[nabs-l] Seeking alternative techniques for working with problems with couples?

Tue Apr 27 16:00:06 UTC 2010

Although I'm not a psychologist, I worked for 2 years at the public 
defenders office, placing public defender clients into drug rehab programs. 
I was quite good at detecting mental illness in my clients by simply 
listening to what they were saying and their tone of voice.  No, I didn't 
usually know if they were visually halusinating, but, when I thaught they 
were mentally ill and referred them for an evaluation, I was pretty much 
always correct that they were mentally ill.  I was also good at realizing 
when the medical records claimed my clients were mentally ill, but they 
really weren't.  (Often, when drug addicts withdraw from their drug of 
choice, they say things that make others believe they're mentally ill.) 
Beth, I'm going to go to Rutgers to get my MSW.  I'm starting this fall. 
I'm really psyched!

Serena

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Beth" <thebluesisloose at gmail.com>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, April 27, 2010 1:23 AM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Seeking alternative techniques for working with 
problems with couples?

> I"d like to do social work, so counseling is required of me in entry
> level casework.  For one thing, BSW social workers don't have to
> diagnose and treat, but I think I don't want to do MSW work.  Who
> knows though?  I'd like to start out by working withbattered women,
> but that could be hard as a husband might be hard to communicate with
> at some times.  What if there's a big underlying mental disorder the
> husband has?  What if there's a drinking problem?  Looking at a
> client's medical history is one thing, but all records have to be
> scanned and not kept in print only.  If people would understand that
> much, I think I could be a more effective social worker.
> Beth
>
> On 4/26/10, Cindy Bennett <clb5590 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> I definitely understand and would love feedback especially how to work
>> with clients who might be halucinating. For example, once in
>> personality psychology we were going over the personality disorders
>> and my professors had some examples of clients on tape. We were to
>> watch them and try to gage their symptoms and match them to a
>> disorder. During one interview a man commented on how the room looked.
>> I did not know until someone pointed out that his descriptions were
>> completely made up, and what he had said about the room, something
>> about paint chipping, wasn't an unrealistic description, and it made
>> me wonder how i would gage such things.
>>
>> My guess, and i am not an expert nor to i have my license, would be to
>> gage as much as you can from tone of voice and what people are saying
>> as possible. It is amazing what you can figure out just from those. If
>> you have a confident mind set that you can figure someone out rather
>> than have the blocking mind set that you can't because you are blind,
>> you will be able to go a lot further.
>>
>> Also, looking through a client's medical history before the interview
>> and talking to them about their past which is done by any counselor
>> will give you a lot of insight.
>>
>> I definitely think it is possible for blind people to counsel, and i
>> am sure that all clinitians have their clients they are doubtful
>> about.
>>
>> Just keep up with the field and new research and knowledge and take
>> advantage of every opportunity you have to gain experience. Any
>> psychologist who thinks they have the answer to everything i feel is a
>> contradiction to the field. We will never know everything, and there
>> will always be an exception to the rule.
>>
>> I am interested in more feedback though, and if anyone with counseling
>> experience has ever had trouble with clients because of their
>> blindness, i would love to hear how you dealt with it. How do you look
>> over a client's forms when they fill them out during their first
>> visit? How do you take notes? I feel like using a computer is a bit
>> more invasive and distracting than taking written notes, but i
>> couldn't think of another way to do it.
>>
>> I will be doing a practicum this fall, and although i won't be
>> conducting any therapy sessions, i will be shaddowing a lot and am
>> looking forward to the experience so i can start thinking about how to
>> answer these questions presented by grad programs or employers,
>> because with anything, it is always better to walk in with some
>> answers, so i'm glad you're asking us.
>>
>> Cindy
>>
>> On 4/26/10, Gerardo Corripio <gera1027 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Hi listers, especially psychologists or who are studying in the field:
>>> Unfortunately in university because I didn't have blind psychologist 
>>> role
>>> models to look up or ask questions I wasn't orientated right in my 
>>> course
>>> of
>>> studies thus my question. Any ideas of what alternative techniques or if
>>> it's possible to work with couples facing problems? Due to the amount of
>>> visual info required to see how their communication is and other factors
>>> what alternative techniques do you guy use? Can we blind psychologist 
>>> work
>>> with family therapy or problems with husband and wife? Hope I made 
>>> myself
>>> understood; I have the idea but don't know if I expressed it right. I
>>> sometimes have the feeling that my mother especially thinks my teachers
>>> passed me because of my blindness because she has the exptectations that
>>> as
>>> a psychologist I should have all the answers and know everything! Has 
>>> this
>>> happened to you guys also? We're also human bings and have our problems
>>> and
>>> emotions and feelings!
>>> Any ideas aprreciated or experiences.
>>> Gerardo
>>>
>>>
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