Introduction
The continuum of communication style is an essential concept in the practice of rehabilitation. It consists of three main forms, which are directing, guiding, and following methods. The directing style focuses on giving a specific set of instructions to a person, whereas the following style allows an individual to come up with his or her solution to the issue.
In the middle, there is a guiding style, which gives a small amount of valuable information, but it is up to a person to use them. There are also key verbs that are associated with each type of communication style. For example, in the directing style, the primary verbs are to authorize, manage, prescribe, and order. However, in the following form, the verbs are to understand, value, listen, and allow (Miller & Rollnick, 2015). The contrast is substantial due to the fact that one style gives full freedom of action to a person, whereas the other one gives clear and outlined guidelines.
Main Body
In rehabilitation counseling, it is important to be able to quickly understand if an individual requires the directing or following style of communication. The main reason is that some people tend to recover better if they possess freedom of choice, and no forced actions are taken against them. However, some people are more inclined to follow a strict set of rules because they might believe in authority figures and respect experts. A social worker needs to be honest with the client, explaining to him/her that recovery is a long process.
Refusing to take alcohol and drugs is not enough, a professional needs to work on the recovery program that the psychologist offers the client. The task of the social worker is to tell the client what can happen to him if he does not follow the recovery program (Miller & Rollnick, 2015). In fact, the work of a social worker is the prevention of disruptions, assistance in the development of new ways of life by clients, that is, recovery is a process that is in constant evolution. Thus, in the given cases, the directing and guiding style is recommended.
In order to effectively provide psychological assistance to clients suffering from alcoholism, a social worker needs to be well able to use all the listening, responding, and pondering skills, as well as maintain confidentiality, be able to write down information, be able to resolve crisis situations and refer to specialists. Formulation by the social worker of the essence of what the client feels is highly important. Unlike rephrasing, the description of emotions mainly refers to the emotional side of the client’s message, expressed verbally or nonverbally (Miller & Rollnick, 2015). Thus, the description of emotions is a sympathetic response to the emotional state of the client. These cases of rehabilitation mostly require the guiding and following styles.
Summing up, the main results of the discussion during the consultation is critical. The summary can focus on both feelings and content and can be used after discussing a specific topic during the meeting or at the end of it as an overview of all the main issues. In both cases, the summary should be short, practical, and not have new additional content.
To summarize means to select the main points and feelings from the client’s story and briefly characterize them as a whole. The profile should correctly reflect the essence of the statements and attitudes of the client and should not contain the conclusions of the psychologist. Thus, the given step is an overview of the main points raised during a therapy session to ensure continuity of discussion in a particular direction. The given rehabilitation approach mostly requires the following style due to the fact that no instructive method is needed.
Personal Reflection
For most of my life, I have been a highly decisive and dedicated person, thus, I am not inclined to have postponed changes. However, I have always been ambivalent about bodybuilding and weightlifting training in order to increase my musculature. The main reason is that I already consider myself a healthy and physically capable person, but I have always wanted to get a bigger muscle mass. Nevertheless, I also think that the given activity requires a lot of time and resources, which are highly valuable to me.
In addition, I am already 45 years old, and I think that it might not be as effective as training during a younger age. The given hobby also requires stricter nutrition and dietary plans, which can get expensive due to the number of calories needed. Under the directive counseling approach, I would feel that I am being pushed and pressured, which I do not prefer, mainly because I always try to make conscious and weighted choices. In addition, I do not think that a person, even if he/she has vast expertise, can command someone to change himself/herself.
Conclusion
Nonetheless, if the counselor is non-directive, I will be able to explain all of my reasoning processes. For instance, I would like to invest my time and money into weightlifting, because I think that I will not be able to later due to my old age. I am convinced that I am still young enough to get some significant results, thus, I might consider hiring a personal trainer in order to increase my musculature effectively. The main reason for weightlifting is the fact that it boosts self-esteem and gives tons of confidence. It also will allow me to be more aware of my health and well-being. Lastly, weightlifting is an excellent activity in order to prevent various chronic diseases related to age-related atrophy and weakness. I would not consider this change as a life-changing one, but it would allow me to prove to myself that I can achieve my goals and that I am willing to work for them.
References
Miller, W. P., & Rollnick, S. (2015). Motivational Interviewing: Helping People Change. London, England: Wiley.