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In recent decades the concept of the lived experience features in contemporary literature and within mental health service

provision. Briefly, discuss what you have come to understand about this concept and the significance of this for social work practice? The concept of lived experience is the totality of ones life experience with mental illness and journey of each of them was unique. As a social worker I have to listen to someones experience and tune in. Our emotion, response and behavior should be justify our language when someone is sharing their life experience. The guiding principle for practice is a respect for the lived experience of mental illness and consequences for individual clients, families and other carers. We need to view from clients inside and listening is different from assessing. Recovery is to be found in lived experience. When one is speaking about or listening to the lived experience, the attention should be given to the worker-client relationship. It is difficult to form a relationship with client that must be honest, mutually supportive, respectful and hopeful because it should not be in one way. When the human service workers acknowledge by providing prominence to their lived experience, the person is privileged rather than the problem that results in recovery. Their speech occurs within the total lived reality of their lives and their relationships that how they interact with their emotional, social, political and economic environments. The two important principles in mental health practice are, The mental health social workers must learn and value the lived experience of the clients and carers. They must recognize and value the healing potential in relationships between client and social worker or carers and social worker.

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