February 15, 2013

I am trying to be thoughtful regarding my interactions with both staff and clients at my new internship site.   I can tell this is a true skill to form a tie with someone without inadvertently communicating information about myself, and it depends on my boundaries, as well as the other person’s.  This last week there were times where clients in groups directly asked me multiple personal questions (where are you going to school, where do you work, why did you get into social work, do you have kids, do you have a partner).  My natural tendency is to be open and honest with people, but I am realizing I need to learn the art of deciphering why they are asking these questions and what it is that they are truly asking, and try to get to that root issue more quickly.  In this one instance I was being quizzed by a client, who ended up wanting to talk about their personal interest in a social work career.  The volunteer training was excellent in clarifying the importance of being client centered, always listening for what the client is really trying to convey, and clarifying what that information is, for ourselves and the client. It is refreshing to learn what a truly client centered framework looks like for end of life care and bereavement, and then have the opportunity to practice these skills. 

After attending the orientation sessions, I reflected on the content of the training, my personal experiences, and this new professional journey I am embarking on.  I already knew that death and dying was a taboo topic in our society before attending the trainings.  I am even more keenly aware of the overwhelming need for bereavement support in all segments of society after the training, and after having an opportunity for several client interactions. I wonder also about the role unresolved grief and multiple losses played in how my own life unfolded and the unrecognized strains this put on myself, and former spouse during our relationship.  From going to just two different groups at my internship, I can see how individuals need support in different ways, and the challenges this can present in a group setting for facilitators to meet each group member’s individual needs.  As I continue my orientation and observation process of the different aspects of grief support, I hope I can learn to focus on developing my active listening skills and adapting various therapeutic techniques, which will work with unique individual and group dynamics.