The Range of Client Problems and the Helping Skills Used with Clients
The Range of Client Problems and the Helping Skills Used with Clients
Christie Lynn Kainz
BSHS/305
August 25, 2014
Karis Barnett
The Range of Client Problems and the Helping Skills Used with Clients
Buddha once said, “If you light a lamp for someone else it will also brighten your path”. The purpose of helping is to assist others in learning to overcome and/or cope with the problems they face in every day life. Those providing the help often do so to feel a sense of purpose by making a positive impact on other’s lives. In terms of human services, helping comes from working professionals who possess the knowledge and expertise to effectively provide services to those in need. In order to better understand the helping process, we will define who a client is, the wide range of problems that clients face and the specific set of helping skills that human professionals use with clients.
Defining the Client
An individual who receives human services holds the title of client, consumer or customer. Each title emphasizes the relationship between the individual and the type of services they are receiving. “Client” is a general term referred to an individual who obtains assistance from a helping professional. The label “consumer” stresses the business aspect of service delivery and “customer” signifies the exchange of money for services. A client can take several forms. Sometimes they are individuals, while other times they can also represent a small group of people or even a large population. For arguments sake, the term “client” will be used to describe the recipient of human services. If there were no clients, the human services profession would cease to exist. The helping process occurs because some people are unable to meet even their most basic needs of survival in order to live efficiently on their own. According to Woodside and McClam (2011), the phrase “working with the whole person” is the “guiding principle in human services and focuses on the
Christie Lynn Kainz
BSHS/305
August 25, 2014
Karis Barnett
The Range of Client Problems and the Helping Skills Used with Clients
Buddha once said, “If you light a lamp for someone else it will also brighten your path”. The purpose of helping is to assist others in learning to overcome and/or cope with the problems they face in every day life. Those providing the help often do so to feel a sense of purpose by making a positive impact on other’s lives. In terms of human services, helping comes from working professionals who possess the knowledge and expertise to effectively provide services to those in need. In order to better understand the helping process, we will define who a client is, the wide range of problems that clients face and the specific set of helping skills that human professionals use with clients.
Defining the Client
An individual who receives human services holds the title of client, consumer or customer. Each title emphasizes the relationship between the individual and the type of services they are receiving. “Client” is a general term referred to an individual who obtains assistance from a helping professional. The label “consumer” stresses the business aspect of service delivery and “customer” signifies the exchange of money for services. A client can take several forms. Sometimes they are individuals, while other times they can also represent a small group of people or even a large population. For arguments sake, the term “client” will be used to describe the recipient of human services. If there were no clients, the human services profession would cease to exist. The helping process occurs because some people are unable to meet even their most basic needs of survival in order to live efficiently on their own. According to Woodside and McClam (2011), the phrase “working with the whole person” is the “guiding principle in human services and focuses on the
References: Egan, G. E. (2010). The Skilled Helper: A problem Management and Opportunity Development Approach to Helping (9th ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole. Ivey, A. E., Ivey, M. B., & Zalaquett, C. P. (2009). Intentional Interviewing and Counseling: Facilitating Client Development in a Multicultural Society (7th ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole. Woodside, M., & McClam, T. (2011). An Introduction to Human Services (7th ed.). Mason, Ohio: Cengage Learning.