Client Paper
Problems are a part of life – everyone’s life. In the field of human services, clients seek help for these problems from human service professionals. The human service professional in turn, equipped with many different skills, aspires to help the client find and execute a plan to resolve their problems. Here we will expand on both the problems experienced and the skills used to resolve them.
Problems
Client problems can be thought of, defined, and approached in many ways using various theories. The theory used or the view or approach taken to define the client’s problems can often times determine the approach to the resolution of the problem. No matter the approach, defining the problem that the client is experiencing is very much an essential step in defining the client. Two of these theories are the developmental approach and the situational approach.
Taking the developmental approach is a way to view problems from a perspective that looks at the client’s life span and takes into consideration certain developmental milestones throughout that life span. It also considers the life crises they have experienced during that time, as well as tasks they have completed both successfully and unsuccessfully. Unsuccessfully completed tasks may indicate that the situation did not allow for the client to develop in the manner for them to move successfully from one stage to the next in their life span. This can often be a contributing factor to their difficulty in resolving their problem. Trust issues, insecurities, and the unwillingness to assume moral responsibility inability can all stem from developmental issues.
The situational approach describes problems that are a result of incidents that are out of the client’s control. Accidents and other traumatic events such as violent crimes, abuse, natural disasters, and divorce, to name a few, are all situations that are most often out of the control of the client. They can have difficulty moving past these situations mentally with possible issues such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or may have been physically disabled as a result. (Woodside & McClam, 2011)

Helping Skills
The skills that the human service professional possesses and utilizes are extremely important to cultivating the helping relationship. The helping relationship is the foundation helping as it is the instrument used to deliver the help the professional has to offer. This foundation is built on the skill of effective communication skills such as interpretation of both verbal and nonverbal messages by using responsive listening or active listening. Attending behavior is another skill that human service professionals employ.
Responsive listening or active listening is the type of listening that human service professionals utilize. This skill or technique which is developed over time allows the helper to listen to both what is being said and what is not being said. By taking into consideration the words being spoken combined with the tone they are spoken in as well as gestures made by the client and/or facial expressions and movements the client may or may not be aware of, the human service professional can interpret the thoughts and feelings that the client is experiencing.
This level of attention can be conveyed to the client by exhibiting behaviors that can be remembered with the acronym SOLER. The following five behaviors make up the SOLER model:
• S – Facing the client squarely as this posture conveys involvement and interest. Angling away even slightly can lessen the degree of perceived involvement.
• O – Adopt an open posture because this is viewed by the client as being nondefensive. Do not cross your arms or legs as this does not communicate openness or availability to the client and their needs.
• L – Lean toward the client with a slight inclination as this is a natural sign of involvement and interest and moving away from the client can be construed as an act of lessened involvement. This should not be interpreted as moving toward the client as this may frighten or put them on guard.
• E – Maintain good eye contact because this is a normal way to conduct oneself when two individuals are engaged in conversation. This should not be interpreted as staring. Staring will not put the client at ease. It will simply escalate any anxieties the client may already be experiencing.
• R – Try to be relatively relaxed. In order to communicate this to the client, the helper should avoid any nervous habits such as nail biting, pen tapping, or other fidgeting behaviors. These can potentially distract the client and ultimately inhibit or hinder the helping process as they will be unable to express themselves effectively.
Attending behavior is another way that human service professionals let the client know that they are listening. The intent of attending behavior is to embolden the client to share their thoughts, feelings, and problems as well as examine issues, problems or concerns. It is a four dimensional skill that utilizes three nonverbal elements and one verbal element. These elements are:
• Visual/eye contact – Look at others when you speak to them and when they speak to you.
• Vocal qualities – Be mindful of the vocal tones and speech rate as these are clear indicators of how you feel about and perceive the client. Not only is what you say important, but how you say it is equally important.
• Verbal tracking – Stay on task. The client has come to you because they have a specific issue or concern that should be addressed. Do not change the subject.
• Body language: attentive – Going back to the S and L components of the SOLER model, face the client squarely and lean slightly forward to convey that you are listening intently. In addition, be mindful of your facial expressions and use non-threatening, encouraging gestures. Above all, “be yourself – authenticity in attending is essential.” (Woodside & McClam, 2011)

Conclusion
In closing, clients come to human service professionals with a multitude of problems and defining these problems is the first step in resolving them. The approach used is often dependent upon the type of problem being experienced. Despite the approach used, defining the problem is also defining the client. The communication skills utilized all have the same common goal – cultivating the helping relationship in an effort to achieve positive results for the client. References
Woodside, M., & McClam, T. (2011). An Introduction to Human Services (7th ed., pp. 130, 134-138, 194, 205). Mason: Cengage Learning.