Client Profile and Planning
Client Profile
Drey is a school-going teenager who experiences loneliness as his peers laugh at him because of the posts shared about him over the internet. When the cyberbullying started, he laughed it off, but it became more intense as time progressed. He is the only child in his family and spends most of his time at school and at home. He spends time alone at school, but spends more time on the computer and phone at home (Zestre4, 2010).
Drey receives disgusting messages and has no one to talk to, which encourages him to avoid his peers and spend his time alone. The constant emails and text messages calling him a loser and freak lower his self-esteem, and he opts to spend his time alone. The client is mentally stable, can still evaluate his surroundings, and seeks help through a video recording. Since the client is aware of the situation and has decided to share it and seek help, it becomes easier to help a client who opens up.
Planning
The first interview between a social worker and a patient is crucial since it builds a strong working relationship. A successful first session is a key to understanding the patient’s needs and planning the best way to deliver the required services (Parker, 2020). The opening statement will confirm that his woes have been heard and that help has finally come. Further, a consent form will be available for the client to sign, indicating that he is willing to undergo the interview. It is imperative to note that confidentiality is critical for the interview’s success, and the client must be assured that the information shared will be treated with the utmost confidentiality.
Open-ended questions are helpful when critical details about the client are needed. On the other hand, closed-ended questions are pre-determined to assess the patient’s knowledge of his environment and determine the best advice to offer. Examples of the closed-ended questions to be asked include: Do you need help to overcome your challenges? Would you like us to start helping immediately?
Once the closed-ended questions set the pace for the interview, the open-ended questions will be asked to get the client’s thoughts and beliefs before implementing the request procedure. Some open-ended questions include: Why do you think people like speaking ill of you? The open-ended questions determine the patient’s opinion and the best way to administer the help needed to overcome the challenge.
Empathy is practiced by listening actively to clients and getting their perspectives. Drey will be given enough time to explain his feelings, and then encouragement will be based on his experiences. Through the SOLER methodology, active listening can be achieved by maintaining eye contact, focusing on non-verbal cues, and never imposing personal opinions as solutions (Peters, 2018). It is important to listen without interrupting, judging the client, or jumping to conclusions.
Role Play
(The interview session takes place in the counselor’s office. Drey is shy and is led into the room by his parents, who hand him over to the counselor and leave.)
Counselor: (Clears throat and looks at Drey straight in the eyes) Good afternoon, and welcome to today’s session. My name is Dr. Abc, and I am a counseling psychologist. My key objective is to ensure you are free from cyberbullying and to grant you protection. Feel free to ask any questions, and remember that whatever we discuss is treated with the utmost confidentiality, and no one will hear about what we discuss. Do you know why you are here?
Drey: (Trembling with fear) Yeeees, I know why we came.
Counselor: So, what is your name, and what is your objective for this session?
Drey: (Fidgeting but looking bold and confident) My name is Drey. I want to be free from cyberbullying.
Counselor: Don’t worry, Drey. Today is the day to end all your suffering. I would like to ask you personal questions. Are you comfortable with that?
Drey: Yes, I am.
Counselor: (Smiling) Do you have any friends at school or at home in the neighborhood?
Drey: (Relaxed mood) I had a best friend, Andrea, but after the bad people started sending me wrong messages and body-shaming me, my best friend turned against me and started supporting them.
Counselor: You have been through a lot, and I commend you for being very strong. So, what have you been doing lately at school or at home?
Drey: Every day I go to school, my friends remind me of my social media posts and start laughing at me; when they start doing so, I get away from them and hide in a corner. When at home, my parents force me to do my homework, and to be honest, I have lost hope, and sometimes I feel like quitting school.
Counselor: I understand your tribulations, Drey; trust me, you are stronger than you think, and you can overcome all this and lead an everyday life.
Drey: (Delighted with a smile on his face) Wow! Do you mean I can restore my respect and dignity? But how do I achieve it?
Counselor: (Looking at Drey straight in the eye) Okay, I will educate you; what is the estimated time you spend on your phone and social media sites?
Drey: I don’t estimate the exact time, but I spend most of my time on the phone listening to music, reading social media posts, and emails.
Counselor: So you spend roughly 50% of your time interacting with others?
Drey: Yes. It is more than 50%.
Counselor: Alright, what are your hobbies?
Drey: I have quite a number. Should I tell you all, or list a few?
Counselor: (Smiling) Just list them in the order of priority.
Drey: Alright then, the most important things are skating, adventure, watching documentaries, and singing.
Counselor: (Maintaining eye contact) Wow! Your talents are amazing, and they can take you to places.
Drey: Really?
Counselor: Yes, putting more effort into your talent is the first step to overcoming cyberbullying.
Drey: But how?
Counselor: Good question; starting today, you have to decide to no longer be bullied by staying off social media. If you spend more time on your talents, you will have fewer interactions with the people who harass you on the internet, and the more you ignore them, the more they will lose interest in attacking you.
Drey: (Looking a bit confused) But how is that possible? My classmates also view the posts and laugh at me when they see me in school. Can they ever stop laughing at me after all the manipulative photos sent against me on Facebook?
Counselor: It is essential to post without jeopardizing your privacy and only allow people who do not bully you to see your posts. How often do you post about your personal life on social media?
Drey: I post about everything happening in my life, including pictures.
Counselor: The first step to change is removing all the pictures and personal information from your timeline. Then, always think before you post and block all people who harass you online.
Drey: I will block all the people who bully me online and reduce my online presence. Should I stay off social media for a while?
Counselor: It is an excellent quest. People are designed to do only what makes them happy. You can take a health break from social media and focus on your talents.
Drey: Thank you, doctor. I will heed your advice and spend most of my time developing my talents. Is there a special method to ensure that hobbies get more time?
Counselor: Oh, yes, you can develop a timetable that states that talents occupy every free day or free time and that you have time for self-evaluation and reflection.
Drey: Thank you very much; I have learned a lot about replacing online presence with talents and blocking people who don’t add value to my life.
Counselor: Good, that is all for today. I have scheduled you for a follow-up meeting next Friday. Please don’t come late. Have a good day, and start implementing all we have discussed today.
Drey: Have a good day too (Drey leaves room).
Reflection on Skills Development
Evidence of Skills
The opening statement was combined with the introduction, in which the counselor welcomed Drey and introduced himself. Confidentiality was verbally assured as the patient was told that all their conversation would be treated with utmost concealment. Informed consent was achieved through questioning and interrogation, and the patient understood why he attended the session.
The reflection of feelings was manifested when the counselor affirmed Drey’s strength. Paraphrasing was not used in the role play, while the response was done after careful listening. Active listening is achieved through taking notes and maintaining eye contact. Conclusion of a session and checkouts are achieved by the counselor announcing that they have reached the end of the session, and checkouts are done after scheduling the next meeting.
Reflection on Skills Development from the Role Play
During the role-play, the well-utilized skills included active listening, empathy, communication, and patience. Active listening was achieved because the client was not interrupted while speaking, and the counselor took notes (Peters, 2018). Further, while the client spoke, eye contact was maintained to grasp all the necessary points.
Communication skills were displayed as the interaction progressed. The tone remained formal, and the client was given time to explain himself and ask questions whenever needed. Empathy is an essential skill for social workers, and it was well utilized to understand the client’s sorrows and speak from the client’s point of view. Patience is a particular virtue for social workers, which requires one to listen without interrupting.
Despite the successful session, some skills, such as boundary setting, documentation, observation, and time management, must be improved. Boundary setting is the ability to speak within acceptable norms based on the client’s age and level of education. Time management was not adequately followed, as each section had no set limit.
Consequently, most of the time was spent in the introduction stage trying to set the climate. Since a teenager’s limited concentration span, a social worker should use time wisely and observe all the signs of saturation. Speaking after the patient is saturated will not help them (Parker, 2020). Improving my skills and adding organizational skills would make me an excellent social worker who would understand all clients’ needs and solve them.
References
Parker, J. (2020). Social work practice: Assessment, planning, intervention, and review. Sage.
Peters, S. C. (2018). Defining social work leadership: a theoretical and conceptual review and analysis. Journal of Social Work Practice, 32(1), 31–44. Web.
Zestre4, (2010). Anti-bullying week cyber bullying video [Video]. YouTube. Web.