Self-Determined

At the head of the Social Work Code of Ethics is the expectation that spells out a client’s right to self-determination. I think that a great many students see that and shake their head eagerly and say things like “that makes sense” or “of course, that’s a good rule to practice by.” Practicing that rule in a therapeutic setting can be more difficult than agreeing with the concept. On occasion, I’ve asked interns that I was supervising what they would do if a person came in asking to help mend a relationship with an abusive partner. Some of them recognize the trap, others don’t but more often than not, they fall into the trap anyways. It is not the job of the social worker or any other therapist to convince the client that the best thing for them to do is to leave the partner. The client has the right to decide that they want to continue with them. As a therapist there are three viable options. One is to tell the client that I, in good conscience cannot participate in this course of action. The other is to educate the client on all of their options and hope that they choose one that is healthy. Lastly, I could, in fact, help the client with their relationship issues. I had on one occasion, the opportunity to work with inmates who were coming out of the corrections system after lengthy stays. I grew up in an impoverished area and knew, first hand, the environments that some of these individuals came from. One day, to a new group of men, I said “my job is not to keep you out of prison. Only you can do that when you finally get to go home. My job is to help keep individuals who want to stay out of prions in their homes for as long as we can manage. I know for some of you that prison was the safest place you’ve ever been in your life. I wish it wasn’t true, but acknowledge its truth. If you are determined to do back, then let’s find a way to do that on your terms. The only reason anyone should ever go back is if you woke up one day and said, ‘okay, I’m going to go get arrested today.’” This soap-box moment brought some nods of approval which I was most grateful for. This whole line of thinking and behaving is indicative of some of the popular child-rearing philosophies. If you threaten a child with a punishment for not behaving in an expected fashion, chances are that they will comply . . . so long as they are compelled by that threat. The moment that the threat becomes insufficient, they will do whatever they want to. If you teach the value of a behavior, and foster the growth and mastering of that action, then the child will continue to exercise that behavior so long as it retains its value. And so, when a client is convinced that something is in their best interest, they will continue to pursue it. The job of a therapist, or of a good friend is to help demonstrate the value of healthy thoughts and actions.