Engagement Strategy for Faith

Introduction

The essence of effective counseling is not in trying to totally understand right from the start the clients storybut rather in communicating genuine empathy and compassion so that the client feels comfortable enough to actually begin to share. That is why it is important for a social worker to be able to draw upon a range of counseling skills, such as the skill of furthering responses or focusing, for it is through the application of these skills that one can create a therapeutic environment where a client like Faith feels truly heard and supported and willing to share her story. This paper looks at the application of these skills and others, and discusses how they can be used to establish a connection with Faith and what ethical guides are available to help as well.

Skills of Engagement

Engagement is a foundational skill in social work practice. It involves establishing a collaborative relationship with the client. It is typically characterized by having and conveying a sense of mutual respect, trust, and understanding between practitioner and client. According to Sheafor and Horejsi (2006), engagement is the initial phase of the helping process where the social worker and client come to understand one another and establish a working relationship. Key skills of engagement include active listening, demonstrating empathy, asking open-ended questions, and validating the client's feelings and experiences.

Application of Engagement Skills to Faiths Scenario

There are many ways to engage a client, and more will be said on this in the following sections, but for now, a quick example shows how active listening, open-ended questions, and validation (along with empathy demonstrations) can all be used to help. For example, given Faith's history and the emotional weight of her experiences, one would do well just to listen actively to her. This means being fully present, not interrupting, and giving her the space to share her story. Likewise, one would do well to show empathy, which is really just about understanding without judgment or criticism and sharing the feelings of another. Asking questions like, "How do you feel about graduating?" or "What are your hopes for the future?" can be helpful in terms of encouraging a client like Faith to open up and share more about her feelings and concerns. And validating Faith's feelings about her disability, her relationship with her mother, and her fears about the future can help her feel acknowledged and understood.

Internal Responses to Faiths Scenario

It is natural for social workers to have internal responses when hearing a client's story. Faith's story could prompt feelings of sympathy, admiration for her academic achievements despite her challenges, or concern about her increasing isolation. It is important to be able to recognize these feelings, as they can influence the therapeutic relationship. Self-awareness and reflection are necessary so that a social worker's personal feelings do not overshadow the client's needs.

NASW Code of Ethics and Decision Making

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics provides guidelines for social workers so that they can act in the best interests of their clients and in an ethical manner. Several principles are applicable in Faith's case.

Self-Determination (1.02)

Faith has the right to make decisions about her life. As a social worker, one must respect her choices, even if they differ from what the social worker might consider "best" for her.

Cultural Awareness and Social Diversity (1.05)

Faith's experiences with disability might shape her worldview. The social worker should approach her with cultural humility and not presume to have walked in her shoes so to speak.

Privacy and Confidentiality (1.07)

Faith's story is deeply personal. The social worker must, therefore, protect her...…you feel that in some way, your mother is responsible for your disability, even though you know it's not founded on factual reasons?" This would show understanding and also gives Faith with an opportunity to reflect on her feelings.

Open-ended and/or Closed-ended Responses

Open-ended responses encourage elaboration and exploration, while closed-ended responses seek specific information and can restrict the client's response (Corey, 2016). To understand Faith's anxiety about college, I might ask an open-ended question like, "What are your main concerns about going to college?" Or, to gather specific information, a closed-ended question like, "Have you visited any college campuses yet?" might be appropriate.

Seeking Concreteness

Seeking concreteness involves prompting the client to provide specific details rather than speaking in generalities (Ivey et al., 2018). If Faith mentions feeling isolated, I might ask, "Can you give me an example of a time recently when you felt particularly isolated?" This encourages her to provide specific instances, which can offer more insight into her experiences.

Focusing

Focusing involves directing the onversation to specific topics or feelings that are crucial to the therapeutic process (Egan, 2013). Due to Faith's different experiences and age, it might be easy for sessions to veer off track. If Faith starts discussing less pertinent topics, I might gently steer the conversation back by saying, "I understand that's important, but I'd like to focus on your feelings about college right now. Can we discuss that?"

Conclusion

Engaging Faith using these counseling skills can help the social worker have a deeper understanding of her experiences and emotions. The social worker must focus on active listening, seeking clarity, and directing the conversation in a therapeutic manner, so as to create a supportive environment where Faith feels heard, understood, and empowered. This will help her to trust the social worker and become willing to begin working through her own challenges…