CHAPTER 7:
CHALLENGES OF WORKING IN HUMAN SERVICES
NOTE FROM AUTHORS
At this point in the course (and text), students are no doubt beginning to
experience certain challenges inherent to working in Human Services. Given this, we
found it necessary to dedicate an entire chapter to the topic of “Challenges” commonly
faced by human service professionals. Our hope is that such a focus can invite
students currently in fieldwork placements to begin the process of identifying those
BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE CHAPTER
This chapter is dedicated to exploring some of the most typical challenges
encountered most human services workers at some point during their career. For
clarity, these challenges have been placed into one of three categories: Personal,
Organizational and Environmental. Personal challenges include fears and anxieties of
beginning helpers, learning to balance personal life with professional career, caretaking
KEY CONCEPTS AND TERMS
Personal Challenges
Fears Associated with Being a Student
Challenges Faced by Beginning Professionals
Balancing Family Life with a Professional Career
Keeping Personal and Work Issues Separate
Caretaking and Rescuing
Wanting to be Liked
Transference
Countertransference
Identification Process
Resistance
Difficult Type Clients
Organizational Challenges
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this chapter it is anticipated that the following goals and
objectives will have been met:
▪ Awareness of the various challenges typically experienced by human service
professionals
▪ Cognizant of the fears associated with being a student and challenges facing the
beginning professional
▪ Awareness of Countertransference: It’s Development through Identification
Process, different types and guidelines to working with countertransference
issues.
▪ Cognizant of Resistance: Definition, Reasons, and guidelines for dealing with
resistance.
▪ Familiarity with Difficult type clients and suggested interventions
IDEAS FOR EXPERIENTIALLY INTRODUCING THE CHAPTER
1. As a way of introducing the chapter three main types of challenges discussed in the
text are listed: Personal, Organizational, and Environmental. Students are then
surveyed as to which challenges they are currently facing. In small groups they are
asked to:
2. Students can be asked to divide up into small groups where they are presented with
an envelope that has one of the three types of challenges written on it: Personal,
3. Another variation of the above exercise would be for the instructor to use 3 x 5 cards
where he/she identifies the many types of challenges noted in the text (one on each
CONCLUDING EXERCISES AND ROLE PLAYS
1. Students are asked to divide up into small groups and instructed to develop a role
play in which they demonstrate how their issues in fieldwork might spill over into
2. The class is divided into small groups in which they are to prepare two role plays
based on the same situation on caretaking and rescuing. The first is to be an
3. Students are given an assignment developed to help them become more familiar
with the many types of transference and countertransference issues commonly
faced by human service professionals. In order to become more adept at
recognizing the existence of these issues in their work with clients, and in being able
to appropriately deal with these, students are asked to take the following steps:
(1) Select a partner whom they will be working with regarding transference and
countertransference issues.
4. Each student is asked to describe a situation where they encountered resistance
5. Students are asked to identify the existing organizational challenges within their
current fieldwork placements and to examine ways to understand and cope with
6. Similar to the above, students are asked to identify the environmental challenges
currently facing their particular fieldwork setting. As a class they are asked list
general themes and to brainstorm on ways to best cope with these.
IDEAS FOR DISCUSSION AND FURTHER THOUGHT
1. Students are asked to keep a journal divided into three columns as such:
Personal Challenges Organizational Challenges Environmental Challenges
2. Students are asked to keep a log in which they identify which coping strategies they
used most frequently during their most challenging moments at their fieldwork
3. Students are asked to keep a log whereby they document each time they actively
engaged in cognitive restructuring. Specifically, they are to identify potentially
4. Students are asked to survey their supervisors and fellow co-workers regarding
those situations which have been the most challenging to them and ways in which
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
1. In discussing the challenges of working in human services, the authors of the text
separate these challenges into 3 categories. Which categories listed below best
reflect the areas discussed in the text?
a. Individual, community, societal
2. As discussed in the text which of the following challenges are typically faced by
beginning professionals?
a. Learning to balance family life with professional career
b. Wanting to be liked by clients and co-workers
3. Transference is:
a. Largely a conscious process
4. According to Corey’s definition (2005), which of the following would be considered
resistance?
a. Client resisting to pay fees for services
b. Client resisting to make certain changes in his or her life
5. An example of an organizational challenge is
d. Coping with fiscal realities
e. Coping with political realities
6. In discussing challenges of working in human services, the authors contend that:
a. With practice you will be able to help everyone
SHORT ANSWERS
7. According to Walker Jr. there is an identification process that occurs between helper
and client. How does this influence the development of countertransference
reaction?
8. Identify the environmental challenges that are discussed by Alle-Corliss et al..
9. What are the 3 major coping strategies described in the text to deal with some of the
more common challenges faced by human service professionals?
ESSAY QUESTION
10. Define resistance. Identify four of the eight reasons for resistance described in the
text. Provide an example of one from your own experiences working with clients.
ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS:
Movies/Videos:
The Art of Integrative Counseling and Psychotherapy by Gerald Corey (A two set video
depicting the integrative approach ‘Describing Techniques in Action’ (Video 1) and
Challenges for the Counselor (Video 2) ‘Challenges for the Counselor’, Good Will
Hunting, What About Bob, Beautiful Mind
Readings:
Self Awareness Assignments:
Describe an example of the strongest feeling you have had in your fieldwork setting.
Examine the possible underlying reasons for this feeling. Could this be considered an
example of transference/countertransference? If so, why?
Consider you experience working with a resistant client. Based on your knowledge
about the many possible reasons for resistance, which apply to this particular client?
Final Exam
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
Chapter 7
7. In discussing the challenges or working in human services, the authors of the text
separate these challenges into 3 categories. Which categories listed below best
reflect the areas discussed in the text?
a. Individual, community, societal
b. Personal, client-related, community-related
8. As discussed in the text, which of the following challenges are typically faced by
beginning professionals?
a. Learning to balance family life with professional career
b. Wanting to be liked by clients and co-workers
9. Transference is:
a. Largely a conscious process
e. All of the above
10. According to Corey’s definition (2005), which of the following would be considered
resistance?
a. Client resisting to pay fees for services
b. Client resisting to make certain changes in his or her life
11. An example of an organizational challenge is
d. Coping with fiscal realities
e. Coping with political realities
12. In discussing challenges of working in human services, the authors contend that:
a. With practice you will be able to help everyone
SHORT ANSWERS
4. According to Walker Jr. there is an identification process that occurs between helper
and client. How does this influence the development of countertransference
reaction?
6. What are the 3 major coping strategies described in the text to deal with some of the
more common challenges faced by human service professionals?
ESSAY QUESTIONS
2. Define resistance. Identify 4 of the 8 reasons for resistance described in the text.
Provide an example of one from your own experiences working with clients.