As you think about your own situation, what types of patients or families in your care might pose a challenge for you to not overidentify with them?

Read through the case study and answer these questions:
1. How might Mrs. Garcia have become better prepared to overcome her tendency to use her own child as a reference point to secure a bond between her and the parents of her clients?
2. As you think about your own situation, what types of patients or families in your care might pose a challenge for you to not overidentify with them?

Mrs. Rita Garcia, an elementary school teacher, became interested in teaching language skills to hearing-impaired children after her third child, Lucia, who was born deaf, successfully learned to communicate by attending special classes for those with hearing impairment. Mrs. Garcia enrolled in a health professions course directed toward training teachers of hearing-impaired persons.
In her first position, she was surprised and alarmed that some of the mothers requested that she not be assigned to their children. Finally, she approached one of the mothers whose child she had been working with and with whom she felt comfortable. “What’s wrong?” she asked. “Do they think I’m incompetent because I was older when I went back to school or am new in my field? Is it my personality or the fact that I have a Spanish accent? I want so much to help these children, and I can’t understand what I’m doing wrong.” The embarrassed mother replied, “Well, since you asked, I’ll give you a direct answer. I don’t feel this way, but some of the mothers think that you don’t understand their children’s unique challenges because every time they start to tell you something about their child, you immediately interrupt with an experience you have had with your daughter.”