Empathy, Intergenerational Boundary And Analysis

It is important that the author identified systems issues such as intergenerational patterns, dysfunctional boundaries and models of marriage because she is a professional agent of social change. As a social worker she advocates for clients in vulnerable populations. Having an understanding in the identified areas can be useful when dealing with individuals of similar experiences. Most important of all, having the knowledge in these particular areas can influence her empathy when working with people who seem to have little connections with their families. For instance, understanding that marital outcome is an intergenerational pattern can influence the author empathy when dealing with an individual who struggles to keep a marriage intact. Birkenmaier et al, (2014) identified the three types of empathy that apply when engaging with different situations are: basic empathy, inferred empathy and invitational empathy. …show more content…
When using invitational empathy, the author can encourage the client to talk more and to become comfortable sharing underlying emotions relating to the problem. With the information gaining from reviewing Marie’s family of origin genogram; the author is now aware of how to confront someone like grandma E. In some respect, the author can use the theory of disengaged family when dealing with an individual who experienced laxness of parental boundaries. She is now capable of putting herself in someone like grandma’s shoes and be empathetic to the fact that sometimes people have to do what they only know to survive. If the author comes in contact with a client who has experienced abandonment issues, her ability to comfort the individual will be