Sandra Sotelo
Hello Professor and Classmates,
As we have learned, effective communication is essential in working with clients. As Hepworth et al.(2016) express, social workers utilize communication skills in order to help develop a productive working relationship with clients. Moreover, a core skill that enables the social worker to have this positive relationship with clients is empathy. In creating a helping relationship, “conveying empathic understanding reduces the level of threat perceived by the client and mitigates his or her defensiveness, conveys interest and helpful intent, and creates an atmosphere conducive to behavior change” (Hepworth et al., 2016). Some strategies to do this include responding to clients feelings without judgment and demonstrating understanding through verbal and nonverbal behaviors. Physical attending skills such as maintaining eye contact, sitting facing the client, and leaning in toward the client can demonstrate care and understanding (Hepworth et al., 2016). Furthermore, verbal following skills such as asking open ended questions and summarizations can also be used to stay with the client and demonstrate empathy (Hepworth et al., 2016).
Best,
Sandra
Hepworth, D. H., Rooney, R. H., Rooney, G. D., & Strom-Godfried, K. (2016). Direct social work practice: Theory and skills (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage. ISBN-13: 9781305833803.