Sociocultural Issues Case Study

The Sanchez family wants the local social service agency to provide a psychosocial assessment. As a social worker at the agency, they will apply sociocultural and social change lenses. To demonstrate an understanding how each of the theoretical or perspective lenses can apply to the Sanchez family case. To identify their problems, determine their skills and capacities, what they are doing well, how they accomplish it and then analyze ways that those strengths might apply to the identified problems.

Both PCT and FT do not claim to be a methodology in themselves but a practice that can be taken to other therapeutic techniques. Central to PCT is the therapeutic relationship between client and counsellor and this is one of the key concepts that with the right environment and relationship a client can move toward positive change (Payne 2005). This is also important for FT practitioners who emphasise an egalitarian approach. Both maintain that the counsellor is not the expert and believe in active listening, empathy and positive regard as tenants of the relationship. Both believe in the value of self disclosure. However, the central concept of feminist therapy is the gender issues and sexism embedded in our social structures. PCT does not enter into or comment on these external factors as priority and concentrates on the internal world of the individual.

A therapist will face problems, issues and client troubles everyday. The professional must understand how their client relates to the world around them. These feelings and ideas affect how the client sees the problem and how they respond to their situation. Their actions, in turn, have bearing on individual thoughts, needs, and emotions. The therapist must be aware of the client's history, values, and culture in order to provide effective therapy. This paper will outline and provide information as to the importance of cultural competence and diversity in family therapy.

In my personal opinion and experience, I find that the field of psychology is lacking in diverse cultural competencies as much as the society is diverse in its population. I believe that as with using any theoretical model, the therapists’ cultural knowledge needs to include understanding of the many cultural considerations influencing the effectiveness of treatment when dealing with clients from diverse backgrounds. When servicing the individuals in the family, care and attention needs to be directed towards family and community norms and values around help seeking, secrecy and confidentiality, family roles, child rearing and spiritual practices.

Counselling and psychotherapy are very different areas of speciality than psychiatry or psychology. Yet it is from these two health practices that counselling and psychotherapy practice emerged. The emergence and beginning of this takes us back initially to 1887, when the specialism of psychotherapy emerged in psychiatry. In the nineteenth century there was a general shift towards science and

When comparing and contrasting the differences in the three approaches, I will review the relationship between client and counsellor. I will attempt to discover how the relationship is formed and how it is maintained during the therapeutic process. Once this has been established, I will then look at how the changes occur in the therapeutic relationship and which techniques will be used. I will compare and contrast the approaches of Carl Rogers, Sigmund Freud and Albert Ellis. I will look at how their theories have impacted on the counselling processes in modern times and throughout history.

When working with individuals with physical disabilities the TTM model can vary according to how the individual’s culture recognized their disability (Boston, 2015). Gender roles can also affect the process of change (Boston, 2015). The helper needs to empathize with the disabled person to understand how they feel about their disability and the cultural belief system of the client, in an effort to assist the client (Boston, 2015). When a counselor is working with a transgendered person, the helper needs to adjust the model to include the client’s level of social acceptance (Carroll, 2002). The social situation with a transgendered client may not be one of tolerance, therefore the helper needs to be aware of this and balance between the clients needs and the social environment the client occupies (Carroll, 2002). Finally, when working with clients from various populations, the experience should be unique and the therapist should work to help the client feel accepted and understood, the various models can be modified or adjusted to better fit the

A counselling relationship is likened to being on a journey - a beginning, middle and end (Smallwood, 2013). During the beginning phase the client develops sufficient trust in the counsellor and the relationship ‘to explore the previously feared edges of his awareness’ (Mearns and Thorne, 1988, p.126).

When we look at other professions like social workers, housing officers, the emergency services, the police and priests who utilise counselling skills we realise that some of the key concepts that are fundamental to the counselling profession are not their main priority. If such people were to introduce themselves as counsellors their clients may be under the impression that such things as confidentiality will be upheld. An example is the work of doctors, social workers, nurses and carers, in these types of professions advise is given to the client as to what to do and what not to do, medication is administered to the client whereas in the case of counselling especially with

Enns (2004) highlighted two such new views related to client problems. First, the perspective that, “the personal is political” emphasized that problems arising for women within therapy cannot be disconnected from the larger social and political context. To consider problems in therapy solely on an intrapersonal level is to perpetuate a “blame the victim” orientation. Therefore, it was essential that an integrated analysis of oppression was explored. Second, problems and symptoms may be conceived of as ways of coping and surviving oppressive circumstances. Anxiety may be reframed, not as the result of a suppressed unconscious or the inability to cope, but rather as a reasonable response to sexisms, violence or

The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) define counselling, along with psychotherapy, as being “umbrella terms that cover a range of talking therapies” (BACP, 2012: 1). In addition, counselling is provided by practitioners who “work with people over a short or long term to help them bring about effective change or enhance their wellbeing” (BACP, 2012: 1). Those who practice counselling in a professional manner undergo intensive training and personal development, the latter of which has been “defined in terms of self-awareness and change” (Wheeler, 1996: 75). These changes, according to Johns, “influence the

In the vignette, it is mentioned that the client Julie, a 34-year-old African American female, is calling about her son 12-year-old son Derik, who seems to be having an adjustment issue relating to her recent marriage to John. Although Julie indicated that she is calling on behalf of her son’s adjustment problem, she spends most of the time talking about her dissatisfaction at work and within her romantic life. When approaching this case through a solution-focused lens, I would stress to her that anyone who is concerned about the problem situation (Derik’s adjustment problem, although it is apparent there are other issues) should attend the sessions. In the initial intake phase, little information is taken, understanding that the client is the expert in what needs to change; as the therapist, my role is to help her access the strengths she already possesses.

Counseling is a relatively young profession when compared to other mental health professions. In my brief personal and professional experience with the field, I have come to define counseling as a process of engagement between two people, both of whom are bound to change through a collaborative process that involves both the therapist and the client in co-constructing solutions to concerns.

When considering the different contexts in which counselling takes place, diversity appears to be the most distinguishing factor that is linked to client satisfaction Hankins (2007) and is aimed at providing a more ‘universal system of counselling’. (Patterson, 1996,

Intro: This essay will thoroughly explore feminist counselling and take into consideration the theoretical ideas and practice skills that will include the following issues The key figures (founders) and major focus, philosophy and basic assumptions, key concepts, therapeutic goals, techniques and procedures, applications, contributions, and the limitations and criticisms of feminist counselling. To develop a better understanding of the feminist counselling approach, the next few paragraphs will look at the forms feminist counselling uses to address these issues and inequities within individuals that have been affected.