Working with Clients in Care Centers- Facilitating Change
I learned to be a change agent as a practitioner. As I worked with women in Care Centers, my readiness and confidence developed each passing day. I made a reflection of my first presentation for immigrant women at YWCA where I took them through managing stress in a new country. As I shared my own story of my early days here in Calgary and how I worked to manage my own stressors, the participants were highly motivated and encouraged. I was particularly astonished and empowered by their questions and their desire to frequently meet with me to discuss their issues and problems.
Aventa Addiction Treatment for Women
At Aventa, I worked with women who were receiving treatment for addiction. I tried to provide a safe and supportive recovery process for the women building on their strength. I engaged in therapeutic alliance with the clients in every conversation and interactions by facilitating group-focused counseling sessions on addiction recovery, depression, anxiety and stress management. Working from a trauma-based perspective, I focused on building the spiritual, sexual, relationships and self- esteem of clients at the Center by using cognitive restructuring, positive affirmations and mindfulness and relaxation practices. My greatest growth was my ability in empowering them to strive for the total recovery they were hoping for. I used every interaction with them on building strength and avoiding relapse.
- At Women’s Emergency Shelter
I worked with women at this Center who were traumatized by an abusive relationship. I worked on building their self esteem and their sense of womanhood. Most the clients here suffered abuse and lost their sense of self. I worked on rebuilding their trust and self image. With the knowledge acquired in the program, I was able to use the skills of facilitation, therapeutic alliance, empathy and persuasion to provide group and individual counseling sessions.