973) The power of learning through personal experiences and being able to communicate with someone at that level through those experiences plays a large role in the cognitive development of a person as well as his or her relationships. Through the medium of the personal sphere a person learns how to let down one’s guard to get to know someone better and to finally bring him or her into the personal realm of non verbal communication. This is an important aspect of worthwhile learning that takes place outside an educational system as it helps a person tackle various situations in the professional and the social sphere as well. (Burke, 2002) This in turn, helps the person develop in terms of trusting the teacher and sharing with the family. The ways and means of teaching or learning something worthwhile within the personal sphere can be formal or informal depending on the person’s stage in life. This has a strong bearing on what a person makes of a certain scenario and applied the same to his or her professional and social sphere as and when the need arises. In effect, it helps him or her strengthen personal beliefs when proven right and gives an insight into how change can brought about when proven wrong. (Wolf, 2002) The outcomes of this cognitive therapy for worthwhile learning outside an educational institution or system will be as follows in case of the client: Experience Identity Exposure Aptitude Knowledge and Skills Communication Patterns (Hollis, 2000) Role of Social Worker At this point, the role of the social worker comes into play through a variety of aspects. To begin with, the social worker is responsible for keeping the client’s personal information a secret. (Egan, 1998) Further, in the course of therapy, he or she must not let personal judgments affect the client’s progress or phase of therapy. In this case, since the emphasis is on learning, it is important for the social worker to simply bring the client to terms with the problems faced during childhood and dispel the fears born thereof through studied experiences. It is important for the social worker in this case to keep personal experiences and judgments out of the picture when shaping the client’s feelings and cognitive set up for better cognitive development. (Adams, 2002) References - Beck, A. (1993). Cognitive Therapy and the Emotional Disorders, NY: Penguin. - Adams, R., Dominelli, I. & Payne, M., (2002) Critical Practice in Social Work, Suffolk: Palgrave - Brearley, J. (1994) Counselling in Social Work, Buckingam: Open University Press - Dryden, W. (ed.) (1999) Key issues for Counselling in Action, 2nd edn. London: Sage - Egan, G. (1998) The Skilled Helper, 6th edn. Brooks-Cole - Goldstein, E. (1995) Ego Psychology and Social Work Practice, New York: Free Press - Heron, J. (2001) Helping the Client, 5th edn. London: Sage - Hollis, F. & Wood, M. (2000) Casework: A Psychological Therapy, 5th ed. New York: Random House -Lave, J. and Wenger, E. (1991) Situated Learning, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. -Lauder, H., Brown, P., Dillabough J-A. and Halsey, A.H. (2006) (eds) Education, Globalization and Social Change, Oxford: Oxford University Press. -Freire, P. (1972) Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Harmondsworth: Penguin. -Illich, I. (1973) Deschooling Society, Harmondsworth: Penguin. -Burke, P.J. (2002), Accessing Education effectively widening participation. Stoke-on-Trent: Trentham Books. -Aspin, D., Chapman, J., Hatton, M. and Sawano, Y. (eds) (2001), International handbook on lifelong learning. Dordecht; London: Kluwer. (Particularly the chapter about "Lifelong Learning and the contribution of Informal Learning) -Bruner, J. S. (1996), The culture of education. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. -Wolf, A. (2002), Does education matter? : myths about education and economic growth. London: Penguin. Read More