The Tao of Maria

Advice from one CHW to another! 

The primary goal of a Community Health Worker (CHW) is to help people overcome personal and systemic barriers to achieving optimal wellbeing. The CHW model provides the necessary tools and appropriate support for individuals to take charge of their health and achieve a sustainable healthy lifestyle. 

This approach fosters resilient communities. “When you lift up one person, you are lifting many more, and the chain continues” Maria de Jesus Guerrero, WellShare Senior Community health worker. Thanks to our partnerships with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota and the Mankato Clinic, our incredible staff like Maria can do their life changing and lifesaving work.

We recently had the opportunity to interview Maria to better understand how her many decades of community health work experience have shaped her process. In listening to Maria passionately share her process, she describes the following guiding principles.

• Empowerment over pity
• Honesty and transparency
• Radical responsibility
• Humility
• Connection
• The bigger picture
• Self-care

Maria’s approach serves as a model for effective CHW practice, emphasizing the importance of integrity and clarity as she supports her client’s journey towards optimal wellbeing. 

(All quotes stated by Maria de Jesus Guerrero unless cited otherwise.) 

 

Empowerment over Pity

“I do not feel sorry for my clients. I do not pity them. I empower them.”

Maria uses a lens of empowerment over pity in her work with clients like Denisse. Rather than feeling sorry for her clients, Maria empowers individuals to discover their own inner strength and capabilities. 

When Denisse first came to Maria, she had a belief that she could not achieve stability, let alone accomplish her dreams on her own. Maria recognized the importance of shifting Denisse’s focus inward, towards personal empowerment. She addressed negative thoughts that Denisse had towards herself and reminded Denisse that “we are our own worst critics.” 

Central to Maria’s approach is encouraging clients to reflect on their daily accomplishments, however small. By asking questions like, “What did you do today that was good?” Maria prompted Denisse to acknowledge her own agency, fostering a sense of pride and self-worth.

Maria steered Denisse away from a victim mentality. Instead of dwelling on challenges or setbacks, Maria coached Denisse to see herself as capable and in control of her life’s direction. When Denisse would start to spiral into negative thinking, Maria consistently helped Denisse reframe her past experiences into learning opportunities she could use to make different and healthier decisions. 

Through this process, Denisse gradually shed her feelings of inadequacy and began to embrace her own power. Now, Denisse shares that she has a goal to “be a leader and motivate women to get through the hardest things in life and come out stronger.”

Honesty and transparency

“I don’t sugarcoat or give the client false hopes. I respect them as capable of handling reality.”

Maria prioritizes honest and transparent communication as a foundation to her approach in helping clients achieve meaningful change. 

Maria advocates for a direct and realistic dialogue about the challenges and opportunities ahead. This approach not only builds trust but also ensures that clients have a clear understanding of what they can realistically achieve with her support. 

Through compassionate, yet honest communication, Maria helps her clients connect their behavior to their desired outcome. For example, she would ask Denisse “Why do you call me when you are already in the hole? Why not call me before?” Maria coached Denisse to reach out for help before she reached the level of crisis.

One of Maria’s key strategies is to shift the conversation from her clients asking, “What can you do for me?” to asking her clients, “What do you need from me?” This reversal empowers clients to articulate their goals and expectations clearly. It also allows Maria to develop a plan that aligns with the client’s needs and capabilities, fostering a partnership based on mutual understanding and trust. 

Radical Responsibility

“As a healer, I have found, when you’re walking the path, whoever needs your help is going to ask for it. We have to respect where people are at. If they are not ready, I’m not going to force them.”

Maria embraces the concept of radical responsibility in her approach to supporting clients on their journey towards sustainable growth and wellbeing.

Central to Maria’s work is understanding that true change must be embraced and driven by the client themselves. She acknowledges that while she can provide valuable coaching and support, lasting transformation only occurs when clients take ownership of their lives and choices. 

For instance, when one of her clients faced a language barrier during a doctor’s appointment, Maria not only accompanied them and provided translation but also used the opportunity to teach them. She taught the client how to navigate similar situations independently in the future, teaching them phrases and hand gestures they could use to communicate with the health care provider. 

Ultimately, Maria’s commitment to radical responsibility ensures that her clients not only achieve short-term solutions but also develop the resilience and skills needed for sustained independence. She teaches her clients how to make informed decisions, advocate for themselves, and navigate life’s complexities with confidence. 

Humility

“My only real power is to help draw out the power already within my client”

Humility is essential for both the client and CHW when navigating difficult situations. Maria tells her clients that for change to occur, they need to, “leave their pride and ego behind.”

Maria would often remind Denisse that she was fighting for more than herself. “Your daughters are more important than yourself right now.” Denisse was hesitant to go to her parents for help, but Maria encouraged her to talk to her mom for the sake of her children. 

Over her decades of work, Maria shares that the clients that are able to achieve success all have one common denominator: a certain level of humility and ability to be teachable. Clients must be willing to approach their challenges with openness and readiness to learn from others’ guidance.

Maria also noted that humility is essential for the CHW. “We are working with people that are in a time in their life where they need help. You have to remain humble in order to be able to communicate effectively and build relationships with your clients.” 

Connection and shared humanity

“We need to connect on a deeper level in order to grow and evolve.”

“The key ingredient to being successful as a CHW is truly caring for helping anyone in need.” Maria highlights how she often thinks of her own family when working with her clients. 

“I have 4 daughters, 1 son, and 14 grandkids. My children have faced their own issues. If I have the knowledge and a way to help you, I am going to do it, because she could be my daughter,” Maria sees the humanity and potential in every client because she recognizes that they are someone’s daughter, mother, or sister.

When Maria works with seniors, she often thinks of her own mother, because “I would go the extra mile for her and if I can do it for her, I can do it for anyone.” Maria forms deep connections with her clients as she often thinks of them like her own family. This mentality inspires Maria to give her all, even when times are hard, and solutions are slow to emerge. 

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The Bigger Picture 

“Hold on to whatever is bigger than yourself”

Maria has found it helpful to discover her clients ‘why’- the reason behind their actions. Understanding what motivates an individual to persevere through their struggles is the best way to keep them on track to achieve their goals. This could include family, personal values, passions, or long-term goals, all of which can provide strength during difficult times.

Maria found that the best way to help Denisse was to guide her thoughts back to her children. When Denisse wanted to give up, Maria reminded her that everything she was doing was for her daughters. Maria kept Dennise on track by telling her to “hold on to whatever is bigger than yourself.” The love Dennise felt for her children was often used to ground her actions. Maria would instruct Dennise to “imagine hugging her kids,” in order to keep going. 

Self-Care

“Knowing yourself is the best way to actively take care of your mental health.”

Maria has learned that having boundaries for yourself is one of the most important things you can do to support your clients. “As a CHW, we have to have strong boundaries and prioritize self-care. We need to take care of our mental health. We have to stay grounded for ourselves, our family, and our clients.”

Maria views her time “as good as gold.” She protects her mental health, time, and energy by making it very clear to her clients that “if I’m giving you my time, you need to respect me and put in some work.” 

 

Final thoughts – CHW as a mirror

“It all comes back to you, the good and the bad. What kind of life are you creating?”

Being a CHW is like being a mirror. CHWs reflect back to their clients the role they play in their own struggles yet also reflect their innate wisdom and strength. CHWs help people remember their purpose and take back control of their life in a way that ripples out to their families and communities. As Maria says, “When you lift one up, you are lifting many more and the chain continues.” 

Maria reminds us to remember the humanity and goodness in everyone we encounter. When you believe in someone, you are gifting them the ability to believe in themselves. Applying these strategies can change a person’s life. Everyone could benefit from bringing a little Tao of Maria into their daily lives.