Beliefs about good and bad and how to best resolve them are at the core of how people, systems and even culture live out and respond to the issues of life. The ability to understand and have a realistic view of good and bad and how to change and grow in the context of both is vital to helping others and advocating for change. This week, as you read the chapters from your text, “Changes that Heal”, consider how the cognitive distortions that arise from the tension of good and bad affect clients and how you can best engage with them and intervene to help them overcome the negative impact. Also, consider how culture and politics may also engage in similar distortions and how these affect attitudes and policies toward certain issues. Consider what this means for you as a social worker as you seek change at the organizational and community level as well.
Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.
In your textbook Changes that Heal, read chapter 12, “When we fail to accept good and bad and chapter 13, “Learning to accept both good and bad”.
Navigate to the threaded discussion and respond to the following discussion questions:
Identify and briefly describe 2 areas of distorted thinking about self, God or others that arise from a failure to accept good and bad. Explain how you have seen these distortions in your work with a client, yourself or someone you know and the impact it has had.
Explain at least one strategy from the reading for how to overcome the distortions of good and bad and their affects. Why is this a helpful approach? How does it help resolve the problem?
Based on the person you identified in the first discussion prompt, describe how you could intervene using a cognitive behavioral approach to address the symptoms or conflicts he or she is experiencing as a result of difficulties with good and bad. How might you approach him or her? What would your strategy of engagement be? Describe a specific intervention you might use.
Finally, how do you see distortions about good and bad affecting issues in our culture or approaches to policy decisions? Give an example of how a distorted view of good and bad might lead to one response to an issue or another.
Your initial post is due by the end of the fourth day of the workshop.
Read and respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings, as well as all instructor follow-up questions directed to you, by the end of the workshop.
Your postings should also:
Be well developed by providing clear answers with evidence of critical thinking.
Add greater depth to the discussion by introducing new ideas.
Provide clarification to classmates’ questions and insight into the discussion.