All social workers must know their own strengths, weaknesses, perceptual biases, and professional growth needs. The process of self-awareness is never ending for the professional helper. Reflection is a useful skill in cultivating self-awareness and in determining what did or did not work in a given situation and what could be done differently in the future. Reflection also contributes to the social worker identifying new perspectives and building strengths and solutions to self and client-related issues.
Reflective journaling is a common tool that helps to improve personal and professional awareness. In addition, self-reflection increases critical thinking, which can lead to the successful evaluation of self-practice and self-assessment skills, along with reflection of feelings.
Identify a time when you were extremely upset or angry. Explain the circumstances and who was involved in the situation.
Reflect on why this situation upset you. Have you been angry over a similar situation before?
Identify the values in this scenario, and reflect on how this example represents or doesn’t represent who you are as a person.
Reflect on how you could have viewed this scenario differently and not become angry.