The Use of Self in Social Work Practice - Essay Example

 Abstract The person of a social worker or the social worker’s self can be very constructively used in social work encounters in order to produce positive outcomes, help clients develop more meaningful and open relationships with social workers and quickly as well as informally solve problems. A social worker’s self can be manifested and presented in a complex manner during a social work encounter. However, a trained social worker will know something about their self and how this self can be used to help their clients. Because the self can be a powerful instrument in helping individuals overcome their trials and tribulations, the study of self and its use is important in the training of a social worker. Learning about the self can not only assist individuals become better social workers, but also better educators, health professionals, therapists and just about almost anything else. Having discovered something about one’s self, there ought to be a heightened sense of self-awareness and an ability to use the self positively in an effort to having fruitful social work encounters. The best self that can be presented is likely to be robust, strong and sturdy, but mindful of its imperfections and human weaknesses. Although knowledge of the self does not guarantee that a social worker will be able to have great success with all their clients, this knowledge certainly opens up the avenues for providing more meaningfully as well as constructively help to others. In this brief paper, an attempt has been made to discover the meaning of self in social work and its positive use in social work encounters to assist others in a variety of ways. Introduction Social work and the social worker are both important for the society as well as the community because social work and the social workers are responsible for the enhancement of individual well-being in the society at large. Social work has been defined as (Baumeister, 1999, Pp 1 – 20) and (IUC Journal of Social Work, 2001, Issue 7): “The social work profession promotes social change, problem solving in human relationships and the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance well-being. Utilizing theories of human behavior and social systems, social work intervenes at the points where people interact with their environments. Principles of human rights and social justice are fundamental to social work.” (www.ifsw.org) From protecting children, looking after the unemployed to caring for the elderly and others going through trauma or grief in their lives, the social worker plays an important role in the uplift of the community and the society at large. Although the social worker’s role is important to the community, there are, however, ethical and good practice considerations that have to be kept in mind when practicing social work. Social workers have to live within the limits that are imposed by the law and may also have to work against prejudice in order to make a difference for the better. Social workers have to be clear about what is expected of them and what can be considered to be a job well done. The personal histories and characteristics of social workers can influence their work with clients. Social workers cannot violate professional boundaries, but the positive use of counter-transference can assist in elevating the self-esteem of others and heighten the alliance. Social work assists in the process of collective soul loss and a social worker has to fight for compassion and justice while helping those who have suffered from misfortunes. The person of the social worker or what is known as the social worker’s self can assist in the process of bringing about well being in those who have suffered from misfortunes. How the social worker’s self is manifested during social work encounters and practice can make a lot of difference to the outcome of the efforts that are directed for the benefit of those who are in need of the social worker’s assistance (Jung, 2001, Complete Article) and (Kulmala, 2002, Pp 1 – 10). The social worker’s self is a multifaceted, positive and integrated entity. The social worker’s self consists of the social worker’s professional knowledge, skills, beliefs, values, thoughts, personal style, relationships with others and their unconscious. The self of the social-worker, or for that matter anyone, has the capacity to change over time in different environments and with different clients. However, along with the capacity for change, there are also notions of stability and consistency. Although self – awareness as well as various personal and professional constraints can limit the involvement of the self in a healing process, at the very least constructive therapeutic alliances may be had as a result of the positive use of the self. Contemporary trends in technique are moving more toward encouraging the social worker, who may also be considered to be a therapist, to be aware of and use his or her “real” self in the relationship with clients. It is, therefore, desirable that a social worker takes an inventory of the self, develop self knowledge and accept the risks that may arise to their self as a result of their work. The “empirical self” may be considered to be the way in which individuals think about themselves. The empirical self may also be considered to be made up of the “material self” referred to the tangible objects, people, or places that influence the self; the “social self’ referred to how we are regarded and recognized by others; and the “spiritual self” referred to our inner self. The relationship between a social worker and a client is a very close relationship full of acceptance, authenticity, warmth, personal devotion, passion and love. The social worker and client are not on the same level, however. The client is in a position of not knowing and depending upon the social worker. It is the right of every client to expect help from a social worker and this help is not just about moral or ethical principles, because institutions care about it. Although a social worker may not have any intention of revealing his or her self to a client, the client will still pick up some signals from what they see and hear. The social worker’s gender, office furniture, age, dress, manner of speaking, the organization for which a social worker performs social duties and even the referral process used becomes a part of the self which plays a part in the process of being assisted (Reupert, 2004, Pp 17 – 65) and (Flaker, 2001, Complete). In this essay, an attempt has been made to take a look at how the self of a social worker may be used positively in social encounters related to social work, in order to bring about more positive outcomes. The Positive Use of Self in Social Work Practice It is important to build a relationship with a client in order to be in a better position to assist and understand their requirements and determine the appropriate assistance for a client. Conveying respect for a client, listening carefully and building trust can make a client open up and be better assisted. Understanding clients and their pain as well as staying with them in order to help can be positive, not only for the client but also for the social worker who can build up a reputation that can assist them in their future work. Using personal relationships and experiences to understand what a client may be going through can be useful in helping the client. Many a times, the relationships that a social worker has built up in the community may be used to provide relatively quick assistance for a client, if warranted, without lengthy administrative processes and this can prevent in problems getting magnified in a highly informal manner (Hartog, 2004, Pp 1 – 50) and (Jung, 2001, Complete). Being able to understand one’s own emotions and reactions can be used to correctly interpret the emotions as well as reactions of a client who is interacting with a social worker. The understanding of social work theory and how it can be applied to social work practice is also highly dependant on the self. If a social worker were to try and analyze social work theory, practice, encounters and their own self from time to time, they are very likely to get a better understanding of social work theory and its application. If a social worker were to verbally disclose a bit about them along with how they had dealt with certain situations for themselves or for others, then this is likely to make their client connect better and have a higher level of confidence. Identification with some other social workers can also serve as a constructive disclosure of the self. Self disclosure can, however, be counter productive for constructive work if the client repeatedly asks about the social worker’s self, because by doing this it is the client who gains control and moves away from the problems that have to be resolved. The self can be used to provide a focus in attempts to resolve a crisis that has brought the client to the social worker. The social worker’s self can be used purposefully to select the type of questions asked, remedial decisions taken and advice given to the client. The course of action that is most appropriate for a client can be best selected by using the self. Humor in a social worker is a great asset which can not only ease the burden of social work and social work related encounters, but a humorous attitude can also be used for building great relationships with a client in need, ease their burdens and make them develop a light hearted as well as positive attitude about the problems that they may be facing. Humor is, however, not useful for all clients or situations and hence, a humorous attitude has to be used judiciously (Reupert, 2004, Pp 114 – 189). It is important for a social worker to use power and take over by assuming a leadership position when the situation warrants such an action. After all, the reason why a client is in need of the assistance of a social worker is because they have lost control and although humor can build trust and help individuals open up, the use of a power position can help the client do those things which are likely to assist them to solve their problems. The stage at which a power position should be assumed is when the social worker has gathered all the information that is related to a case or a situation, considered this information carefully and decided what action a situation warrants. Resolving a client’s problems in a social work situation not only demands having power over the client, but also having power over others including agencies or departments which may be in a position to assist with the client’s predicament. This position and application of power can be assisted by legal procedures. However, a successful social worker also attempts to maintain relationships with others who can assist their clients (Clapton, 2004, Pp 3 – 15). A social worker should take appropriate care to maintain their stature as role models in a community and this role model can be projected on to a client in order to assist them to overcome a crisis or solve a problem. A social worker’s self provides those who need their services with a model for interpersonal skills, problem – solving attitudes, conflict resolution techniques and relaxation techniques. The emotions and the mood of a social worker can influence the mood and emotions of their encounter in a social work encounter. The social worker’s self has the capacity to influence the mood and the effective state of mind of their client. Hence, it is appropriate for a social worker to maintain control of their mood and emotions, even though they may themselves be going through trying times, because they are better trained to deal with situations. Communicating with clients using metaphors and narratives, or presenting personal experiences with metaphors can be used indirectly to provide the client with an education which can be of benefit in resolving their problems and getting them back on to the path to healing (Reupert, 2004, Pp 114 – 189). The key function of the self in social work encounters is associated with building relationships with the client. It has to be realized, however, that the involvement of the self in an encounter has to be carefully managed. Experience is the best teacher, but social workers are also humans and sometimes the fine line that they are attempting to tread can cause them to slip. This should not be considered as a failure and can serve as a positive experience for the future. Experiences that have gone on to build up the self can sometimes impede progress in an encounter. Hence, it is important to reflect on what has been happening to try to do the best that is possible in a situation. Spirituality can play a significant role in having a holistic attitude towards trying to produce a positive outcome in a social work encounter. Concepts such as purpose and meaning in life, transcendence, connectedness, values, and beliefs can assist a client overcome a difficult problem in their life. However, with all respect to those who are spiritually inclined, it is demonic to try to use religion as a powerful instrument to have power over others and a social worker who keeps using religious ideals to promote the self of the social worker can be thought of as being repulsive as well as being a hypocrite. Spirituality should, nevertheless, be explored because such an exploration is likely to assist in identifying, categorizing and refining the spirituality of the self and its application to social work encounters (Canada, 1997, Chapters 4 and 5). Conclusion The self is something which is very much a part of a social worker and can manifest itself in their personality, approach to solving problems, interactions with others as well as social work encounters. However, unlike an individual who is not aware of the notion of self and how this can be selectively controlled, the trained social worker should have reflected on their self and the manner in which their personality, style of communication, experience as well as knowledge can be very constructively used to assist their clients overcome their problems and grief. References / Bibliography 1. American Counselling Association. (1995).American Counselling Association Code of Ethics. American Counselling Association. 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IDENTIFICATION OF THE SPIRITUAL NURSING CARE PRACTICES OF VOLUNTEER PARISH NURSES. California State University, San Bernardino. Retrieved: June 18, 2005. From: http://www.redlandshospital.com/Links/Pastoral%20Care%20Thesis%20for%20Website.htm 15. Sacco, Therese. (2000). Social Work and Spirituality in an African Context. Bemidji State University. Retrieved: June 18, 2005. From: http://www.bemidjistate.edu/sw_journal/issue1/pdf/sacco.pdf 16. Strobel, Bettina. (2001). Challenges within daily practice of a German social worker in family service. IUC Journal of Social Work. Journal Issue 7, 2003 / 2004. Retrieved: June 18, 2005. From: http://www.bemidjistate.edu/sw_journal/issue7/articles/Challenges%20within%20practice.htm Read More