The theory of nonviolent communication was developed by Marshall Luxemburg, Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, University of Wisconsin, USA. He believes that while each person's values and lifestyles may be different, they share common feelings and needs as human beings. The use of nonviolent communication theories can promote listening, understanding and heartfelt mutual assistance, thereby healing the hidden wounds of the heart and establishing a harmonious life experience.
Violence "can be not only physical, but also mental." You may wish to recall whether as a social worker have ever accused, denied, preached, arbitrarily interrupted, etc. The result of this violent communication may be that the drug addict becomes apathetic and the service cannot be carried out smoothly.
How to avoid "violent" communication methods and maintain a good service relationship with drug rehabilitation personnel?The author believes that we can start from the following four aspects:
First, observe without judgment and make no absolute judgments or conclusions. If observations and comments are confused, drug addicts tend to pay more attention to the criticisms they hear, resulting in resistance, which leads to rebuttals to social workers rather than friendly responses. So, how do you do it without commenting?For example, in response to the absence of drug addicts from group activities, social workers can say that "you have organized three group activities in the past month, and each time you say that you will not participate", instead of saying "you rarely cooperate with the work of social workers".
Second, listen with your heart and mind. Listening is a key ability for social workers to have in the work of drug rehabilitation and education, listening means letting go of existing thoughts and judgments, and wholeheartedly understanding the feelings, needs and other information of drug addicts, which helps to better understand and accept drug addicts. Many times, when a drug addict expresses his or her misfortune, the social worker may be eager to offer comfort or his own advice, such as "This setback is nothing, you listen to my experience......"If you do that......You're going to get a big change" and so on. In fact, at this time, drug addicts may feel uncomfortable. Therefore, before giving comfort or advice, the social worker can first determine whether these words are what the drug addict wants to hear.
It is important to note that detoxification is a long-term process, and the feelings expressed by detoxifiers in the early stages are often only the tip of the iceberg, and there are many related feelings, usually stronger emotions, that are not expressed. Therefore, social workers need to continue to pay attention to their innermost thoughts and create conditions for maintaining a good service relationship.
Third, guide drug rehabilitation personnel to express their feelings and obtain relevant feedback in a timely manner. Some drug addicts may think that their feelings are irrelevant, some are suppressed and do not express them, and some are ashamed to express them. Thus, social workers can develop a vocabulary to express feelings (e.g., feelings when needs are not met: fear, nervousness, sadness, despair, irritation, disappointment, confusion;Express the feelings when the needs are met: joy, relaxation, safety, warmth, and reassurance), and guide the drug addicts to express their feelings, so as to make communication smoother.
In addition, since the meaning understood by the social worker may be inconsistent with the meaning expressed by the drug addict, it is necessary for the social worker to obtain their feedback in a timely manner. Ask "Is this what you mean?" and wait for their statement, if they find any differences, they have the opportunity to correct them, and the social worker has the opportunity to supplement them appropriately, so as to enhance mutual understanding and trust.
Fourth, it is necessary to cultivate the ability of drug addicts to solve problems. From the perspective of "helping others to help themselves", social workers should help drug addicts realize that they are unique beings and accept and tolerate everything about themselves. Social workers should encourage drug addicts to face setbacks in life and learn from their experiences, instead of constantly blaming themselves and falling into the pain of self-punishment. Next, social workers need to help drug addicts clearly understand their own needs, formulate plans to achieve their goals, and regain their enthusiasm for life. 、
(Author's Affiliation: Qixing Station, Leliu Street, Shunde District, Foshan City, Guangdong Province).
**: China Anti-Drug News