The transition from "helpee" to "helper" can sometimes be difficult. There are situations when I am not sure which of the two I am supposed to be. For example, I am receiving some funds from Ontario Works while I am finishing up this schooling. My new Case Worker and I hit it off from the beginning. When she took over, I had already completed a year of my training, so although I was a client, we had some common ground. From the beginning, I thought she was an awesome lady. And I still do. The supervisor at one of my placements is good friends with this lady from Ontario Works. There's a battle inside me when my supervisor talks about her because I feel 'lower' than them being a client and all, but the professional part of me wants to consider myself on the same level as them. I don't want to be 'just a client' to the OW lady. J's placement student would be okay. A collegue would be even better.
