Update on Termination

Yesterday at my placement, I had to say goodbye to 5 of my clients. I really didn't think it was going to be difficult because last week seemed to go so smoothly. However, I surprisingly felt some pangs of sadness despite my feelings last week that it would not be difficult! I guess I don't have a heart of steel! One of my clients was unable to be there because he ended up in the hopsital. I was really bummed out that I wouldn't be able to see him for one last time or to say goodbye. This was really surprising to me since he had been one of the most difficult clients to work with and I generally did not feel that I was attached to any of my clients. Wrong and wrong again. I called his hopsital room to say goodbye and find out how he was doing and the entire time I felt this sinking feeling in my stomach. I was NOT happy with our relationship ending without seeing each other. It felt artificial saying goodbye over the phone and really...NOT final. I found myself wishing that he could've been able to come in so we could say a "proper" goodbye. Ah! It just goes to show you that social workers must constantly try to balance their feelings of attachment and keep their professional boundaries. All of my clients wanted me to give them my phone number or e-mail so they could keep in touch with them since I had become a friend figure in the theraputic process. Now of course, I can't give out that info to them, even though I have the same wonderings about what they will be doing with their life in the future. Thank goodness I have one more year left so I can have more practice figuring out this balance!!!