Social work is often viewed as transactional— as a service that facilitates access to housing, food, employment or other vital services for people in need. However, the relationship between a social worker and a client is often more complex and meaningful than we might imagine.
According to Hagit Sinai-Glazer, understanding the subtle nuances of the social worker–client relationship is critical to promoting optimal policies and practices in the profession. In particular, the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev researcher is interested in the nature of such relationships involving a common type of client—mothers—in the context of public social services in Israel. Her findings are detailed in “The Essentials of the Helping Relationship between Social Workers and Clients” (Social Work, August 2020), a study stemming from her doctoral research at McGill University on the social organization of the helping relationship in social work.
