Introduction To Interpersonal And Counselling

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Week One What are the various personal values, knowledge and skills that you bring to the study of this unit and where did you learn them? Pockett and O’Hara (2012:57) suggest the challenge for practitioners is to find “balance and sensitivity” with respect to their personal values and the influence they have on those we seek to assist. The values I bring to this unit are essentially those of social justice; that is, that each of us should have the expectation of respect, equality and opportunity. The balance comes from understanding that these values are not universally understood or desired. To me, these values mean that I seek to understand what others need and want, and then facilitate reaching these goals. These are the values I have been raised with, and they have been reinforced through my life experiences with open minded and compassionate people. In terms of knowledge, I bring my own experiences of counselling to the unit. This knowledge helps me to understand the fear and the uncertainty that someone seeking assistance may be feeling. It also helps me to understand the power dichotomy inherent in a counselling relationship and the importance of connecting with those who we engage with as a partner, rather than as a teacher or expert. Through virtue of being a trained professional, there is an impression of “either real or perceived power.” (Chenoweth & McAuliffe 2012:58) Making this power work, and neither abusing nor ignoring it, is a key area of establishing good practice in social welfare. Indeed, mishandling of power can lead to harm for those we seek to help (Chenoweth & McAuliffe 2012:58). My skills come from my work experience in Advertising. This work requires me to be empathetic to understand the consumer’s point of view, to think strategically and also to negotiate outcomes between clients and creative people – often both passionate and
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