Therapeutic Techniques PDF

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Havrede H. Hill...

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Therapeutic Techniques there are several types of treatment for mental disorders and conditions. Choosing the right treatment plan should be based on a person's own needs. This involves using the appropriate therapeutic techniques for each individual, as well as viewing the world from the client's perspective and reflecting upon what the person is trying to express. Techniques for therapeutic support and motivation include supportive techniques, partializing techniques, and evaluating relationships.

Offering Support and Motivation Motivation involves recognizing a problem, searching for a way to change, and then beginning to fix the problem with a plan for change. Certain interventions can be effective in motivating a person to change, including motivational techniques that inspire a positive change. The following are important components of motivational techniques:

Active Listening Active listening includes being empathetic and having a supportive attitude, as well as recognizing resistance. Resistance is a way we protect ourselves from our own awareness of what we fear. It's important for a social worker to listen so that they can understand not just the words, but also the underlying meaning, of what the person is saying. For example, nodding and saying the words 'I hear you' encourages the individual to share more about his or her own fears.

Empathy Being empathetic ensures that you are listening to and dealing with the client without judgement. Empathy is the ability to recognize and relate to the client's thoughts, feelings, and emotions. It is being able to 'put yourself in the shoes' of another person. For example, you can imagine the other person's thoughts, feelings, and experiences as if they were your own.

Empowerment and Encouragement Empowerment includes encouraging the individual to speak out, affirming the client's concerns, listening, and building a positive outlook for the individual.

Motivational Interviewing Motivational interviewing helps the client make changes by supporting change in a way that fits with their own values and concerns. In the motivational interviewing process, the social worker expresses empathy by reflecting upon and responding to the client with direct feedback on his or her comments. For example, the social worker can use open-ended questions such as 'What's happened since we've last met'? Open-ended questions allow the client to share more information, rather than simply respond with a 'yes' or 'no' answer to a specific question.

Partializing Techniques Partializing techniques empower the client to make decisions and achieve a desired outcome. This involves creating goals and a plan in order to take the appropriate actions and steps to achieve the desired outcome. For example, one might ask the client to describe what his or her goal is and describe the steps needed to achieve that goal. Partializing builds on the client's strengths during the therapeutic and treatment process. Once the client understands how to create goals and make decisions to achieve them, it becomes a part of their everyday life. This helps the client sort out and manage their own problems. Together the social worker and client work through a process which involves assessing the client's ability to make decisions and achieve his or her goal.

An Example: Cindy is a college student attending therapy who wants to move out of her parents' home and into her own apartment. She is nervous and excited at the same time. Together Cindy and her social worker discuss Cindy's goals. Social Worker: 'What are your overall goals, Cindy?' Cindy: 'I want to be more independent.'...