Finding Your Way Through Field Work by Urania E. Glassman

Author:Urania E. Glassman [Glassman, Urania E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Social Science, Human Services
ISBN: 9781483353258
Google: 42jnsgEACAAJ
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Published: 2015-11-25T05:11:58+00:00

Challenges for all Students

During the beginning phase of learning social work practice, the student who needs to understand before doing faces a major challenge. Everyone requires some understanding before jumping into action. If you find you are not taking a speedy leap into the task, reflect upon whether you are asking for too much understanding. In the final analysis, you will have to suspend judgments and trust the directions you are being given.

CASE ILLUSTRATION 8.1

FIRST-YEAR STUDENT—TRUSTING A FIELD INSTRUCTOR’S DIRECTION

First-year student Eleanor recently began working with an elderly client at a nursing home who lost her husband to a car accident 35 years ago. During her last session, the client talked about how happy she was to attend her grandson’s wedding. She noted that her son was able to be there whereas his own father had died before his wedding. She said her son did not discuss this with her at the wedding, but she believed he had considered the parallel.

Eleanor asked if she had brought this up to her son. She did not, saying that he does not like it when she talks about his father.

She never married her longtime boyfriend (who died recently) because she did not want to be disloyal to her husband or to betray her children. This puzzled Eleanor, but she did not say more.

In meeting her field instructor, Kate, Eleanor wanted to know how to talk with her client about why she does not discuss her late husband with her son. Kate told her not to raise that topic, telling her this is a long-standing issue with her son. The client worries her son will die young and passing the milestone of the grandson’s wedding has given her comfort. Kate told Eleanor that it is a good sign that she did not bring this up to her son and is learning not to impose her anxieties onto him.

Kate wants Eleanor to affirm the positive relationship with the client’s son, grandson, and her other son. If she discusses the parallels, it is important for Eleanor to ask what the client is feeling and to keep her focused on building the relationships with those who are living.

Discussion

Eleanor has to act upon what her field instructor is asking and accept that this client’s relationship with her son is in delicate balance. Eleanor still wants to explore the client’s feelings of loss. However, social work practice is complex. In this case, practice involves understanding family dynamics and how different family members cope with loss. Not allowing a family member to die is one issue that recurs, especially when someone dies young. The death of a young father may hover over a family, often due to the persistence of one member, and pervade the life force of the others. This persistence usually requires redirection. At this time, Eleanor does not know enough about these dynamics and practice perspectives. Thus, she is required to trust her field instructor’s direction. After further sessions with the client, additional supervision, and subsequent classwork, Eleanor will gain clarity in these perspectives.

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