Things to consider in Helping

Relationship: The
Components

Module 3: The Helping Relationship

 Compare and contrast the
components of helping relationship
Identify how these components are
Learning manifested in the interaction
Objectives between the client and the worker
 The relationship has three components, namely:
1.Transference;
2.counter-transference; and
3.Reality
The
Relationship  These components manifest themselves in various
ways in the interaction between worker and client.
Components These manifestations occur unconsciously to
understand their occurrence and manifestation
both in terms of analysis and assessment of the
client and development of worker’s self-awareness.
 Redirection of a client’s feelings
from a significant person to a
worker
What is
transference?
 Transference is often manifested as an
erotic attraction towards a worker/
therapist, but can be seen in many
What is other forms such as rage, hatred,
Transference? mistrust, parentification, extreme
dependence, or even placing the
therapist in a god-like or guru status
 oHamilton defines transference as a carrying over
or irrational elements from other, relationship,
particularly in the past, displaced on the social
worker, reflecting unconscious motivation.
What is oIn the sense, the therapeutic relationship would
Transference? reviewed as transference relationship, as
opposed to a real relationship, thus permitting
the worker to insulate him/herself from any true
reactions and personally meaning interactions
with the client.
 “Transfer” was introduced into social
Transference work literature by Jessie Taft in 1924
social work who described it as “an emotional
relationship to the client”
  Anxiety and social isolation may lead to the worker’s
being central in a client’s life, as such they may be one
of their only social contracts.
 Clients may have low self-worth, and feel that you as
Reasons: the workers are a good role model and over identify
with you.
 We may be asking clients about very difficult things
that evoke negatives emotions. We then may be
central in re-experiencing those emotions, almost as if
we are the personification of them.
 There are three stages in dealing and
using transference in social casework,
Use of these stages are:
Transference 1.Understanding in Transference
2.Utilization of Transference
3.Interpreting Transference
 1.Understanding in Transference
Understanding of the transference is essential for
the worker as it helps to understand the behavior of
the client and to recognize its significance in his
development process.
Use of
Transference It also explains the present unconscious needs of the
client. Understanding of the transference of factors
i.e. the present behavior and problem, the
environmental forces, the past experiences and
earlier relationship
 2. Utilization of Transference
Use of Utilization of the transference depends
Transference on the understanding of the social case
worker of the phenomena. It explains
many cures or treatments of emotional
disturbance by life situations and by
fortune relationships with other
problems
 3. Interpreting Transference
The interpretation of the transference, that is
confronting the individual with the awareness
Use of that his/her behavior is the repetition of a
Transference specific unconscious is definitely part of psycho-
analytical therapy and requires is preparation of
the individual by the careful analysis of his
unconscious defense.
 We may reject the client, or fear them
We may being complicit to their maladaptive
relationship patterns
Potential We may disclose information, which we are
difficult later uncomfortable about, so that the client s
not hurt (I am married with children)
outcomes in
transference Difficulty in managing boundaries
Therapist guilt
Breakdown in therapeutic alliance
  Counter-transference is defined as redirection of a
worker’s feelings toward a client.
 It is a worker’s emotional entanglement with a
client.
Counter-  Relationship is a two-way process. Social case
transference worker has also unconscious tendency to transfer
the client. As in the case of transference, these
counter-transference feelings, both positive and
negative, are unconscious but operate with force.
Therefore, it is the job of case worker to recognize
his/her feelings and control them.
 Clients reminds us of someone we have or
Some reasons had strong feelings for (positive or
negative).
for counter-
transference: We over identify with them (difficulties we
have resolved in the past/similar
personality/ social standing/age/ gender
etc.)
Feeling parental towards clients
Sexual attraction
 Blurred boundaries
Inappropriate level of disclosure that compounds
transference
Potential Difficult
Outcomes of Not working with the countertransference
Counter- Not acknowledging the countertransference
transference Unable to discuss case reflectively in supervision
Reinforcing client’s and own relationship patterns
Difficulty ending helping relationship
 Ask yourself
 Am I responding in a way that feels like me?
 Do I associate this client with anyone else?
What can we
 What feelings do I have about them?
do?  Are those feelings only those that I as professional have
towards all my clients or are there difference?
 Why am I feeling this?
 Now is it impacting on my work with this client?
 Use supervision, more, not less
Reflective and reflexive practice is key
What can Accept that feelings towards a client is
normal, and work with that
we do?
Talk about the relationship in a
conducive place.
Be consistent with boundaries
 This is the realistic and objective
perception of existing conditions or
situations. A person who has a perception
of reality is the one who recognizes his
problem situation and accepts this
situation, then does something about it.
Reality The person who is able to see his/her
situation realistically is usually the type of
person who is motivated and willing to
cope with his problem situation for
problem-solving.
 Transference and counter-transference are barriers for the
case work in achieving goal. Sometime it may help for the
treatment. Here, case worker should be conscious about it.
Otherwise it may lead to break the professional boundaries of
case work.
 The self is the subject of one’s own experience: perception,
emotions and thoughts.
Conclusion  Self-concept is the image that we have of ourselves.
 Your self-concept is your mental picture of yourself. It is a
collection of self-perceptions. For example, self-concept
might include such beliefs as “I am easy going”; I am pretty; I
a hardworking (Weiten, Dunn, and Hammer, 2012).
 In the individual self consists of attribute and personality
traits that differentiate us from other individuals (for
example, introvert)
  The use of self in social work practice is the combining of
Always knowledge, values, and skills gained in social work
education with aspects of one’s personal self, including
remember!!! personality traits, belief systems, life experiences, and
cultural heritage (Devane 2006). It is the use of self that
The importance enables social workers to strive for authenticity and
genuineness with the clients we serve, while at the same
of Use of time honoring the values and ethics we highly value in
Professional Self social work practice. In an effort to explain the use of self it
often uses the micro skills coursework as an example of
how use of self looks professional practice.