Social Worker’s Use of Self

Although social worker’s use of self has been conceptualized in different ways throughout the literature, there appears to be a lack of research regarding how social workers describe and involve the self that they bring to their therapeutic and non-therapeutic work. Accordingly, seven social workers were interviewed about their experience of self. Participants described the self that they brought to their work as individualistic, though at the same time stressed the importance of self when interacting with others. The processes involved in the use of self were highlighted, which related also to the different ways clinicians had of being self-aware.