My Beliefs, Values, and Clinical Gestalt with Individuals and Systems
Stephanie Ramsdale
BSHS/322
November 7, 2011
Tracy Newman

My Beliefs, Values, and Clinical Gestalt with Individuals and Systems The variety of things I have been learning about my personal and professional assumptions in regards to clinical helping have been vast. I didn’t realize how much of what I personally believe would need to be put aside for the betterment of the client.
I was unaware of the many elements involved when conducting an interview. For example, focused attending which has two main components, psychological attending and physical attending. Psychological attending requires the ability to put our own personal issues aside and completely focus on the needs of the client. Physical attending requires various components. Gerard Egan (1994) created an acronym stating the five components involved in physical attending they are as follows:
S-sit squarely O-open posture L-lean forward E-eye contact R-relax Not only was I unaware of the various elements in conducting an interview I hadn’t given any thought to the various locations an interview could take place. I simply assumed these interviews would be done in the office of the clinician. I didn’t realize that many times these interviews would be in a vehicle, school, or other public place. Clinical Listening is another important aspect of conducting an appropriate interview. It is important to not simply hear what a client is saying but to truly listen and put your own personal beliefs in regards to the subject aside. Verbal and nonverbal communication needs to be taken into account as well while at the same time making sure that nonverbal information is not over analyzed or misread. Paralinguistic cues are something I had never heard of before and again something I would not have considered. “Paralinguistic cues- the tone and pitch of voice, rate of speech, emphasis, and stuttering, sighing, and other vocalizations-are a crucial part of verbal conversation (Hall, 1959; Pope, 1979).” I learned that there are also cultural differences in this type of communication that must also be taken into consideration. I have realized that my own personal beliefs can be both beneficial as well as a hindrance when assisting a client. For example assisting a client that may have lost a loved one due to suicide or that they themselves may be considering suicide my personal experiences could be beneficial since I have dealt with that and can relate to the feelings and reactions steaming from such an act. On the other hand an individual who has abused their children is something I cannot personally comprehend. Empathy is something that I thought I understood but in reality didn’t. I thought that empathy was the ability to understand how someone else was feeling but in reality it is being able to feel what they feel as them and not as you. Cultural backgrounds are an area that I feel I am truly lost so to speak. Our country is truly a melting pot from the largest of cities to the smallest of towns encompassing many different ethnic groups and their cultures. I realized how crucial it is to be familiar with your client’s culture. Without doing so you aren’t truly able to establish a productive relationship with your client and therefore aren’t able to assist them in meeting their necessary needs. Since I plan to begin my career in the human services field working with the department of Child Protective Services (CPS) I realize that many of the clients I would be assisting come from a wide variety of backgrounds and each situation is unique. Some families may be having difficulties dealing with the day to day struggles of caring for a disabled child and at some point snap. Others may have an addiction to drugs and alcohol which prevents them from being able to properly care for their children. And still others may have a completely different set of beliefs and behaviors due to their particular culture. These differences can make it difficult to properly asses what is the best course of action. In her book Out of Control: Who’s Watching Our Child Protection Agencies Brenda Scott wrote “Child protective services is out of control. The system, as it operates today, should be scrapped. If children are to be protected in their homes and in the system, radical new guidelines must be adopted. At the core of the problem is the antifamily mindset of CPS. Removal is the first resort, not the last. With insufficient checks and balances the system designed to protect children has become the greatest perpetrator of harm.” (Scott, Brenda 1994) due to this CPS now attempts to reflect more family-centered (as opposed to child centered) practices. In closing I realize that this is going to be continual ongoing journey that I will be taking in my pursuit to obtain my degree in human services. The many aspects influencing my beliefs such as my past experiences, values, familiar and cultural background as well as my education will hopefully continue to evolve as I seek to understand the struggles others may be facing. I realize that I have many weaknesses that I need to strive to improve to be of assistance to others, but I also have many strengths that I believe will be beneficial to my clients. I feel that as long as I will maintain an open mind and truly seek to assist others in their struggles I can be an asset to the field of human services and I look forward to the many new and interesting lessons that are ahead.