active listening social work essay

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Empathy and active listening in the humanistic social work

2020, Research Terminals in the Social Sciences (eds. Dan Valeriu Voinea and Alexandru Strungă), SITECH Publishing House, Craiova

The present paper deals with the role of empathy and active listening in social work, focusing mainly on the humanistic theoretical models, according to which active listening is a form of operationalization of empathy. Empathy is the human specific ability to psychologically transpose the self into the psychology of the other, through a phenomenon of resonance and emotional communication. Listening plays an important role in this process and generally in communication between people. Especially the active listening maintains the communication relations and contributes to mitigating conflicts in different social contexts. Moreover, empathy makes us more understanding, because placing ourselves in the position of the interlocutor limits our tendency to judge their behaviour without nuance. Active listening means that the receiver of communication actively assumes this role, by expressly following the understanding of the transmitted message, manifestly showing their mindfulness, and immediately and explicitly offering the according feedback. In activities where communication and comprehension are essential, as is the case with social work, active listening is the most desirable form of response in the interaction between interlocutors. Besides outlining these aspects regarding empathy and active listening, especially from a humanistic perspective, in the paper the features and the main techniques of active listening used in social work are also delineated, explained and exemplified.

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In communication between people, listening plays an important role. Active listening, which implies giving the full attention to the speaker and showing interest to the communication by using a variety of verbal and non-verbal signs, maintains the communication relations and contributes to mitigating conflicts in different social contexts. Moreover, active listening is the most desirable form of response in the interaction between interlocutors, in activities where communication and comprehension are essential, as is the case with social work. Starting with the delineation of the place of listening in the verbal communication and the outlining of the characteristics of the active listening, this paper deals further with the ways in which the importance and the roles of listening and active listening are highlighted in the theoretical and methodological models of intervention developed in social work.

This article presents a detailed theoretical framework demonstrating how empathy is used in the practice of social work. This consists of affective, cognitive, and behavioral dimensions of empathy and delineates six latent constructs that make up these dimensions. These constructs are (1) caring, (2) congruence, (3) interpersonal sensitivity, (4) perspective taking, (5) altruism, and (6) the therapeutic relationship. Evolutionary, sociological, and neuroscience theories are used to describe empathy's origins as a historically adaptive and interactional process, and social work theories emphasize empathy as an interpersonal helping strategy and organizing principle essential to the practice of social work.

Despite the almost complete lack of research addressing a theoretical understanding of empathy or ways to increase human empathy, empathy is a central component of effective human communication. Seen as a key social science phenomenon, it is viewed, along with power, as an inextricable component of human dynamics, and, in its relationship with altruism, possibly plays a causal role. A problem with research on empathy has been a lack of conceptual clarity. Three Ways to improve empathetic listening are to avoid judgment, give the speaker time to speak without interruption, and focus on the speaker. Many of the helping professions have attempted training programs aimed at increasing the empathetic communication skills of practitioners in these fields. However, being told to listen empathetically is not the same as being taught to listen with empathy; and in crit:que of the empathy skills programs that are conducted within the helping professions, a significantly raised test score does not mean that empathy has been attained. Although empathetic communication is a complex subject matter, skills associated with empathy and active listening have been perceived as being more important than skills associated with critical or deliberative listening. (EL)

Empathy is the perception we have of a person in relation to what they think, feel or do considering the emotions, needs and problems in order to understand what is happening that originates their reactions, what they think and what they feel. Empathy helps strengthen ties with the family primarily, friends and society as a whole. This study was born with the need to understand people, their thoughts and actions putting "in the shoes of others" to better understand them. The aim of this paper is to show that Empathy is a necessary skill to understand and create new synchronic relationships with the world around us understanding the motivations, limitations and realities of people. For the realization of this article, books and publications on empathy were reviewed and it was concluded that empathy is necessary in any area of life to understand and communicate better.

Volume of the consumer conversation is expanding day by day. Many leading companies worldwide are recognising the importance of listening to the costumers and feel that it is not the same thing as it was five years ago. Listening in the present context involves many other criterions such as granularity of individual opinions, leading indicators, unfiltered sentiments, etc. This increasing speed and volume of conversations and its rapid development as a market force have made listening as one of the biggest challenges faced by the present corporate world. One type of listening which is being highlighted these days is Active Empathic Listening (AEL). AEL is a cognitive process involving the steps such as sensing, processing and responding. The study adopts the items from the recently developed Active Empathic Scale to test whether there is a significant correlation between the three elements of listening empathetically. The study also tries to find out if empathy in listening can make a person a better communicator. The study further provides the evidences to prove that trainings with the focus upon empathic listening can improve the overall listening abilities and justifies the emerging need of proper training and guidance to help the employees/ prospective employees to understand the role of empathy in the process of listening.

The current article is an integrative and analytical literature review on the concept and meaning of empathy in health and social care professionals. Empathy, i.e., the ability to understand the personal experience of the patient without bonding with them, constitutes an important communication skill for a health professional, one that includes three dimensions: the emotional, cognitive, and behavioral. It has been proven that health professionals with high levels of empathy operate more efficiently as to the fulfillment of their role in eliciting therapeutic change. The empathetic professional comprehends the needs of the health care users, as the latter feel safe to express the thoughts and problems that concern them. Although the importance of empathy is undeniable, a significantly high percentage of health professionals seem to find it difficult to adopt a model of empathetic communication in their everyday practice. Some of the factors that negatively influence the development ...

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[Coauthored with Katsunori Miyahara. The two authors contributed equally to this work.] We often seek empathy from others by asking them to listen to our stories. But what exactly is the role of listening in empathy? One might think that it is merely a means for the empathizer to gather rich information about the empathized. We shall rather argue that listening is an embodied action, one that plays a significant role in empathic perspective-taking. We make our case via a descriptive analysis of a paradigm case of empathy mediated by listening or what we can call empathy through listening. On our view, empathy through listening involves three distinctive features: (1) dynamic unfolding, (2) collaboration, and (3) mutual perspective reshaping. Listening contributes to this process by initiating and sustaining a feedback loop of receptivity that occurs between empathizing and empathized agents.

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The article presents the selected principles of interpersonal communication in social work, paying attention to communication rules referring to active listening, choosing the right questions, or adapting the language to the interlocutor. The authors devoted a special place to communication awareness and the look at interpersonal communication as a meeting with an individual, a unique an exceptional person. In addition to the selected communication principles, the authors has also presented the selected dilemmas and communication difficulties that determine the quality of the conversation, its course and effects.

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The influence of emotions is very significant in PSIT, since these professionals usually find themselves interpreting in communicative situations in which the people that they provide a service to suffer some kind of emotional distress. This can be particularly challenging for interpreters, since many codes of conduct on the ethics of the profession highlight neutrality as one of the main features that they must respect. In the case of empathy, a value expected to be offered by public workers, many studies have highlighted the importance it has to improve interactions. However, this topic has not been developed in depth in many research studies up to date. Therefore, the aim of this article is to conduct a systematic review of the studies published in the field of PSIT with relation to empathy and how it affects the profession. We will limit the review to studies published from 2000 to 2020. In the conclusions we will reflect on the importance of conducting this kind of studies to review current research needs and establish future directions.

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The Importance of Active Listening for Social Workers

Effective communication is a cornerstone of successful social work practice, and active listening stands out as a vital component within this framework. Social workers are tasked with supporting individuals, families, and communities in times of need, and active listening serves as a powerful tool to enhance their ability to understand, empathize, and facilitate positive change. This essay explores the significance of active listening for social workers, its key principles, benefits, and how it contributes to building strong therapeutic relationships.

Understanding Active Listening:

Active listening is a dynamic and intentional communication skill that involves not only hearing the words spoken by a service user but also comprehending the underlying emotions, concerns, and unspoken messages. It requires undivided attention, open-mindedness, empathy, and non-judgmental attitudes. In active listening, social workers create a safe space for service users to express themselves, ensuring that they feel heard, valued, and respected.

Principles of Active Listening:

Attentive Presence: Social workers practice being fully present in the moment during conversations, avoiding distractions and focusing on the service user’s words and emotions.
Empathy: Empathy involves understanding and sharing the service user’s feelings and perspectives. By putting themselves in the service user’s shoes, social workers can offer genuine support.
Non-Verbal Cues: Facial expressions, gestures, and body language communicate interest and understanding. Maintaining appropriate eye contact and nodding can reassure service users that their thoughts are being heard and taken seriously.
Clarification and Paraphrasing: Reflecting back what the service user has said using paraphrasing and summarization demonstrates active engagement. This allows for confirmation of understanding and helps clarify any misconceptions.
Open-Ended Questions: These questions encourage service users to elaborate and provide more information, leading to deeper insights. They promote dialogue and enable social workers to explore issues in greater depth.

Benefits of Active Listening:

Enhanced Service User Trust: Active listening builds trust and rapport. Service users are more likely to open up and share sensitive information when they feel that their social worker is genuinely interested in their well-being.
Accurate Assessment: Through active listening, social workers gain a comprehensive understanding of a service user’s situation, needs, and concerns. This information forms the foundation for effective intervention planning.
Effective Problem Solving: Attentive listening helps social workers identify underlying issues and formulate appropriate interventions. It contributes to more targeted and realistic solutions.
Empowerment: Active listening empowers service users by giving them a voice. It validates their experiences and choices, promoting self-determination and autonomy.
Conflict Resolution: When service users feel heard and understood, conflicts can be de-escalated more effectively. Active listening provides a platform for exploring differences and finding common ground.

Building Therapeutic Relationships:

Active listening is instrumental in creating and nurturing therapeutic relationships between social workers and their service users. These relationships are characterized by mutual respect, trust, and collaboration. A social worker who actively listens conveys empathy, acceptance, and a genuine commitment to supporting the service user’s well-being. As a result, service users are more likely to engage in the therapeutic process and adhere to recommended interventions.

In conclusion, active listening is a foundational skill that holds immense significance for social workers. By embracing this practice, social workers can foster better communication, stronger relationships, and more effective interventions. The principles of attentive presence, empathy, non-verbal cues, clarification, and open-ended questions contribute to the successful application of active listening. The benefits extend beyond just effective communication, positively impacting assessment, intervention planning, empowerment, conflict resolution, and the overall therapeutic relationship. As social workers continue to navigate the complex terrain of human needs and emotions, active listening remains an invaluable tool in their toolkit.

Published by Norbert Flasko

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Social Work Concepts: What is an Active Listening

Category: Education , Life
Topic: Listening , Social Work

Pages: 3 (1239 words)

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Empathy and active listening in the humanistic social work

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The Importance of Active Listening for Social Workers

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Social Work Concepts: What is an Active Listening

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