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Critical Reflection

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Institution
Date
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Critical Reflection

Introduction

In this reflection, I will critically analyze my engagement and interviewing skills during

the role-play session with Andrea. Applying both strengths-based and trauma-informed

approaches, I will evaluate four key statements from our interaction, assessing their effectiveness

and identifying areas for growth. The reflection will incorporate feedback from the student who

portrayed Andrea, providing additional perspective on my practice. Through this analysis, I aim

to demonstrate how theoretical frameworks informed my interventions while honestly appraising

areas needing improvement in my communication and intervention strategies.

1. Expressing Warmth and Empathy

In the early part of the session, I stated, “That is quite understandable. I will try my best

to understand you,” aiming to establish rapport through emotional validation a key element of

trauma-informed practice (Knight, 2019). This approach focuses on creating psychological safety

by acknowledging the client’s emotions without judgment, which can be especially important for

individuals who may have experienced trauma or marginalization. Andrea’s visibly relaxed

posture and increased openness suggested that this response was effective in making her feel

heard and respected. However, upon reflection, I recognize that my response could have been

improved by incorporating more active listening techniques. Using minimal encouragers such as

nodding, “mm-hmm,” or “I hear you,” would have further demonstrated engagement and

emotional presence. Additionally, rephrasing my statement to something like, “It’s completely

okay to feel this way; we’ll work through it together,” would have communicated a stronger

sense of partnership and support. This would better align with trauma-informed principles of

collaboration and empowerment, reinforcing that Andrea is not alone in managing her
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challenges. Moving forward, I will be more intentional in combining verbal validation with non-

verbal cues to build trust and foster emotional connection early in client interactions.

2. Explaining Confidentiality

During the session, I stated, “Whatever information you share is strictly private unless

there's risk of harm,” aiming to establish trust through transparency an essential component of

anti-oppressive practice (Dominelli, 2002). This approach was particularly important given

Andrea’s vulnerable position, as it demonstrated respect for her autonomy and created a safer

space for open communication. Her verbal and nonverbal cues, including a nod and relaxed

posture, indicated that this explanation was reassuring. However, I later reflected that my

delivery was somewhat rushed, which may have limited the statement’s effectiveness. According

to Roberts (2005), individuals in crisis or distress often struggle to process complex information

quickly and benefit from clear, repeated messaging. To enhance clarity and uphold the principle

of informed consent, I could have broken the explanation into simpler parts, for example: “This

means our conversations stay between us, unless you're at risk of harm does that make sense?”

Checking for understanding would have encouraged dialogue and ensured Andrea felt informed

and empowered. This adjustment also supports anti-oppressive goals by reducing the power

imbalance and validating the client’s right to be fully informed about the boundaries of

confidentiality in a supportive and accessible manner.

3. Open-Ended Questioning

My question "Tell me more about your friends. How many are there, and how often do

you stay with them?" demonstrated the strengths-based approach (Saleebey, 2012) by exploring

Andrea's existing relationships as potential resources. While this elicited useful information

about her support network, I missed a crucial opportunity to explore her stated distrust more
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deeply. A follow-up question like "What makes you feel they might not have your best interests

at heart?" could have uncovered valuable insights about relationship patterns and safety

concerns. This oversight highlights a need to better balance information-gathering with depth of

exploration. The strengths perspective reminds us that even when identifying challenges, we

should frame questions to elicit narratives of resilience and survival strategies, which I could

have emphasized more intentionally.

4. Reflecting Feelings

When I reflected "Life can be very difficult. If I get you right, you're staying between

friends and the streets?" I employed crisis intervention techniques (James & Gilliland, 2017) to

validate Andrea's experience while ensuring accurate understanding. The paraphrasing helped

Andrea feel heard, as evidenced by her elaboration on her living situation. However, my tone

could have conveyed greater empathy. Enhancing the statement with "That sounds incredibly

tough. How are you coping day-to-day?" would have better met multiple objectives: validating

her emotional experience, inviting her to share coping strategies (aligning with strengths-based

practice), and assessing her current functioning (important for crisis assessment). This

adjustment would demonstrate more fully the integration of trauma-informed principles with

crisis intervention skills.

Client Feedback

The student portraying Andrea provided valuable feedback stating, "You made me feel

safe, but sometimes your questions felt rushed," and "I liked that you checked my understanding

of confidentiality." These observations closely align with my self-assessment, particularly

regarding pacing and the need to balance efficiency with emotional attunement. The positive

feedback about safety confirms the effectiveness of trauma-informed elements in my approach,

while the note about rushed questions underscores an area needing attention. This external

perspective reinforces that while my theoretical application was generally sound, practical

execution requires more mindfulness about conversational flow and client processing time.

Conclusion

This reflective exercise illuminated both strengths and growth areas in my practice. I

effectively applied trauma-informed and strengths-based theories to create safety and identify

resources, as evidenced by Andrea's increasing openness during the session. However, the

analysis revealed needs for improvement in pacing, depth of exploration, and emotional

attunement. Moving forward, I will: 1) Incorporate more minimal encouragers to slow

conversations naturally; 2) Integrate narrative therapy techniques (White & Epston, 1990) to

collaboratively explore Andrea's story beyond surface-level facts; and 3) Practice comfortable

silence to allow clients adequate processing time. These refinements will help me better balance

structure with empathy, ultimately serving clients more effectively. The experience underscored

that theoretical knowledge must be coupled with mindful presence to achieve truly client-

centered practice.
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References

Dominelli, L. (2002). Anti-oppressive social work theory and practice. Palgrave.

James, R. K., & Gilliland, B. E. (2017). Crisis intervention strategies. Cengage.

Knight, C. (2019). Trauma-informed social work practice. Oxford University Press.