The social worker-client relationship: difficulties and solutions

AuthorC. Marc/J. Makai Dimény/C. Bacter
PositionUniversity of Oradea/University of Oradea/University of Oradea, Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, Department of Sociology and Social Work
Pages377-386
Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov
Series VII: Social Sciences Law Vol. 12 (61) No. 2 - 2019
https://doi.org/10.31926/but.ssl.2019.12.61.2.20
THE SOCIAL WORKER-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP:
DIFFICULTIES AND SOLUTIONS
C. MARC1 J. MAKAI DIMÉNY2 C. BACTER3
Abstract: The social worker-client relationship is a construction that
depends on both parties. Difficulties that may arise support the importance
of assertive communication and maintaining professional boundaries. In
rural areas, specific problems (such as lack of resources, administrative tasks
/clearly undefined roles, difficult to maintain confidentiality, etc.) make the
mission of the social worker even more difficult. Understanding the
contextual factors by the social worker, professionally managing the
relationship with the client, efficient time and stress management, the
balance between professional and personal life are essential and must be
supplemented with measures from the organization (avoiding overloading,
supervision and support and training).
Key words: social worker-client relationship, difficulties, communication,
limits.
1. Introduction
Based on interaction and communication, social work involves building a social
worker-client relationship, the quality and r esults of which depend largely on the
success of the care process.
In social work, the social worker's relations with clients can “bring: their past
experiences, vulnerabilities, traumas, failures, emotions, attachments. The social worker
must find the appropriate way of communication, behavior towards the client, so as to
build a healthy professional relationship and manage it in accordance with
professional values. The social worker-client relationship comprises a mixture of the
instrumental and the moral, the social workers being necessarily practitioners of
context-sensitive moral values and bearers of particular moral character(Clark, 2006, p.
80, 86). Given the specificity of the intervention in social work, in order to maintain
objectivity and protect against the occurrence of situations involving potential personal,
sexual, financial or other conflicts, it was necessary to impose a ”professional distance”,
1 University of Oradea, cristiana_marc@yahoo.com , corresponding author.
2 University of Oradea, PhD student.
3 University of Oradea, Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, D epartment of Sociology and Social Wo rk
claudianbacter@gmail.com

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