As professionals in training it is important for us to learn how our responses to clients can have an effect on their trust with us, willingness to share, and whether or not they will continue to seek us for help. In class we stressed a few traditional responses such as personal experience. When listening to people who have just experience a traumatic event this is not good at all. My boyfriend lost his older brother when he was in his early 20s. He said many people would say, "I know how you're feeling, my grandma just died or grandpa" or something like that. Even though he remembers little from the day of the funeral he says that those comments stick because he was so angry when he heard them. As professionals or even friends who want to be there for you during hard times it is important to think about how our responses will impact the other person.

I really enjoyed Chris the speaker from the outreach program. This was actually the third time I've heard him give that presentation, and I still was completely intrigued the whole time. I loved how he was so inspiring and how devoted he was to his job. The way he was able to use himself as an example was very brave of him. I thought it was also very important that he gave us his background and let us know how he became so driven to help others during their time of need. It was also really neat how he really reached out to his audience, and made sure we all knew we could call him if we knew someone or were ever in that situation. As I said it was a great presentation, and I was glad I made it to class that day.

Working With Families

I thought todays lecture was a great one to finish up the semester!  It really tied everything we have been learning together.  It made me realize how, when working with families, detail is so important.  Active listening and hearing is so important. It you can't do those, you will not be able to help people.  The reactions to what a person is saying is also crucial.  Watching Antwon Fisher's video really helped demonstrate that to me.  This class has been very educational to me this semester and has taught me lessons I can apply to my life and how to act in the professional world if I do go on to work with families. 

I really enjoyed the speaker from Tuesday. I thought he was very entertaining and he kept me interested throughout his whole talk. There was never a boring moment. I learned a lot from him. Hearing him speak really made me want to go out and help people. There are a lot of people in the world who needs someone to look up to or to talk to and I would like to be one of those people that they could talk to. I want to help people. That's something that has always been a passion of mine. I have done mission trips with my church and when they are over I feel so much better because I know that I made a difference in someones life. I hope that I keep making differences in peoples lives.

CEDARS speaker

I thought that the cedars speaker was amazing.  I really liked the way he presented his ideas and his ideas in general.  I think that the fact that he really didn't force anyone to do anything they didn't want to and that he really pushed those he meets to make the right decision and to make their own decision is really a good way to get through to people.  Trying to make people do what they don't want to really isn't the right way.  When the people he meets make the right decisions on their own I think that is more likely to change their lifestyle for good.  If you try to force change on people a reaction that I've come to see is resistance.  I liked his idea that if people want to change they can change but he won't force them.  And I liked the idea of the hygiene kits.  Helping them out without making them change.  Great Idea. 

CEDARS

To work at CEDARS you really have to have the patients and work with these kids because they really need somebody. Well I was not their because Im having a hard time with my tonsiles swelling up but the way everybody is talking about the speaker it seems as if he was great and I believe that very much so . I like the fact that he works at Cedars because he has been though most of the things that these kids have gone through and it gives the chance for the kids to see that they are not by themself when it comes to being homeless. When some people thing of homeless they think of older people but in reality their are alot of younger people homless.

CEDARS

I thought the speaker was really good. I know a lot of people that work at CEDARS and they are just crazy. I guess you kind of have to be to work with the kind of people that show up there. I live in a pretty bad part of town and I see homeless people a lot and I know that some of them cannot help it. Helping them is actaully pretty cool and they have the best stories to tell about life. Im glad he came even though he was late and Im going to miss that class!