Family Reflection Essay

It was evident that there were many differences between Marj and myself. Although I was considerably younger than Marj, do not have any children and had a very different family structure, I reflected on the importance of understanding the context of Marj’s life and experiences to make a fair assessment. As a child I lived in numerous countries with my family so my experience of family was of a small nuclear family. While I could empathise with Marj, and understood that although overwhelmed, I felt that she was trying to provide a safe and supportive home.

Mailick and Vigilante (1997, cited in Crichton-Hill, 2009: 184) proposed that social constructs cultivates a perspective that is unique to each family, and that each person’s cultural background, which includes their family background, has a great influence on how they interact with others. Thus, Crichton-Hill posits that a worker’s cultural background and values could influence their perception of the family, their problems and their possible solutions. While I acknowledged that my family and cultural background was different to Marj’s, I understood the importance of taking a non-judgemental approach. I reflected on the experience of my best friend’s mother who returned from overseas after her divorce with two young boys, and despite experiencing extreme financial difficulties and cancer, built a strong and safe family. I felt it was important to acknowledge Marj’s strengths and her capacity to build a caring family relationship on her own. While my family background meant that I had a stable nuclear family as a child, as I did not have a child with my partner, I was conscious that Marj had experience and expertise in raising children, while I did not. However, I coul...

... middle of paper ...

... in wanting things to work out for Ross. The clients in both interviews were different, as they had different problems and different referral points. While Marj actively came seeking assistance, the client in my first role-play was referred to me and was not particularly interested in engaging with me at first. I was glad that I was able to engage both clients in the difference scenarios and was able build rapport with them relatively quickly and assess their situation. I am used to engaging with newly arrived communities and young people through work experiences, so was happy to interview with clients who I normally may not work through my job. While I know that I still have a lot master in interviewing techniques and assessment, I feel confident that I am able to use a range of approaches and engage with a wide variety of clients to conduct assessments.