Finnish Rehabilitation Counselors Assessing Their Interaction With Clients and Their Clients’ Interaction With Other Professionals and the Family

Abstract

The empowerment process of rehabilitation clients is mediated through empowering and disempowering experiences in the social interactions of various areas of life. We examine the perceptions of Finnish rehabilitation counselors (RC) of the position of their clients interacting with (a) the rehabilitation counselors themselves, (b) other professionals in social and health care services, and (c) their family members. The data were collected using the Webropol 1.0 survey tool from 148 RCs employed in Finnish Central Health Districts. Most of the respondents perceived their clients to be well supported in all three relationships. However, unequal power relations were reported to exist in interaction with social and health care service professionals and disempowering acts were found in family environments. More information on disempowering acts and mistreatment is needed. Reducing disempowering acts is possible only if they are noticed and admitted by professionals in social and health care services.

Introduction to the Special Issue on International Rehabilitation Counseling Research

“…The development of a global standard will also facilitate both pre-service and in-service training of rehabilitation counselors using advanced communication and information technologies, and training resources from the global rehabilitation education community. Notko and Silén (2015) conducted an empowerment study to examine client empowerment by assessing Finnish rehabilitation counselors' perception of their clients' interaction with rehabilitation counselors, other health and human service professionals, and family members. Finnish rehabilitation counselors in their study in general believe that counselors, other professionals, and family members are supportive in their interactions with rehabilitation clients.…”

“…Notko and Silén (2015) conducted an empowerment study to examine client empowerment by assessing Finnish rehabilitation counselors’ perception of their clients’ interaction with rehabilitation counselors, other health and human service professionals, and family members. Finnish rehabilitation counselors in their study in general believe that counselors, other professionals, and family members are supportive in their interactions with rehabilitation clients.…”