What Makes An Effective Helper?

To accomplish anything in life, you must set goals. These goals must be realistic and achievable. Two years ago, I was at a point in my life that I never believed I would see. I was finally at my associate’s degree graduation day. Becoming at teen mom at 17, college had never even crossed my mind. This was a moment in my life where I was able to not be your average teen mom statistic. Continuing to better my life and my daughter’s I set a new goal after graduation to achieve my bachelor’s degree. After speaking with UMUC counselors, I decided to obtain my bachelor’s degree in Social Science with a minor in Emergency Management. Currently, I am in my final two classes at UMUC with a scheduled graduation date of May 15.

What has attracted you to the helping professions? Who in your life has influenced your decision to consider this role for yourself? I have always had a love for helping others. I first heard about social work through a friend. I began doing lots of research on this helping profession to get a better understanding. I found that Social Workers are responsible for helping individuals, families, and groups of people cope with problems and improve their lives. I also enjoy helping others in a time a need so social work matched some of my qualities perfectly.

I chose social working as my career because many other people go through tough situations and have a difficult time talking to relatives or friends to help them through a tough situation. I thought of becoming a social worker so I can have the ability to change the lives of others. Social work is one of those careers you can truly make a difference in people’s lives. I want to become a social worker because life isn’t about just helping yourself it’s about helping others as well, which is what social workers do for a living. Child and family social workers protect children and families in need of assistance. Many families and children don’t feel comfortable talking to just anyone about obstacles they have faced in their lives which is why

All my life my parents have taught me the value of helping others. Having different experiences and growing up in an atmosphere where the need of others were put before our own, led me to have a desire to be a social worker. Believing that being a social worker involves many special skills, as an example one of those that u need to interact with people from different cultures and principles than me. For as long as I remember I have had the desire to become a social worker inspiring people and developing people that will drive me to dedicate my excitement and dedication to do what is important in this dream job a reality.

I have always known that it is my passion to help people. This is why upon graduating I attended Mohawk College to pursue a career as an Educational Assistant. After receiving my diploma I began my career helping children with special needs. On a daily basis I have interactions with social workers and children who are involved with the Catholic Children’s Aid Society. I have had many eye opening experiences during my time spent with them. I have worked alongside our school’s Social Worker and have gained insight into mental health. Being an E.A. is rewarding, but I have come to the realization that I aspire to do more for children in need; I wish to become a social worker.

A commitment to learning has been a driving force throughout my life. Having been home educated my entire school career allowed me to advance beyond my grade level, complete high school, and obtain an A.A. Degree from my community college; all by my 18th birthday. I eagerly anticipate both the challenges of the programs high expectations and learning alongside a community of likeminded women.

By being aware of the essential communication skills, I believe it does not only make me a better helper but also a better friend and listener. In this paper I will discuss about my personal experience as a helper during a counselling session and also reflect on what I have learnt during the previous 10 weeks in the classroom.

For a majority of my life, I wanted to be a pediatrician when I grew up. I had wanted to be a pediatrician due to my passion to work with children, in addition to enhancing the lives of children. As I continued to grow up, I realized that science is not my strong suit and I would never survive medical school. I do not recall how I learned about the profession of social work, but around the eighth grade I have known that social work was the profession that I wanted to pursue. The idea of helping others is what initially struck me as compelling because I did not understand social work in it’s entirety, but I knew that I would relish a life of helping other individuals.

The first main task of being a helper to clients is to try to develop a rapport with them so that they will be willing to open up to the helper about their problem. This could help to remove that possible mental barrier which could be there so that the engagement process may begin in a positive way for the clients which are in need of interventions. In my opinion, there is a bond with the helpers and their clients, however, it should always be in a professional manner and honored by ethical standards. The helper should always try to make a genuine and empathetic connection with their clients as well so that the healing process may begin. I believe the clients should have the realization that their helpers are there to advocate for them and that they are not there to judge or to criticize them.

I would like to thank the faculty at Walden University and Dept. of Disability Services for their time, dedication to me during my time at Walden University. I would have never made it through without your support. In June of 2000, I had a Ruptured Brain Aneurysm. I was told that I would never be able to complete the current Master’s Degree program I was in, and did, in 2005! In 2007, I enrolled in another University and was told that I should withdraw from their Master’s Program; I was trying to attempt, so I did! I felted discouraged but not defeated. In 2011, I enrolled into Walden University with the willingness to try again and preserved with everyone’s support. In February 2015, I completed The Master’s Degree in Public Administration!

then focus on chosen issues. In this stage the Skilled Helper helps the client to

I decided to obtain my Bachelor of Arts degree at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, N.S. where I double majored in Criminology and Sociology and minored in Psychology. Once I graduated, I still did not know what career path was right for me, so I took a year off. In the meantime, I applied to three Schools of Social Work: Dalhousie University in Halifax, N.S., St. Thomas University in Fredericton, N.B., and Memorial University in St. John’s, N.L. I spent my gap year working to save up money so I could pay for my next two years of schooling. I decided to apply to schools of social work because I was really interested in my courses that were related to child development and behaviours, interactions between people and society, social inequality and justice, and human rights, which are all relevant to social work.

The reason why I am motivated to pursue a professional career in social and human services work is because I believe it is the greatest achievement that I would ever accomplish. It would make me proud to know that I am providing support; protection and safety to people that are in need. “A powerful motive for pursuing social or human service work is personal experience” (Chenoweth & McAuliffe, 2015, p. 10). This relates to my own personal experience for example when I was growing up I experienced many abuse such as bullying and domestic violence. My own mother was abused by my father and she did not have

My 12 years of professional experience have been incredibly rewarding, however, I believe that my involvement in Department of Human Services (DHS) systems has given me first hand knowledge and experience that I would not have gained otherwise. I had to learn how to tell the story of my barriers in a concise and clear manner. I had to learn tenacity and patience to continue seeking resources. I had to network to access the resources that I found. I had to learn teamwork working with the Child Welfare division because an us vs. them mentality would not have resulted in the continued custody of my children. I was able to be successful in these different areas of authority because I present as educated and I am able to navigate a middle class world. I became an advocate for myself before I was able to help lead others.

The readings fir this week in Clara Hill’s “Helping Skills”, particularly chapters 7, 8 and 9, discuss how helpers can authentically attend observe and listen to client’s thoughts and feelings. Hill spends a considerable amount of time exploring verbal and non-verbal feedback the helper gives to the client. This section was of particular interest to me due to a concern to be at a loss of words when a client says something that causes me to be unsure how to continue.