Question

A social worker is interviewing a client who feels depressed, overwhelmed, and hopeless about the future. The BEST way for the social worker to empower the client and create a sense of hope is to:

A. collaborate with the client t negotiate goals for behavior change
B. assist the client with identifying maladaptive thinking patterns
C. respect the client's circumstances and view of self
D. ask questions to identify client strengths and successes

Answer 1

The best way to empower a client feeling depressed and overwhelmed is to ask questions that identify their strengths and successes, as this fosters hope and psychological empowerment through recognizing personal agency and resilience.

Step-by-step explanation:

The best way for a social worker to empower a client and create a sense of hope is to ask questions to identify client strengths and successes. This approach aligns with the strengths-based model and psychological empowerment theory emphasized in community psychology. It recognizes clients' capabilities and encourages them to see themselves as having agency and resources to influence their own lives positively. Collaborating with the client to negotiate behavior change goals and assisting with identifying maladaptive thinking patterns are important, but recognizing and building on existing strengths can provide immediate hope and motivation.

Furthermore, respecting the client's circumstances and self-view is crucial to building a trusting relationship and empowering the client. However, highlighting the client's strengths and successes can ignite hope and foster self-efficacy, which is empowering for clients who feel overwhelmed and hopeless. This method corroborates clients' resilience and aligns with interventions that integrate the emotional, cognitive, relational, and behavior components of psychological empowerment.