Human beings in the contemporary times are subjected to various kinds of problems like emotional, physical, mental and others because of the changing dynamics or the status quo of the society around them (Payne, 2015). Furthermore, it is also seen that they fail to cope up with these changes and the net result of this fact is that they fail to lead their as per their expectations (Rubin & Babbie, 2016). This can not only lead to an enhanced amount of frustration, anxiety, tension and other problems and it is precisely here that the role or the services rendered by the social workers or the counselors become very important (Whittaker et al., 2016). In this regard, I would like t say that for “Assessment 2” I was required to offer counseling services to an Indian patient who was having trouble to cope with the emotional strain of his marriage in Australia. The guy was tortured and also physically abused by his wife yet he was unable to leave her because of the cultural traditions and the values which his religion demanded him to follow. I tried to offer the guy help as per my expertise level as best as I could and advised him to leave his house in the scenario that the trauma and the abuse aggravated. This reflective essay will highlight the process of counseling offered by me to the Indian patient and the role that I played in the process of counseling.
Turner (2017) is of the opinion that counseling in the modern society has emerged as one of the most important professionals because of the increasing number of mental as well as emotional problems faced by the individual. Gould and Taylor (2017) are of the viewpoint that these counselors are not only required to analyze the emotional as well as the mental condition of the patients and also try to understand the root cause of their problems but also to offer them feasible solutions which would prove beneficial to them in the longer run. However, the counselors during the process of diagnosing also needs to take into effective consideration various factors like the cultural or the social background of the patients, the root cause of the problems faced by them and others and base the options or the advice offered by them to the patients on the basis of these factors (Knott & Scragg, 2016). This is precisely the approach that was adopted by me for the counseling of the Indian patients under discussion here.
Howe et al. (2018) are of the viewpoint that one of the most basic requirements of the profession of counseling is the fact that the counselors should not display emotional reactions to the problems or the dilemma of the patients. Being a student of counseling and also a future aspirant of the job role of counselor I made it a point that I would not display any emotional reaction to the problems narrated by the patient whom I was required to offer diagnosis. It was with this objective that I listened to the problems narrated by the patient in a totally objective and tried to link it with the other case studies that had been provided to us by our professor in the past by our professor. In addition to this, I also tried to correlate the problems faced by the patient with the theories and the other concepts that had been taught to me in the class so as to offer an effective solution to the patient. Thus, it can be said that by foregoing to have any emotional reaction to the case I was able to help out the patient in a more effective manner.
The notion of emotional wellbeing has emerged as one of the most important ones in the context of the modern society. As a matter of fact, it is seen that the majority of the patients that the counselors get are related to the problem of emotional wellbeing and the failure of the individuals to attain it (Howe, 2017). The patient whom I got was also suffering to a great extent with the problem of emotional wellbeing. For example, the guy was banking on the emotional support that he was entitled to get from his wife however his failure to get that support was the root cause of all the problems which were faced by him. In addition to this, the patient before for the counseling was not only feeling frustration but also an emotional void because of his gulf between the appearance and reality that he faced. For example, in the Indian cultural tradition the wives are required to support the husband emotionally and also take care of the household. However, the patient failed to get this kind of support from his wife. Thus, he himself told me that he before approaching me he was not only feeling betrayed, loss, frustrated but at the same time was even contemplating suicide as well.
Power dynamics suggest that place or the individual with which the actual power within the framework of an organization or relationship actually lies (Greene, 2017). In the case study, under discussion, the actual power dynamics within the relationship or the marriage was in the hands of the wife of the Indian guy. As a matter of fact, the guy was merely a victim of the misuse of the power wielded by his wife within the marriage. At the same time, it needs to be said this is in complete contradiction with the normal Indian cultural tradition wherein it is see that the actual power within a marriage or a relationship lies with the male members. This as a matter of fact aggravated the problem of the Indian guy even further since he was really finding it very hard to come out of the power dynamics of the relationships and also relationships which had been taught to him since childhood.
Knott and Scragg (2016) have stated that the effectiveness of the various counseling services offered by the counselors depends to a large extent on the style of communication adopted by the counselors during the time of counseling. The counselors are required to adopt the kind of communication style which besides making the patients feel comfortable also helps them to open up to the counselors and discuss their problems to them (Koprowska, 2014). This was precisely the thing which was done by me. I would like to say that I normally like to use a direct style of communication and generally like to come straight to the point. However, knowing the fact that the guy was undergoing serious emotional problems and as a matter of fact had developed trust issues over the years I decided to first indulge in some casual conversation with the guy regarding his family background, his job and others. Initially he was very hesitant and also reluctant and was answering the questions asked by me in single words. However, when I saw that he beginning to develop trust on me and answer the questions asked by me in a serious manner I decided to ask the main questions which were likely to help me to understand the root cause of the problems faced by him and also to analyze the condition of the patient in an objective manner. Thus, it can be said that the communication style adopted by me for the process of diagnosing the patient was not only an adequate one but at the same time it helped me to resolve the problems faced by the patient in an effective manner.
The “AASW Code of Ethics” articulates the values as well as the responsibilities of the social works and also the ethical factors that they are required to take into effective consideration for the process of their work (Aasw.asn.au, 2018). Furthermore, the effective utilization of these ethics not only enables the social workers to address the problems faced by the individuals in an ethical manner but also in a way which is suitable for the case (Thompson, 2015). The primary ethical values that the social workers need to follow are respect for individuals, integrity and social justice (Aasw.asn.au, 2018). In the case under discussion here, I tried to use all three ethics that I was required to follow. For example, during the entire process of counseling that I ensured that I provided to the right kind of respect to the character or the personality of the patient. Thus, rather than disrespecting the individual or trying to show the faults of his in the situation in which he was I tried to offer him the right kind of options that were likely to help him in a substantial manner. In addition to this, I also tried to use the dictum of social justice as well for the counseling of the patient. For example, the patient had two children and thus the solutions that I offered him took into perspective the factor of justice and also the wellbeing of these two children as well rather than solely the social justice of the patient since the case clearly revealed that the social justice of the patient was infringed. At the same time, I prescribed the patient that he should show integrity of character and take ownership of the situation in which he found himself.
The counseling that I offered to the patient was not only from the perspective of the patient but at the same time from my perspective as well. For example, the counseling clearly indicated my own personal strengths as well as weaknesses as a counselor. Thus, during the course of the counseling I found that the communication style used by me was an effective one and suited the professional work of counseling. Furthermore, at the same time, I found that I was being able to analyze the situation of the patient in an objective manner and also to detach my own personal emotions from the emotions of the patients. This not only enabled me to find out the root cause of the problems faced by the patient but also enabled me to propose the kind of solutions which are likely to help the patient in a substantial manner. However, the counseling section at the same time highlighted the weaknesses of mine as a professional counselor as well. For example, the case clearly indicated that I lacked cultural competency and this was one of the major reasons why I was not able to understand the magnanimity of the problem faced by the patient. In addition to this, the case also revealed the fact that I need to work in an effective manner on the use of the “AASW Code of Ethics” and also take the help of the various ethics and other considerations for providing meaningful counseling services to the patients.
In the present times it is seen that various social work theories have gained prominence and some of the most commonly used ones by the various workers are psychosocial needs theory, cognitive theory, psychodynamic theory, family life cycle theory and others (Gould & Taylor, 2017). The emergence of these diverse kinds of theories clearly point towards the increasing prominence that the genre of social work is gaining in the contemporary times. Howe et al. (2018) are of the viewpoint that these theories not only enable the social workers to address the problems faced by the patients in an effective manner but at the same time help them to propose suggestions through which these issues faced by the patients can be mitigated. In addition to this, these plethoras of theories also equip the social workers with the necessary tools through which the needs of each of the patients can be analyzed in an objective manner and thereby solutions can be proposed to them on the basis of the precepts of these theories (Whittaker et al., 2016). Thus, it can be said that the emergence of these theories of social work have greatly improved the quality of the social work done by the social workers. The role of communication in the process of social work can in no way be negated and it helps the social workers to understand the problems or the issues faced by the patients in an effective manner (Greene, 2017). However, the social worker needs to modify the communication process used by them on the basis of the patients with whom they are dealing with (Thompson, 2015). Thus, in the case under discussion here I used a communication style which suited the needs of the patient and also tried to take the help of the social work theories of psychosocial theory, cognitive theory, family life cycle theory and others.
To conclude, the field of social work is gaining unprecedented prominence within the canon of the modern day world. This can be seen as a result of the difficulty of the human beings to deal with emotional reactions caused by the external environment. However, there are various factors that the counselors needs to take into effective consideration for the process of the diverse social works that they perform like the communication style used by them, emotional detachment, ability to analyze the case in an objective manner and others. In addition to these, the counselors are also required to observe the guidelines of the AASW Code of Ethics” for the services that they render to the patients.
References
Aasw.asn.au (2018). Code Of Ethics. [online]. Retrieved from https://www.aasw.asn.au/document/item/1201
Gould, N., & Taylor, I. (2017). Reflective learning for social work: research, theory and practice. Routledge.
Greene, R. R. (2017). Human Behavior Theory and Professional Social Work Practice. In Human Behavior Theory and Social Work Practice (pp. 31-62). Routledge.
Howe, D. (2017). An introduction to social work theory. Routledge.
Howe, D., Kohli, R., Smith, M., Parkinson, C., McMahon, L., Solomon, R., … & Walsh, J. (2018). Relationship-based social work: Getting to the heart of practice. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Knott, C., & Scragg, T. (Eds.). (2016). Reflective practice in social work. Learning Matters.
Koprowska, J. (2014). Communication and interpersonal skills in social work. Learning Matters.
Payne, M. (2015). Modern social work theory. Oxford University Press.
Rubin, A., & Babbie, E. R. (2016). Empowerment series: Research methods for social work. Cengage Learning.
Thompson, N. (2015). Understanding social work: Preparing for practice. Macmillan International Higher Education.
Turner, F. J. (2017). Social work treatment: Interlocking theoretical approaches. Oxford University Press.
Whittaker, C. E., Forrester, D., Killian, M., & Jones, R. K. (2016). Can we reliably measure social work communication skills?. International Journal of Child and Family Welfare (IJCFW) 2016-Jrg 17-Nr 1/2: Investigating interactions: The dynamics of relationships between clients and professionals in child welfare, 17(1/2), 47-63.
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