Reference no: EM133387104

Case study Do you have children? What exactly are your credentials, and what is your experience in running parenting groups?

OK, Natalie, those are great questions. And as I mentioned, I've been at this agency for six years. I am a social worker. And I've been running groups for parents for three years. I really enjoy working with new mothers. And I do have an MSW-- a master's in social work, with a concentration in families and children and in clinical practice.

So yes, I do have children. So when you're shaking your heads to some of the things we're going to talk about, I may be shaking my head too, meaning that I think I quite understand maybe what you've been going through. So I hope that answers your questions.

Yes.

Thank you for asking that. Thank you. OK, so any questions about the purpose of the group, of what we're going to be doing here? Talking about our experiences in motherhood and the challenges that you face. OK. All right.

So as long as we're talking about the group, I'd like to just tell you a little bit about what my role in the group is going to be as a group leader. You might be wondering-- you know what your role is going to be-- pretty much to come and talk about your experiences-- well, what am I going to be doing? So I'm going to be facilitating the group and deepening the group discussions that we have, and also providing you with information that I hope will be helpful for you along the way. So you'll be able to get information, and I will be facilitating the group.

It is important that you realize that for the most part, you'll be able to talk about whatever you want each week. OK? It will be up to you what you would like to talk about. But the goal in the group is for you to encourage each other and to help each other face some of the challenges that you've come to the group with.

My role is to help you explore some of the issues and concerns that you may have and to help guide you so that you can move along and through some of those experiences. So I will be helping you do that during our group meetings. OK. So does anybody have any questions so far about what we might be doing?

I know that for the first meeting, because I'm trying to be sure that we're all together on the same page, I'm doing more talking than I usually will. In future meetings, you will be doing most of the talking. In the next meetings, for sure. And I will be doing a lot of listening and helping you through each of those meetings.

Question

• What do you think you would be feeling if a group member like Natalie was confrontational like she was here?
• What do you think of the social worker's response?
• What do you think you would say if you didn't have children?
• Why might Natalie be asking these questions?