In his professional activity, a social worker inevitably faces situations that pose a serious test for his self-esteem. Low self-esteem is often the reason for the dissatisfied professional state.
Due to loneliness, mental illness and the burden of past years, clients often carry a huge burden of negative emotions. They shift their worries to the social worker. And he, trying to immerse himself in the problems of his client, is overwhelmed with a sense of compassion. This throws him out of balance and well-being and can lead to feelings of guilt in the social worker.
Not always a social worker can immediately give an exhaustive answer to a client's question. This can lead to misunderstanding and aggression on the part of the person who addressed the problem. The employee himself will consider his incompetence to be the reason for the unsettled contact. A one-time failure can leave a heavy imprint on work, which will become a reason for a social worker to doubt his professional suitability. However, the reason for such an uncomfortable state will be the inability of the employee to evaluate himself.
Some social workers blame themselves for their well-being versus the lives of their clients. Often this condition occurs due to the client's pressure on pity. But do not forget that a person himself is the master of his condition. Self-abuse does not help either the social worker himself or his client.
There are several ways to solve this professional problem. First, there is no need to be afraid to seek help from a local psychologist or supervisor. No matter how good and experienced a social worker is, he cannot always cope with feelings of helplessness and low self-esteem on his own.
Secondly, it is necessary to abandon negative attitudes. If a person thinks about bad things, then most likely this will happen to him. If your thoughts are positive, then the clients who come to you will feel it.
Thirdly, you need to get rid of the feeling of pity. Everyone in this world achieves what he is capable of. There can be no connection between your well-being and the trouble of another person. Workers in the "human-to-human" sphere need to remember this rule as one of the fundamental ones.
Fourthly, you should not strive for the image that your clients come up with for you. Remember that you are not a magician. The results of social work are either not visible at all, or are far delayed in time.
Finally, love yourself as you are. Do not forget about your uniqueness, that you are doing a noble cause, helping other people to solve their problems.
