Self-Reflection Essay

Self-Reflection Essay

By

Nadja N. Daniels

Case Western Reserve University

This essay is completed for Professor Beth Shapiro for the course SASS 477 - Direct Practice Foundations Methods Skills on May 11, 2015.

When looking at the nature of relationships in social work settings, it is important that clear and direct boundaries are established both personally and professionally.  When working with clients I cannot interact with those I desire to help and serve without developing a relationship.  This is where I as the professional must distinguish the boundaries that must be set with the client.  There are two types of relationships that I must define.  First there are personal relationships which I understand to be a relation or human interaction through close connections.  I define a professional relationship as a relationship that exists between two people and one person seeks and is granted professional help from another who is an experienced and qualified professional.

The differences between the two can sometimes be difficult to distinguish for both the client and the professional.  In my interactions with my clients, I can identify that there are times when professional boundaries can be fluid, in which we may interact on a more friendly level than should be.  We may laugh and joke or appear to be peers rather than case manager client.  There is nothing inappropriate or ethically wrong being done, but there is a level of friendliness that borders on being more than professional.  I think that this is due to the fact that I am a former client of the agency and I relate with my clients on a personal level when identifying areas of addiction, treatment, and recovery.  When I choose self-disclosure to clients it is for the benefit of the therapeutic relationship and way to relate to them and provide hope for their situations.

However; it is the responsibility of me as the professional to uphold my professional boundary with my clients.  I am learning that it is okay that I am friendly with the client, but at no time am I to be their friend.  As the professional I must maintain a healthy boundary that does not go beyond the case manager/client relationship or else I risk setting the tone for events or attempts from the client to have a non-professional relationship.

Values constitute beliefs on how the world should be in terms of behavior and conditions of life. We all develop personal and professional values, they can be the same, but they can also be different.  For example, because I am a person in recovery from substance abuse, my personal value of remaining abstinent from all mood altering substances including tobacco must reflect my professional role and value as a professional in a substance abuse treatment setting.  In contrast to my personal value of abstinence, I must be aware that everyone in treatment and recovery is subject to relapse and I cannot let my personal view reflect on a client that has a “slip” or relapse.  I must remain professional, supportive and continue to guide them in their process of recovery.  

My personal values are those that I choose to follow that dictate how I behave and what is important in my life.  I believe that my personal values are very much in line with the professional values that are upheld in the social work profession.  My definition of professional values are the right to dignity for all people and to be treated with dignity and respect.  All people have the freedom of choice and have access to any needed resources that will enhance or promote their well-being.   Valuing people is the basis of the social work profession and it is a value that I personally and professionally uphold.  My goal in my present position as case manager is to provide guidance and services to my clients.  There must always be the distinction of my personal and professional roles and values and I must always place the service to the client above any and all personal or professional interest.  

When looking at choice of variables to discuss I will focus on the three of race, sexual orientation, and spirituality.  

The factor of race has the potential to have a great impact on the therapeutic relationship.  Race is an important variable to discuss in seeking to determine a client’s willingness to seek and become involved in therapeutic services.  My personal and idealistic belief is that race and ethnicity should not play a role in determining a client’s utilization of treatment services.  However, in being a realist, I must understand that in some circumstances this variable can be a determinant in seeking treatment or assistance.  As a professional it is the goal of the social worker to provide services regardless of racial differences.   When working with clients, social workers are required to be culturally competent as not to offend or treat with disrespect or disregard those who are different from the therapist.  

When a client and worker are of the same culture or race it may feel to the client that they are easier to relate to than someone of a different ethnic background.  There are many reasons for this perception.  One could be the fact that the client can feel a kinship and bond with someone similar to them.  This could be an advantage to the therapeutic relationship in regard that they feel more comfortable letting themselves be open and vulnerable.  It is not uncommon that African Americans seek mental health treatment from other African Americans.  Unfortunately, through life experiences or a feeling of mistrust, African Americans tend to feel no sense of connection to therapist of another race.  All clients want to have a sense of security and understanding when seeking mental health counseling and it is important that the therapist convey this through rapport building with the client.

Working with clients of different racial or cultural backgrounds has no bearing on the type of treatment or services that I provide. It would be dishonest of me to say that I don’t see a person’s race, I automatically notice a difference in skin color. This has no bearing on the quality of service that I am willing to extend to any client, regardless of racial, culture or ethnicity.  When working with clients of the same race or ethnicity of my own, as an African American I notice the similarity on the outside, and there have been some instances where they have been able to relate to me more than another case manager of a different race; however, this is where professional boundaries must again be set so as not to condone or transmit any type of misleading behaviors.  It is important that I establish trust and credibility and that is not based on race or ethnicity.