Social Work Reflective Essay

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Recommended: Importance of self awareness in social work practice

Before reading chapter three on person-centered theory I only had a vague understanding of the theory and how it was incorporated in the social work profession. I understood how it fit in clinical social work, but was unaware of how many elements of the theory that I strongly believe in, and hope to bring to my practice in the future. When I was reading the general definition, I couldn’t help but to think about the essay that I wrote to apply for admissions to Springfield College School of Social Work. I wrote about the strengths that I believe I could bring to the social work profession. Those included being empathetic, present, and being able to reflectively listen. When reading about the general features of PCT, I noticed that my strengths fit into those three main categories which are empathy, …show more content…

I strive to bring those characteristics to my social work profession, and this textbook gave me a better understanding of how do to do that. I found that the case illustrations gave me good insight in how to use the person-centered perspective in real life situations with clients. I learn best from example, especially with learning about the social work profession. It helps me better evaluate how I could use the theory in my own practice. I also got a better understanding of PCT core feature of self-actualization. I believe that social workers should not just offer interventions to clients to “fix” them, but should create a helping environment that the client feels affirmed and encouraged to find their own solutions to their problems. I have heard of this kind of empathic listening, yet was unaware that there was a specific theory that fosters those key elements. In my undergraduate senior

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