Seeking Therapy Research Paper

Reflection Paper
For this initial interview session the client came in seeking therapy due to her depression and alcohol use. The client stated that she had been depressed for the past two years and that over time alcohol had became her best friend. Although, her depression and alcohol use were the primary issues that brought her into therapy throughout the interview the client shared several other issues that she was dealing with. While, talking with this client and assessing her current stressors as well as her needs I utilized the strengths based approach. In using the strengths based approach I was able to assist the client with recognizing her strengths regardless of her current situation and in doing this, the client was empowered. Throughout, my time as a student in the social work …show more content…
Instead of pushing the client into discussing something that she was clearly uncomfortable with I respected her wishes and checked in with her to see if she was willing to explore another topic. I believe that this made the client feel like her feelings were valued and like she was heard. I reflected on the readings and lectures from class about substance use disorder and how substance use can impact an individual’s ability to function and used their cognitive abilities. My ability to reflect on knowledge that I obtained through the semester influenced my understanding of the client and current situation. I felt like the client had lots of issues and stressors occurring simultaneously in her life and I wanted to assist her with addressing what she believed was the most pressing issue, but there was a moment in the session where I felt like the client was all over the place with her thoughts and what she believed to be her most pressing issues. In the moment I wanted to refocus the client, but I recognized the importance of allowing her to process all of her thoughts and feelings without interruption. Overall, I believe that my performance and interaction