ABSTRACT

THIS STUDY AIMS TO BECOME A CONDUIT OF A MISSING CONVERSATION WHEREIN OUR FRONT LINE HELP-GIVERS CAN EXPRESS THEIR EXPERIENCES. THROUGH A SERIES OF SEMI-STRUCTURED QUESTIONS, AND THEORETICAL ANALYSES, THE THEMES REGARDING THE EXPERIENCE AND PERCEPTION OF HELPING RELATIONSHIPS IN MACAU.  FINDINGS INCLUDE DIFFICULTIES AND CHALLENGES THAT THE HELPING PROFESSION IN MACAU ENCOUNTERS IN DIFFERENT SETTINGS RELATED TO ROLE AMBIGUITY AND PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROFESSION. STIGMA AROUND A PERSON CONSIDERED TO BE A “PROBLEM” AS WELL AS STIGMA RELATED TO NOMENCLATURE OF MENTAL ILLNESSES.  FACTORS THAT ENABLE AND FACILITATE A HELPING RELATIONSHIP WERE IDENTIFIED. TRUST, SINCERITY, LISTENING AND POSITIVE REGARD WERE MENTIONED. DUE TO MACAU’S MULTI-CULTURAL BACKGROUND, AN ENABLING AGENT TO FACILITATE A HELPING RELATIONSHIP WAS IDENTIFIED – LANGUAGE.  AS A QUALITATIVE ENQUIRY MEDIUM FOR REFLECTION AND DISCOVERY, THIS STUDY HOPES TO BRING FORWARD THE UNIQUE EXPERIENCES OF ELEVEN HELPING PROFESSIONALS WITH A SPECTRUM OF BACKGROUND TO PROVIDE RICHNESS AND NEWNESS TO THE CURRENT BODY OF LITERATURE.