Religion In Social Work

Another important learning point as a result of this assignment was having the opportunity to witness how generationally forced religious views can have a negative impact on individuals; especially when the religious views and concepts are the marker(s) against which a child’s worth, success, or level of acceptance is measured by the parents and/or caregivers. This social worker believes that it is important that a person have the opportunity to choose for him or herself what religious beliefs they will adopt or reject: if they even value religion at all. In fact, if a person is not given the freedom and the opportunity to decide where spirituality fits into their life; then religion will always end up being a set of behaviors, rituals and practices that will cause the individual discouragement anytime they cannot live up to

religious standards. As was demonstrated by Taylor’s circumstances, the fact that he even questions his parent’s religious views causes him to feel unloved, unworthy, and unaccepted. These negative feelings have contributed in large part to Taylor’s overall depressive symptoms. From the perspective of Taylor’s parents, the Jehovah’s Witness faith is all that matters and they place demands and expectations on Taylor out of fear for his eternal soul. This social worker attempted to help them understand that if Taylor is not given the opportunity to ask questions and search for answers that are meaningful to him; then his heart will not be in it anyway and religion will continue to be a source of intrapersonal conflict for Tyler and a source of conflict within the family system.
Not long after the onset of this assignment, Taylor stopped showing for his individual counseling sessions with this social worker and even stopped showing up for his doctor’s appointments with the agency’s psychiatrist. This was concerning to this social worker because of the significance of the self-harming behaviors that Taylor was engaging in when he came for his assessment and before he was placed on anti-depressant medication. This social worker reached out to Taylor’s mother who stated that “services were no longer needed or desired at this time due to the fact that Taylor was doing so much better”. This social worker prompted his mother to consider what the reason(s) might be for these positive changes that were observable by her and others; in attempts to hopefully help her recognize that it might be the fact that he was engaging in and complying with treatment recommendations, including pharmacotherapy. Taylor was cooperative and fully engaged in all counseling sessions with this social worker and noted his gratitude often for having a “safe place in which he could discuss his issues and concerns” that he “couldn’t do with anyone or anywhere else”.
In retrospect of working with Taylor and his family, this social worker noted that there was a substantial disconnect between this social worker, the client, and his family regarding “religion and spirituality”.

This social worker spoke in very vague and general terms out of fear that she might inadvertently engage in unethical or unlawful social work practice due to a lack of knowledge and understanding of religious and spiritual principles as they relate to social work. Many social work educational programs ignore the religious and spiritual dimensions of practice; which is difficult for this social worker to understand in light of the fact that so many people, people that we as helping professionals are expected to serve, revolve their entire life around religious and/or spiritual principles. This social worker believes that Taylor’s treatment experience might not have been terminated early by this client’s family if she would have had the necessary knowledge and skills to connect with him and his family on a deeper and more intimate level with regards to the religious and spiritual components that were so prevalent to their

situation.