DIS REPLYS

Tiona Milton 

DB4

COLLAPSE

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The level of the worker-client relationship is so markedly linked to client improvement that developing a strong therapeutic bond has been described as a principle for helping services, and training in establishing relationship skills is described as “critical” (France & Weikel, 2014). According to France and Weikel (2014, p. 55), the quality of the worker-client relationship is so vital because it can be the gateway to gaining the cooperation of clients. France and Weikel (2014, p. 55) also explain that there is always a possibility for some clients to be unconsciously defensive or even intentionally uncooperative. Therefore, reducing the possibility of defensiveness and increasing the probability of willing cooperation are essential needs for human service professionals (France & Weikel, 2014).

Communicating with clients requires human service workers to be understanding, respectful, caring, and honest. Furthermore, there are three interpersonal skills that human service professionals must exhibit: empathy, warmth, and genuineness (France & Weikel, 2014). Human service workers with the capacity to be empathetic possess the capability to understand the other person and communicate their understanding to the other person. According to reviews and recent research, clients usually experience greater improvement when there is a high level of empathetic understanding from the worker (France & Weikel, 2014). One way of the best ways to exhibit understanding is through reflecting on what the client has shared (France & Weikel, 2014). Reflecting requires human service workers to use “fresh” words to paraphrase (summarize) what the client has communicated (Stewart, 2012); thus, human service workers must avoid parroting what the other person has said. Moreover, workers may not always be accurate in their conveyed reflection; therefore, it is essential that workers communicate empathy with humility and a readiness to be corrected (Stewart, 2012). In addition, true empathy also involves perceiving when the client will benefit from reflection and when reflection may not be what he/she needs (France & Weikel, 2014).

Furthermore, warmth is another skill that encourages and produces change; especially when clients perceive the worker to be warm (France & Weikel, 2014). Hence, professionals must convey caring, chiefly, through ones’ behavior and attitude. Whether one believes it or not—people can tell when workers genuinely care for them. President Theodore Roosevelt’s statement, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much care”, is proven when our skills of empathy, warmth, and genuineness are tested. Genuineness helps construct “real relationships” between the worker and client. As we demonstrate our true selves—client’s will be able to progress. According to France and Weikel (2014, p. 60), the degree of real relationship that exists between the worker and client partly relies on the amount of genuineness displayed.

References

France, K., & Weikel, K. (2014). Helping skills for human service workers: building relationships and encouraging productive change (Third ed.). Springfield, Illinois: Charles C Thomas.

Stewart, J. (2012). Bridges not walls: A book about interpersonal communication (Eleventh ed.). New York, New York: McGraw Hill.

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