Empathy Concept Analysis

Learning Concept #1: Empathy

The author talks about the difference between empathy and sympathy. The author defines sympathy as “the ability to share and feel the same emptions as your clients” ((Ward & Mama, 2006, P80). The author defines empathy as “when you can say you understand them and what they are going through”. (P80) Even though most time we wont feel the same emotions are our clients do about certain aspects we can always be empathetic. (80) The author states “sympathy can get in the way of our ability to be fully available to the client; therefore, it is important that we discuss our feelings about our clients in supervision or in our journals for field work class.” (P80)

Learning Concept #2: Self Determination

Self-determination

I remember practicing this in helping skills and then putting into play while doing groups. Over the summer I got better at it working in a call center but now that I am placed in a high school I really have use for empathy. I don’t have a lot of sympathy for these students because I would love to go back to high school and do the work and projects that they are doing. I can show them empathy when the complain about assignments and show them that their complaints are valid. The second concept that I chose was self-determination. This is a large thing in high school because once these kids come into the school they have to make choices for themselves. I can show them what can happen if they make certain choices but like the text stated I couldn’t make those decisions for them. I’m just here to support them. The third concept that I chose was using client’s strengths. This is a concept that I use in placement everyday. When working with students you have to play to their strengths. Taking what I have learned from personal and academic success about learning styles has helped me with this concept. Every student has different learning styles some are more doing and some are more thinking. The best example of this that I can think of is when I helped two students with their math assignment. Both assignments were the same but one student was a doer and one was a thinker. With the doer I got her to measure the classroom with a meter stick and the other one was able to just estimate by looking at the stick. Both came up with the same answer but in different ways. Knows these kids learning styles can help not only me but them as well in the long road. The concept of using the community’s strengths is a great one for Koarh because these kids that go there are a community a lot of these kids have gone to the same elementary school or there old siblings to here so when there’s an issue such as fundraising for the senior girls