Author: doc. PhDr. Mária Machalová, CSc.
PREFACE
The publication The Path to Interpersonal Communication in Helping Professions is intended for students and professionals who are preparing for or practicing their profession in the field of adult education, that is, in upbringing, education and counseling adults, and in social work. The publication may also be useful to other professionals, because the topic of interpersonal communication is important in every area of social practice and in the lives of people. We present this publication with the aim of arousing and supporting the interest of helping-profession professionals in developing their own interpersonal communicative competence.
The text is the result of our long-term (over 20 years) conceptual, methodological, lecturing and educational activity, which we have carried out in the field of further education and lifelong learning, and also in counseling adults among various target groups such as clients of educational, counseling and social services.
Mária Machalová
Bratislava – Prešov, 2013
INTRODUCTION
Mastery of interpersonal communication within the practice of helping professions is necessary because the ability to communicate with people optimally is an inseparable part of professional competence in helping professions. The ability to communicate optimally is an important personal prerequisite and a significant contribution to the shape, outcome and impact that the helping process will have for both the client and the helping professional (e.g., educator, teacher or counselor).
Every profession requires different subjective prerequisites—somatic, intellectual, personality, character-related. These are taken into account when constructing psychoprofessiograms. The effort to construct psychoprofessiograms is pronounced, for example, in differential psychology, where psychological profiles (J. Koščo, 1980) were prepared for people in different employee and professional groups on the basis of individual differences in measured variables such as intelligence, mechanical-technical abilities, interests, attitudes, etc. They were used as criteria for selection and prediction of success and stability in a specific occupation or area of practice. A psychological psychoprofessiogram contains a description of psychologically important characteristics of work. In this context, the innovative model is the model of a professional monograph, in which important knowledge about a particular profession or professional function is considered and, among that knowledge, a structure of “basic personality dimensions” is sought that would informativeness determine the prospects for success and satisfaction of a person interested in a certain professional field” (D. Fabián, in: J. Koščo, 1980, p. 340).
Professional development is understood as a process that takes place from early age until retirement. D. E. Super characterized professional development as a process of growth, development and learning that includes all stages of development of thought, experience and behavior of a person with regard to occupation. In this respect, professional development is considered part of and a component of the person’s overall development and growth (J. Koščo, 1980).
In conclusion, one can add that the level of communication professionalism of helping professionals and their psychological and social maturity are part of their professional competence, which contributes to the synergistic effect of the helping process focused on clients.
CONTENT
1 Helping sciences and professions: social pedagogy, social andragogy, social work
2 Interpersonal communication as a component of professional competence in helping professions
3 Educational character of the social group and development of communication among its members 3.1 Interpersonal communication 3.2 Conducting conversations
4 Building and destroying bridges of understanding between people 4.1 Assertiveness and assertive behavior 4.2 Conversation in stressful situations 4.3 Optimal and creative communication—the basis of mental balance 4.4 How to succeed in dealing with people
5 Professional behavior in communication 5.1 Principles of professional behavior in communication
6 The importance of communication in human life 6.1 The interpersonal world of the child and its parents in the context of communication 6.2 Psychosocial transition and limits of communication in old age
7 Self-knowledge as the foundation of optimal communication—an example of methods
Title: THE PATH TO INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION IN HELPING PROFESSIONS
Author: doc. PhDr. Mária Machalová, CSc.
Reviewers: PhDr. Bohuslav Kuzyšin, PhD. Dr. Arkadiusz Wąsiński
Published by: Prešovská univerzita v Prešove, Pravoslávna bohoslovecká fakulta, Prešov
Year of publication: 2013 Edition: first Number of pages: 107 Printing: CUBE consulting, s.r.o.
ISBN 978-80-555-0841-2 EAN 9788055508412