More than words : social workers' personal experiences of, and opinions on, touch in the context of their practice

Abstract

This study focuses on the use of touch within the therapeutic relationship. It delves into the experiences of local social workers practising in different fields, exploring their perceptions on its use, advantages and disadvantages, as well as their opinion on the available guidance with regards to this issue. By reviewing existing literature surrounding this topic, background information was gathered. In-depth semi-structured interviews with twelve practising social workers were conducted so as to explore the local social workers‟ insights. The main themes that emerged were the social workers‟ personal views, the types of touch considered as appropriate and inappropriate, their opinions on the available guidance, the benefits as well as negative effects of touch in practice, discussing the concept of touch with colleagues, as well as their perceptions on being touched by the clients. It was concluded that the majority of the social workers do not feel very comfortable with touching or being touched by clients, and that the appropriate types of touch to be used vary from one client or situation to another. Moreover, there exists very limited guidance on the use of touch in the context of social work practice, and it was highlighted by the majority of the social workers that additional guidance might be of benefit. Furthermore, although both positive and negative outcomes of using touch were highlighted by the social workers, it was agreed that the benefits do in fact outweigh the negative effects, hence encouraging the use of touch in social work practice.