Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Clinical Practice Exam

Normalizing a client's experiences involves acknowledging their feelings and experiences as typical responses to challenging situations, fostering a sense of understanding and connection. This is an essential aspect of validation, where the social worker affirms the client's emotions and reactions, making them feel heard and accepted. By normalizing, the social worker communicates that it is okay for the client to feel the way they do, reducing feelings of isolation and shame. While empathy is crucial in understanding and sharing the feelings of the client, normalization specifically focuses on reinforcing the client's view by contextualizing their experiences. Resolution relates to finding solutions to problems, and acceptance implies an acknowledgment without necessarily framing the experiences as typical responses. In this context, validating a client's experiences is the most accurate characterization of the act of normalizing.