Identifying Micro Skills As a new social work student

Identifying Micro Skills

As a new social work student, it takes a lot of time and practice to learn how to work with clients. Knowing when to use micro skills such as rephrasing or clarifying a statement, confronting a situation, or disclosing your personal experiences can be unclear at times. Suppose a client you are working with shares experiences of child abuse. You also experienced child abuse, although, not to the extent that your client is sharing. Do you share your experience with the client? What would be the purpose of this self-disclosure? When is it appropriate to tell a client about your history? The latter question not only depends on your comfort-level with the disclosure; it also depends on the rules and regulations of your agency. Some settings, such as those involving substance abuse, encourage the hiring of people with substance abuse histories and, in turn, allow self-disclosure. However, hospital and psychiatric settings may restrict self-disclosure to protect their clients and the social worker. When might one micro skill be more appropriate than another? What challenges might you face when using micro skills if they are not used properly?

For this Discussion, review this week’s Learning Resources. Consider any challenges you might encounter when using micro practice skills while interviewing the client. Then think about what other skills you might use to overcome those challenges. Finally, reflect on any skills at which you think you might excel while working with the client.

By Day 3

Post an explanation of the challenges you might encounter when using micro practice skills while interviewing the client. Then explain what skills you might use to overcome those challenges. Finally, explain what skills you think you might excel at while working with a client and why.

Support your posts and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources. Be sure to provide full APA citations for your references.