Fall 2025 SOWK 581 Week 08 - Relational Theory

Fall 2025 SOWK 581 Week 08 - Relational Theory

title: Fall 2025 SOWK 581 Week 08 - Relational Theory date: 2025-10-17 21:03:55 location: Heritage University tags:

• Heritage University
• MSW Program
• SOWK 581 presentation_video: > “” description: >

Week eight is a synchronous week, with class on 10/18. Students read about the implementation of relational theory from Cooper and Granucci Lesser (2022). There are forums reflecting on the week’s reading, considering self-disclosure, transference, and countertransference. During class, we will be exploring the following:

• The third space and relational theory in general
• Self-disclosure
• Teaching mindfulness

Learning Objectives for the week includes

• Describe the concept of the third space and evaluate its use in building therapeutic alliance.
• Reflect on the role and boundaries of self-disclosure in relational clinical practice.
• Practice teaching using mindfulness or grounding strategies
• Define and examine transference and countertransference and their influence on the therapeutic process.
• Identify strategies for managing relational dynamics ethically and professionally in clinical settings.

Week Eight Plan

Agenda

• The third space and relational theory in general
• Self-disclosure
• Teaching mindfulness

Learning Objectives

• Describe the concept of the third space and evaluate its use in building therapeutic alliance.
• Reflect on the role and boundaries of self-disclosure in relational clinical practice.
• Practice teaching using mindfulness or grounding strategies

Relational Theory

I want to get us thinking about what relational theory. I really like how the textbook put it.

Relational theory and practice is a postmodern psychodynamic perspective that calls for active engagement between client and clinician. The therapeutic relationship is an interactive, alive process— empathic, authentic, and mutually growth enhancing. (Cooper and Granucci Lesser, 2022, p. 132)

[Whole Group Activity] Reflect on Quote What stood out to you all about this chapter and the topic of relational theory?

The Third Space

For me, one of the largest components of this is the interactional field that we think about developing with our clients.

The concept of third space describes the interactional field created when the subjectivities of the therapist and the patient come together. The entire range of racial, sociocultural, and political identities become topics for therapeutic conversation.

Space between client and Clinician

(Cooper & Granucci Lesser, 2022)

Third Space Mapping Activity: Identifying Subjectivity and How it Interacts

I want us to dive into what is this third space that we might develop. One way to think about it includes:

Clinician w/ their

• Identity
• Power/Privilege
• Cultural Lens

Client w/ their

• Identity
• Experience
• Emotions

[Individual Activity] Brainstorm examples of potential client and clinician spaces

Individually brainstorm examples of what might be included in the clinician and client spaces

[Small Group Activity] Discuss client and clinician spaces and identify potential interactions along with graphical representation

Small Groups share your example, come up with potential interactions that might happen in the third space we could look out for. Try to represent your thoughts graphically

Consider representing it graphically using shapes around the spaces and even potential arrows, symbols, colors for emotion intensity, etc., that might include:

• Cultural identity markers
• Values and assumptions
• Emotions or defenses likely to arise
• Power and privilege considerations
• Professional role expectations

[Whole Group Activity] Share your discussion and/or creation

Whole Class share back with the class your reflections

[Whole Group Activity] Debrief sharing

What are some themes that we hear across the class?

Therapeutic tripartite awareness

Intersubjectivity relates to the connection in mindfulness-based relationship therapy. Mindful practitioners listen deeply, attentively, and empathically. Therapeutic tripartite awareness (self, other, flow of relationship) allows a patient to remain emotionally present with difficult feelings.

• Allows a patient to remain emotionally present with difficult feelings.
• Mindful practitioners listen deeply, attentively, and empathically.

Flow of the relationship between client (other) and clinician (self)

(Cooper & Granucci Lesser, 2022)

Function of Self-Disclosure

Self-disclosure can be helpful of developing a therapeutic relationship with the client especially in the early stages of treatment. It can function to do some of the following:

• Conveying the therapist’s presence and empathy through transparency, attentiveness, and responsiveness to the client
• Engaging the client in meaningful therapeutic work
• Cross-cultural and cross-racial counseling to establish trust
• Creating a third space for conversations that provide mutual exchange and growth.

Personal self-disclosure messages

Personal Self-Disclosure Messages should…

• Done for the client, purposefully
• Enough details to provide connection and understanding, but limited
• Focus on other forms to demonstrating authenticity, use sparingly

The textbook describes that they should be used judiciously to enhance the therapeutic relationship

Example with a client related to relational theory

AS-30024 and encouraging him to go to Washington Youth Academy and talking about experiences had with over the years and seeing him sleep on the desk, skipping class, getting kicked out of programs, and what he reported his goals were. Final tipping point where became more real for him and my feeling of not knowing what I can do to support him.

My General Connection with Self-Disclosure

The use of self-disclosure can be a meaningful and useful tool that we use as social workers. I also want to provide caution to you. First, let me tell you about my experience and then a couple of things I have found that you should consider.

• Tell story of my dad
• Tell story of starting our in social work and self-disclosure
• Talk about the three things that are important.

Intersubjective Self-Disclosure

Clinician sharing:

• Beliefs
• Memories
• Values
• Ideas
• Expectations

In a way that is

• Honest
• Fluid
• Mutually engaging
• Genuine connection and safety

(Cooper & Granucci Lesser, 2022)

Social Workers Decision to Share Perceptions and Reactions They Believe will be Helpful

• Requests for social worker’s opinions, views, and feelings
• Disclosing personal past experiences
• Providing Feedback
• Experiencing discomfort in session
• Shareing feelings of frustration, anger, and hurt
• Responding to positive feedback
• Giving positive feedback
• Saying no and setting limits

(Hepworth, et al. 2023)

Brief Relational Theory

Brief relational theory uses countertransference and disclosure to facilitate exploration of third space. Some of the core phases used in BRT include the following:

• Beginning collaboration with setting structure and identifying goals for treatment (Identify preliminary goals with the client — emphasizing shared ownership of treatment)
• Developing a mutual rationale for treatment tasks (The client and therapist co-create a shared understanding of why therapy matters and how it will help.)
• Different exercises demonstrating mindfulness (Mindfulness supports recognition of automatic relational reactions and fosters self–other attunement.)
• Clarifying goals and expectations (Ensures that both therapist and client have explicit, realistic, and measurable understandings of what change might look like.)

Times to Consider Using Grounding

I’m going to have us practice teaching some grounding skills, but first I want to start with when we should use these kind of techniques.

I tend to just draw this for clients, or talk about it… but here it is as an actual chart.

Grounding Techniques

I want to share with all of you a tool that that I have often taught to clients. Grounding is a set of simple strategies to detach from emotional pain. To be grounding, it should fall under the following guidelines…

• Accessibility: do it at any time, any place, anywhere, and no one has to know.
• Broad: put a healthy distance between you and negative feelings (useful for when faced with a trigger, enraged, dissociating, having a substance craving).
• Present Focused: keep your eyes open, scan the room, and turn the lights on to stay in touch with the present. Do not focus on the past or the future.
• Scaling: scale your emotions when using grounding. Rate at your emotion (craving, impulse… etc) on a scale from 0-10 before beginning grounding. After implementing your grounding technique, rate your emotion again.
• Focus Outward: Do not talk, think, or journal about your feelings. The purpose of grounding is to distract away from negative feelings, not get in touch with them.
• Stay Neutral: avoid judgments of good and bad.
• Not Relaxation Training: note that grounding is not the same as relaxation training. Grounding is more active, focuses on distraction strategies, and is intended to help extreme negative feelings.

[Whole Group Activity] Distribute copies of the Using Grounding To Detach From Emotional Pain handout

This includes:

• Mental Grounding Techniques
• Physical Grounding Techniques
• Soothing Grounding Techniques

Discuss a couple of the techniques between them.

[ ] Print 12 copy of Using Grounding To Detach From Emotional Pain handout

Brief Relational Theory

[Small Group Activity] Work with a partner to demonstrate and teach them to use some of the mindfulness exercises or grounding techniques.

Midcourse Feedback

Only five of you have competed mine, meaning seven haven’t. Between break and getting started with the next class