1. What is Person-Centred Care? I have always strongly believed in a person-centred approach in my work with clients. It is important that they are fully involved in all decision making processes so they have choice and control in their lives. When it comes to planning activities for support sessions and taking the lead in counselling sessions, clients must be a priority. I always tell myself to treat the participant as a person first and place them at the centre of support services. Some of my clients try to hand over the choice and control to me. When I asked Brian where he would like to go for a social outing he said "I don't know, you decide". However, this makes me feel uncomfortable and doesn't fit with the social work value of person-centred care and empowerment. What do I say to Brian when faced with this dilemma? Over time we have been building a strong working relationship. However, I keep on giving him 3 activities to choose from and asking him which activity he would like to do. I remind him that its not about me, its about what he wants from our support time together. He has the choice and control!
The key component in person-centred care is to work towards the participant's goals and build their independence and functioning in order to enjoy a meaningful life. The focus is on the person and what they can do, not their condition or disability. Support should focus on achieving the person's aspirations and be tailored to their needs and unique circumstances.
I was raised by my parents and learnt from my teachers to treat people with dignity, compassion and respect. These are the same values that I keep in mind when working with my counselling clients. How should I treat them if they find it difficult to engage with the therapeutic alliance? I always come back to the fact that they have choice and control as NDIS participants. As well as my leading and guidance, they should determine the purpose and direction of the session. Their autonomy and self-determination is more important than what I want from our session together. I must be flexible and tailor the session to meet their NDIS goals and be prepared to "ditch" the plan for therapy if we go off at a tangent. Otherwise, it would just be a one way conversation with me trying to have my own needs met. That is not what person-centred care is all about!
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