Many people gravitate towards the helping professions because they have a desire to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those who are suffering.
Perhaps they are drawn to this work because they want to heal themselves, or because they benefited from counseling or therapy. Friends and family
members may have told them that they are good listeners who offer sound advice. Clearly, the motives and reasons for entering the helping professions may
be as varied as the number of helpers!
Regardless of what is fueling their desire, helpers must acquire the knowledge and develop the skills, attitudes, and self-awareness to be helpful. Although
this may seem unnecessary to state, despite good intentions, counselor and social work trainees sometimes fall into the trap of engaging in behaviors that
actually are not helpful. Through the process of training, they must challenge themselves to differentiate between effective and ineffective practices in order
to hone their clinical judgment and develop competence.
Written Assignment:
Complete the Relationship Skills Rating Scale Quiz from your textbook on page 107.
Write at least a 200 word short summary response to this assignment and discuss what you have learned about your own relationship skills and accepting
clients.
Discuss these questions in your assignment:
What are your relationship strengths?
Which areas do you see that need improvement according to the scale?
What might you do to improve this skill?