This established a therapeutic relationship

Concept of ‘Self’ in Mental care Practice
University
Name
Date

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Abstract
Approaches applied in mental health practice are often dynamic and involve
close interest and focus of the inert person. In creating a harmonious caring
process in mental care practice, there is a need for understanding self-concept.
‘Self’ has been applied in this context of inherent ability to formulate and
establish underlying relation which is key to building a therapeutic association
between the client and the health care practitioner in the mental health care
field. Despite this avenue existence of self complexities offer a critical avenue for
analysis and focus which can influence how relations are built in the care
practice. In this process, the self is demonstrated to play a fundamental role in
shaping and building therapeutic relations among nurses and clients in mental
care practice. This review demonstrates an underlying significant relation
between aspects of the self and therapeutic care process in the mental health
domain. This synergism is fundamental in the mental health arena.

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Introduction
Mental health care diagnostic approaches are often faced with care provider
attitudes. The paramount needs of therapeutic relationships between the
patients and nurses have been exploited for decades especially in mental care
avenues. Psychiatric nurses often are challenged to make changes in the manner
they relate to clients, by shifting from biomedical approaches to the holistic and
ethical processes. Virtues such as compassion, moral obligation, and empathy
are essential aspects of the application of self and are increasing avenue in
nursing. Despite this, the nursing field has continued to incorporate aspects of
medical models into an emphasis on neuroscientific theories related to
psychiatric and mental health care while placing nursing models and paradigms
at low levels during the psychiatric assessment and care provision.
The complex nature of self can be traced back to a period of psychoanalysis
assessment (Mandel, 2007). Currently, it has been applied in helping mental
health professionals in the psychoanalysis arena. Despite these complexities
often arise; Fresshwater (2002) describes authentic self as part of the nursing
process while analysis by Arnd-Caddigan and Pozzuto (2008) asserts that social
carers apply the interpersonal process in their inherent relationships among
clients. Other fields have applied the use of self as a role. Despite this, an
argument by Hagedorn (2000) views the usage of self for therapeutic purposes is
crucial in the occupational therapy field. In this regard, the form by which self
takes often is complex and depends on the nature of interventions applicable.
Despite this, its usage is central in shaping interpersonal relationships occurring
between patients or clients and practitioners irrespective of the periods applied
to work.
Complexities of ‘self’-440
The concept of self is widely accepted and applied while its use remains
ambiguous in many settings (Dewan, 2006). The foundational origins of self can
be traced in avenues of occupational therapy, social work, and psychotherapy
applied in mental health. In occupational therapy, the ideological usage of self
according to Stein and Cutler (2002) as a therapeutic tool was introduced by
psychiatrists. The application of therapeutic use of self in occupational therapy
premise is applied in reinforcing the clients based on their key strengths and
further helping them to overcome stressing experiences. In this regard,