Provide a suggestion for how a social worker could help clients to understand and make meaning of the trauma within the clients values and belief framework

Colleague 1

RE: Discussion 1 – Week 10

In 1 sentence, identify an existential question with which you have grappled in relation to a client who has been traumatized.

I’ll use the case of Tiffani as an illustration of trauma in this discussion.

Why would a family member (Uncle Nate) abuse a young child? How is it possible for parents to neglect their child?

Reflect on your fieldwork, or perhaps identify an existential question that might arise in working with the client in the case study you have selected throughout the course.

In 3–4 brief sentences, describe where there is potential for growth for the client as a result of the trauma.

Tiffani has the ability to evolve since she has been able to learn how to endure the unhealthy relationships she has been in. She currently pursues a general education development (GED) credential, which will probably give her access to new opportunities for personal development. Although Tiffani is unsure about the best course of action, whether to stay with Donald or return to her family, this conundrum offers a chance for growth because it may cause her to reconsider her feelings toward her family.

In 3–4 brief sentences, explain where there is potential for growth for you, the social worker, as a result of listening to the client’s stories and bearing witness to their trauma.

As a social professional, hearing Tiffani’s story would help me become better at expressing and maintaining optimism for her healing from her trauma. I would far more effectively communicate the feeling of compassion to people who had gone through comparable things. I would consider myself to be a learner rather than an expert in order to experience growth. Additionally, by paying close attention to Tiffani’s experience during the process, I can learn how to assist her and how to alleviate her pain in order to bring about the desired metamorphosis.

Describe any challenges you may experience between the meaning you hold based on your personal beliefs and working within the client’s potentially different belief framework.

Tiffani, who is of German ancestry, was raised by Christians. Due to my African American heritage as a social worker, the client and I may hold different cultural viewpoints towards certain topics, such as the client’s promiscuity and her perception of her family and siblings based on her experiences with them (Vis & Boynton, 2008). It would be difficult because we would each see a similar problem from a different perspective if her faith and spirituality were different from mine.

 

 

References

Czyżowska, N., Kalus, A., Raszka, M., & Czyżowska, D. (2021, March 12). Posttraumatic Growth and Spirituality in Mothers of Children with Pediatric Cancer. NCBI. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7999482/

 

Colleague 2- Deanna

Identify an existential question with which you have grappled concerning a client who has been traumatized.

 

The question is for Sam from the case study. Why would you choose alcohol as a coping mechanism knowing your wife is against it, and it prevents you from interacting with your children?

Describe where there is potential for client growth as a result of the trauma (3–4 brief sentences).

 

If he can answer the existential question, he can begin the healing process by developing the ability to talk about trauma without causing additional pain. Vis and Boynton (2008) report that paying attention to the spiritual aspect of posttraumatic growth is beneficial to reorient lives, consider priorities, and finding solace. Therefore, the growth potential exists because Sam was raised with a solid religious background.

 

Explain where there is potential for your growth as a social worker as a result of listening to the client’s stories and bearing witness to their trauma (3–4 brief sentences).

 

Growth for me as a social worker would include the development of knowledge, skills, and tools needed to work with clients, listening to client’s stories, and normalizing and validating client’s feelings and experiences by helping them understand current challenges that because of past victimization while maintaining a neutral stance (Knight, 2015).

 

Describe any challenges you may experience between the meaning you hold based on your personal beliefs and working within the client’s potentially different belief framework.

 

I have been concerned about a possible challenge since learning about it is countertransference when assisting clients with substance abuse. A neutral stance will help me maintain my beliefs when working with potentially different views. Knight, 2015 explains that countertransference is over-identification and rescuing behavior. She also suggests that to minimize countertransference, one should “practice self-care strategies that focus on nurturing oneself, establishing fulfilling relationships, and being proactive in managing stress (Knight, 2015, p. 33)”.

 

References

Turner, F. J. (Ed.). (2017). Social work treatment: Interlocking theoretical approaches (6th ed.). Oxford University Press.

Vis, J.-A. & Boynton, H. M. (2008). Spirituality and transcendent meaning making: Possibilities for enhancing posttraumatic growth. Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work, 27(1/2): 69–86.

Knight, C. (2015). Trauma-informed social work practice: Practice considerations and challenges. Clinical Social Work Journal, 43(1), 25–37. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-014-0481-6

SAMPLE ANSWER

Provide a suggestion for how a social worker could help clients to understand and make meaning of the trauma within the client’s values and belief framework.

Introduction

Social workers provide services to people who experience life crises, such as divorce or the death of a loved one. They help clients identify and solve problems by working with them in a collaborative way. Social workers listen carefully to their clients and help them understand their strengths and abilities, not just their limitations or needs. Social workers also assist clients in identifying resources that can be used to provide some relief from stressors they face every day while also enhancing self-esteem through increased awareness of what matters most to them as human beings.

Social work practice is based on the understanding that everyone is capable of growth and change.

Social work practice is based on the understanding that everyone is capable of growth and change. This belief is based on the premise that people have the capacity to change their situation, or their attitudes towards it, as well as themselves. Social workers believe that people can be helped by therapists and other professionals in order to help them see what they can do for themselves rather than always being dependent on others for support.

Social workers are trained to work with clients who may have experienced trauma such as abuse or neglect at some point in their lives – this includes all ages from newborns through seniors over 65 years old!

Social workers value and respect the inherent dignity and worth of each person’s unique life experiences.

Social workers value and respect the inherent dignity and worth of each person’s unique life experiences. Social workers affirm the worth of each person, helping clients to see their own worth. They also respect clients’ rights to self-determination, privacy, confidentiality and self-esteem.

Social workers are trained professionals who provide services to people with disabilities or other barriers that affect their ability to fully participate in society.

Social workers help people identify their own strengths and abilities, not just their needs or limitations.

Social workers help people identify their own strengths and abilities, not just their needs or limitations.

Social workers help clients understand that they have the power to change how they think about themselves so that they can better cope with life’s challenges. Here are some suggestions for how a social worker could work with this concept:

• Discuss self-esteem as an important part of one’s identity and personality development; this includes issues such as whether one has low self-esteem, high self-esteem and how these relate to other parts of life (e.g., friendships).

• Describe ways in which individuals can improve their self-awareness by paying attention to changes within themselves over time (e.g., noticing new things about yourself).

Social workers provide an atmosphere in which clients may feel safe in revealing themselves, so that their self-esteem can be enhanced.

Social workers provide an atmosphere in which clients may feel safe in revealing themselves, so that their self-esteem can be enhanced. This is done through being nonjudgmental, accepting, respectful and empathetic.

Nonjudgmental: The ability to listen without judging the person you are talking with. The social worker must not judge or critique what the client tells him/her; instead he/she should focus on guiding them towards finding solutions for their problems rather than pointing out mistakes or faults in the client’s behavior (Gubrium & Holstein 1990).

Accepting: A person who accepts another person’s difference without making judgments about it (Gubrium & Holstein 1990). For example, a social worker who has been trained on cultural competence would not make assumptions about how an African American family behaves because she knows that there could be many reasons behind why they act differently from other families living in America today (Lader 2002).

Respecting: A term used when referring to someone’s feelings or opinions regarding something; this includes respecting individual differences as well as respecting others’ viewpoints even though we may disagree with theirs at times (Lader 2002). For example if someone feels strongly about something like animal rights then his views should still be respected even though he disagrees with them because he has expressed himself clearly enough so everyone else knows exactly where he stands on this issue!

Social workers are nonjudgmental, having respect for human diversity, including race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, mental or physical impairment, socioeconomic status and cultural background.

You are a social worker. What do you do?

Social workers have a mission to help people who are vulnerable in society or who need support in their daily lives. They try to provide support by listening, understanding, and offering advice on how best to address their needs. In this way, social workers often provide assistance through counseling and other forms of therapy but also work with clients on a case-by-case basis as well as provide education about resources available for treatment or recovery from an abusive relationship or trauma (e.g., domestic violence).

As part of this process it is important for you to recognize that each person has unique characteristics including race/ethnicity; gender identity; sexual orientation; mental health status such as depression symptoms associated with low self-esteem because they feel worthless due perhaps too much time spent thinking negatively about themselves than those around them who may see only beauty inside them instead of flaws outside themselves where none exist at all!

Social workers recognize the importance of client self-determination and encourage clients to exercise choice in planning and implementing their own social work services.

Social workers recognize the importance of client self-determination and encourage clients to exercise choice in planning and implementing their own social work services. Social workers should be nonjudgmental, accepting of all clients, respectful of their values and beliefs, and supportive of their choices as they strive toward self-sufficiency.

Social workers can help clients understand how trauma has affected them by providing information about the impact of violence on children (e.g., CSC’s Child Sexual Abuse section). They can also explain how trauma affects individuals over time through an approach that emphasizes cognitive restructuring (i.e., changing distorted beliefs about the world).

Social workers provide assistance to others who are qualified to help clients with problems that are beyond the scope of social work expertise, such as legal issues or medical treatment.

Social workers should not try to solve problems that are beyond their expertise. For example, if you are a social worker and your client is having trouble paying bills or making ends meet, it may be appropriate for you to help them with these issues by providing advice and guidance. However, if the issue is more complicated than what you can handle on your own or if it involves other professionals in addition to yourself (e.g., an accountant), then it is best for you not only because of the time needed but also because this type of assistance could lead clients down paths that benefit neither themselves nor those whom they ask for assistance from.

Social workers are often asked by clients how long they need before getting back into society after experiencing trauma due specifically because there has been little research done on how long this process takes; however there are several factors which affect one’s ability

to leave traumatic situations such as lack of resources such as money/food etc.; feeling unsafe while traveling alone so therefore choosing not go anywhere at all instead staying home alone without friends around them anymore; feeling scared every time something happens around here like hearing gunshots outside my window everyday would mean someone might shoot me dead right there standing next door neighbor house within seconds.”

A social worker should be accepting and nonjudgmental when working with a client who has experienced trauma.

A social worker should be accepting and nonjudgmental when working with a client who has experienced trauma. Acceptance means that you are willing to listen to the client without judging them. You can help the client understand and make meaning of the trauma within their values and belief framework by being open-minded, patient and non-judgmental in your approach.

The manner in which we respond to people is often based on how we were treated ourselves as children – if we were treated poorly then our responses will reflect this; if they were kind then so will ours – this is why it’s so important for social workers not only act compassionately themselves but also teach others how best do so!

Conclusion

In summary, being a social worker is about helping people who are in crisis or suffering. A social worker should be accepting and nonjudgmental when working with a client who has experienced trauma. This is especially important because it can be difficult for clients to express their feelings, especially if they have not been able to talk about them before. Social workers also need to understand that not all trauma survivors seek help from professionals; some may be able to handle their situation on their own or with the help of family members or friends. The importance of keeping this in mind cannot be overstated because it will ultimately affect how well your relationship develops over time.