Instructions
Describe a situation in which you found it necessary to ask someone for help. The request need not have been made of a professional, but it should not have been a trivial matter. For instance, it should not be a superficial experience, such as asking a friend for help finding an apartment. Describe your feelings before, during, and after this experience.
The focus of this assignment is on the thoughts and feelings you experienced in relation to asking for help, rather than on the situation itself. Reflect and respond to the questions below.
Please address the following questions:
Having reflected on your own experience of help-seeking, and who actually provided help, what moves people to turn to professional or formal help?
Given your own experience, are there alternate ways of interpreting the act of seeking help?
Discuss how your experience relates to the conceptualization of social work practice that has been presented in your readings and in class discussions thus far.
What have you learned from this experience of seeking help and the obstacles to help-seeking?
What might be some of the deeper concerns people have with regards to needing the help of a professional?
In what ways has your thinking about those in need of help shifted as a result of this dialogue?
How will the experience you described influence your approach to those who are coming to you for help?