Fall 2024 SOWK 581 Week 09 - Relational Theory

title: Fall 2024 SOWK 581 Week 09 - Relational Theory date: 2024-10-19 11:50:00 location: Heritage University tags:

  • Heritage University
  • MSW Program
  • SOWK 581

presentation_video: >

description: >

Week nine is a synchronous week, with class on 10/19. The readings will be about relational theory. I might also have a discussion related to behavioral therapy (which is the content of week 10).

Agenda

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

Mid-course feedback

Relational Theory

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)

The Third Space

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)

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

Developing a therapeutic relationship with the client especially in the early stages of treatment

  • 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.

Functions of therapist self-disclosure include developing a therapeutic relationship with the client especially in the early stages of treatment; conveying the therapist’s presence and empathy through transparency, attentiveness, and responsiveness to the client; and engaging the client in meaningful therapeutic work Therapist self-disclosure can also be useful in cross-cultural and cross-racial counseling to establish trust and create third space conversations that provide mutual exchange and growth. The relational approach to psychotherapy needs to be honest, fluid, and mutually engaging, qualities that lead to genuine connection and safety. (Cooper & Granucci Lesser, 2022, p. 124)

Personal self-disclosure messages

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

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. 2022)

Brief Relational Theory

Countertransference and disclosure which facilitates exploration of third space

  • Beginning collaboration with setting structure and identifying goals for treatment
  • Developing a mutual rationale for treatment tasks
  • Different exercises demonstrating mindfulness
  • Clarifying goals and expectations

Times to Consider Using Grounding

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 Class Activity] Review the sheet. Practice some of the skills / discuss them. Talk about how it can be implemented in a group format (in part or whole)

[ ] Print 24 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 mindefulness exersizes, or grounding techniques.