Maybe I'm odd.....
I've been in some serious thought provoking moods lately. I know you're probably thinking that I shouldn't be using my brain, and that it should be taking a vaccation. You may recall me saying that my mind is like a well-oiled machine. It usually does not stop. Anyway, so, I have always had discussions with my social worker classmates about why I'm in social work; We've always had good, deep conversations about why we've chosen social work as our future profession. There is one common thing that bonds us together though. We've all been through some life changing experiences and traumas that have pulled us into the profession. No single person wakes up in the morning one day and just decides that they are going to be a social worker. It is something that is brought on by human emotion and struggle. It's really amazing. I'm also beginning to feel more confident each day about my decision to become a counselor. I'm really intrigued by the human mind. It's such a powerful tool. It's something that I'm deeply interested in. I want to find out about emotions and why certain behaviors trigger people to engage in certain actions. I want to learn about all of the approaches that counselors use. I want to use them to empower people. I also find other enviroments intriguging. The way people behave in different environments really interests me. I often times wonder why people do that? It's all rooted in their comfort level with other people and the degree of emotional comfort that they feel when they are around that certain person. For my social work 304 class (The micro practice class; micro= individual level) I had to write an essay exam. I'll give you an example of one of the questions and my response.
Question #1
Why is it necessary to use the bio-psycho-social model to explain an
emotional or
relationship problem?
My answer: Upon entering the profession of Social Work and even
before, it is stated that
the social worker's main intention is to consider the person in the
environment. Social
Work as a whole is focused on considering the person in the
environment when working with
a variety of different people. It is especially useful in micro
practice and on the
individual basis. The bio-psycho-social model takes three vital parts
of that client's
environment into consideration when using this model. It is important
to realize that all
problems have more than one influence or source. The bio-pyscho-social
model analyzes the
problem or source in each of these contexts. For example, the
influence of a problem such
as alcoholism can be traced back to a family's drinking patterns and
behaviors. This then
becomes a biological problem. This biological problem can in turn
cause psychological
issues based on the individual's behaviors and thinking patterns when
surrounded by those
who abuse the habit and have close emotional ties to another person in
that family.
Alcoholism in a family is known to cause emotional stress and
depressive feelings such as
emotional let down and failure to thrive. This failure to thrive or
feeling that an
individual person cannot succeed without the aid of alcohol or some
other chemical
dependency source generates psychological problems. The last part of
the model considers
the social sources that the client associates and communicates with.
Your social
environment and the people you associate yourself with has the
potential of shaping your
individual behavior. The way that your peer group behaves and
associates has some
influence on how the person will behave when surrounded by that
particular group of
people. So, if the client is surrounded in a social group or
environment that abuses
alcohol infinitely, the client will begin to behave in accordance with
the others in the
group to eliminate the feeling of being left out. The client will then
behave so that
they become "socially fit" and accepted. In reference to the
biological problem of
alcoholism, it is important to remember that the systems theory plays
an active role when
working with families. For instance, if drinking is in fact a
biological problem in that
family, the other members will begin to feel let down by the
alcoholic's addiction. When
the addicted individual recognizes that the other family members are
let down by their
negative energy, they begin to let their habit dwindle in an effort to
help reconnect the
family. As soon as the addicted individual sobers up, something else
in the family goes
wrong and another member is given the negative energy that was once
the focus of the
addicted member. It is a continuous cycle of negative energy that
seems to keep the
family dynamics in tact. In conclusion, I feel that the
bio-psycho-social model is
tremendously helpful when trying to assess the roots of the client's
problems. It is
intertwined with many other theories such as the cognitive behavioral
theory and the
systems theory. It allows for an infinitely comprehensive approach and
considers multiple
possible sources and causes for many social emotional problems and habits.
Ahhh, so interesting.. Does this intrigue and/or make sense to anyone else? I think it's absolutely amazing. It is such a profound idea to try and figure out people's problems. I want so badly to figure out other people's problems and to try my best to understand ALL people. It's a very tough thing, but I WANT TO DO IT! I think I'm a little too ambitious when it comes to counseling sometimes, and I know I'll get let down sometimes by the people who do not want to accept the fact that they need help. It's going to hurt and put strain on me, but I'm just going to have to deal with what is handed to me and my client load. It's going to be complex; especially for such an emotionally attached person like myself. I've also realized something about myself lately. I've learned that I'm very deep and unique and that few understand me and comprehend my true talents and interests. Hmm... I've also realized that even counselors need help sometimes, even though they are the professionals and the ones "appointed" to assist others with their problems. In fact, I've chosen to begin seeking counseling at SLU beginning in January. It will be good for my self-esteem. I'm crazy, yes. I just keep it all inside a lot of the time. You have to know me REALLY well to understand how uniquely crazy I am. Anyway, enough thinking for now... Have a good night
Question #1
Why is it necessary to use the bio-psycho-social model to explain an
emotional or
relationship problem?
My answer: Upon entering the profession of Social Work and even
before, it is stated that
the social worker's main intention is to consider the person in the
environment. Social
Work as a whole is focused on considering the person in the
environment when working with
a variety of different people. It is especially useful in micro
practice and on the
individual basis. The bio-psycho-social model takes three vital parts
of that client's
environment into consideration when using this model. It is important
to realize that all
problems have more than one influence or source. The bio-pyscho-social
model analyzes the
problem or source in each of these contexts. For example, the
influence of a problem such
as alcoholism can be traced back to a family's drinking patterns and
behaviors. This then
becomes a biological problem. This biological problem can in turn
cause psychological
issues based on the individual's behaviors and thinking patterns when
surrounded by those
who abuse the habit and have close emotional ties to another person in
that family.
Alcoholism in a family is known to cause emotional stress and
depressive feelings such as
emotional let down and failure to thrive. This failure to thrive or
feeling that an
individual person cannot succeed without the aid of alcohol or some
other chemical
dependency source generates psychological problems. The last part of
the model considers
the social sources that the client associates and communicates with.
Your social
environment and the people you associate yourself with has the
potential of shaping your
individual behavior. The way that your peer group behaves and
associates has some
influence on how the person will behave when surrounded by that
particular group of
people. So, if the client is surrounded in a social group or
environment that abuses
alcohol infinitely, the client will begin to behave in accordance with
the others in the
group to eliminate the feeling of being left out. The client will then
behave so that
they become "socially fit" and accepted. In reference to the
biological problem of
alcoholism, it is important to remember that the systems theory plays
an active role when
working with families. For instance, if drinking is in fact a
biological problem in that
family, the other members will begin to feel let down by the
alcoholic's addiction. When
the addicted individual recognizes that the other family members are
let down by their
negative energy, they begin to let their habit dwindle in an effort to
help reconnect the
family. As soon as the addicted individual sobers up, something else
in the family goes
wrong and another member is given the negative energy that was once
the focus of the
addicted member. It is a continuous cycle of negative energy that
seems to keep the
family dynamics in tact. In conclusion, I feel that the
bio-psycho-social model is
tremendously helpful when trying to assess the roots of the client's
problems. It is
intertwined with many other theories such as the cognitive behavioral
theory and the
systems theory. It allows for an infinitely comprehensive approach and
considers multiple
possible sources and causes for many social emotional problems and habits.
Ahhh, so interesting.. Does this intrigue and/or make sense to anyone else? I think it's absolutely amazing. It is such a profound idea to try and figure out people's problems. I want so badly to figure out other people's problems and to try my best to understand ALL people. It's a very tough thing, but I WANT TO DO IT! I think I'm a little too ambitious when it comes to counseling sometimes, and I know I'll get let down sometimes by the people who do not want to accept the fact that they need help. It's going to hurt and put strain on me, but I'm just going to have to deal with what is handed to me and my client load. It's going to be complex; especially for such an emotionally attached person like myself. I've also realized something about myself lately. I've learned that I'm very deep and unique and that few understand me and comprehend my true talents and interests. Hmm... I've also realized that even counselors need help sometimes, even though they are the professionals and the ones "appointed" to assist others with their problems. In fact, I've chosen to begin seeking counseling at SLU beginning in January. It will be good for my self-esteem. I'm crazy, yes. I just keep it all inside a lot of the time. You have to know me REALLY well to understand how uniquely crazy I am. Anyway, enough thinking for now... Have a good night