Listening for and Holding Traumatic Rage in an Intersubjective Intercultural Field

This article highlights various constructs from the perspective of D.W. Winnicott, trauma theories, intersubjectivity, and intercultural practice as guides for listening on multiple levels to inform the biopsychosocial–spiritual assessment and treatment. Using a clinical case composite, the author will illustrate the working alliance with a severely traumatized client, emphasizing the intense transference and countertransference rage and enactments that occurred during the course of the clinical social work practice. The therapeutic holding environment was challenged but maintained by working through relationship breakdowns, restoring intercultural subjective space and containing powerless rage.     

On the Value and Meaning of Trauma-Informed Practice: Honoring Safety,Complexity, and Relationship

ABSTRACT

In social work, as in other mental health fields, there has been a surge of literature regarding trauma-informed practice. Even so, the value and meaning of being a trauma-informed practitioner still call for further explication and analysis, especially in the realm of clinical social work practice. Approaching and engaging traumatized clients with a trauma-informed lens carry profound implications in the assessment, diagnostic, and intervention stages of treatment, and these implications warrant further unpacking. Additionally, it is critical to explore, through real-world case examples, the significance of working with a trauma-informed lens. This article develops a stage-based, relational definition of trauma-informed practice and argues that trauma-informed practice prioritizes client complexity, social context, and the therapeutic relationship throughout the assessment, diagnostic, and treatment process. In addition, it prioritizes the nuanced experiences and needs of the client, in particular the need for safety, above specific treatment modalities. In this way, it has vital importance to the field of social work. The significance of being trauma informed is considered at all stages of treatment and will be illuminated through practice examples and a longer clinical vignette.     

Homeless and financially dependent adolescents as clients of a family agency 1

A wide range of issues are explored that are identified by incarcerated mothers during their participation in a Family Reunification Group at a prison for women. They include concerns regarding parent–child visits; lack of communication by child welfare social workers, attorneys, foster parents, and other caregivers; the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA); lack of finances; past and present unresolved trauma issues; and the absence of notification of scheduled court hearings. This article also provides an in-depth look at how a group therapist established a therapeutic alliance with varied women in the group over a period of 5 years (2008–2013) and maintained a sense of professional self in this controlled setting. Finally, the implications for clinical social work practice and social work education are presented. Confidentiality is ensured with the use of de-identified case composite clinical material.     

Why We Need a Biopsychosocial Perspective with Vulnerable,Oppressed, and At-Risk Clients

This article considers why we need to take a biopsychosocial perspective in assessment and treatment of individuals. Using psychological concepts drawn from drive theory, ego psychology, object relations, attachment theory, self psychology and relational theory, the author makes explicit the need to connect these ideas with social and biological contexts. Arguing that psychodynamic theories contain the social as well as the psychological, the author traces Freud's social commitments, the role of critical race theory, the importance of social contexts in shaping development while also considering the effects of neglect, trauma and abuse on the developing brain. Holding in mind all of these positions, is what makes clinical social work truly the impossible profession.     

Constructive Social Work and Personal Construct Theory: The Case of Psychological Trauma

The complex and changing relationship between theory and practicein social work has received increasing attention in recent years.Parton (2000) has advocated a constructionist approach thatunderlines the similarity between the roles of the researcherand the practitioner. Personal construct theory (Kelly, 1955)is one member of the constructionist family that has particularimplications for social work practice. It evolved as a pragmaticapproach to psychotherapy, advocating a research supervisor/studentmodel of the practitioner/client relationship. In this article,we elaborate its application to social work practice, drawingon contemporary work in the fields of trauma and loss to illustrateits value.     

The Complexity of Evidence-Based Practice: A Case Study

In this article, the author addresses areas of complexity within evidence-based social work practice that she has encountered in her work with clients. The author offers an in-depth case study from her practice that involves the assessment and treatment of a client with a complicated diagnostic presentation. Clinical choices are discussed using a biopsychosocial framework that highlights the importance of attending to the client's specific needs as the author select interventions based on the best available research.     

Current practices in intake and service in family welfare organizations 1 : A study of the experience of eight agencies in 1934–35

Autism spectrum disorders include difficulties with social interaction, repetitive behavior, sensory sensitivity, and, often, concomitant language deficits. Psychodynamic theory is a powerful tool in explaining and treating the behavioral symptoms of autism. Specifically, the object relations theories of Melanie Klein and Wilfred Bion explicate the meanings and developmental challenges associated with autism. The epistemology of heuristics, with the use of triangulation, supports psychodynamic theory as one of multiple ways of interpreting phenomena. In this particular situation, the symptoms and presenting issues associated with autism evident in this composite clinical case are drawn from one of the author’s practice. This report illustrates the use of psychodynamic formulations and treatment in the psychotherapeutic work with a 12-year-old boy diagnosed with autism whom we call Austin.     

The Changing Nature and Context of Social Work Research

Summary Social work research is constantly diversifying and expandingand this article explores its changing nature; including changesto epistemology and practice; and the critical influence ofthe wider economic, political, theoretical and practice changesoccurring to social work itself. The author discusses a numberof issues facing social work research: the enduring conflictsof ways of knowing, doing and valuing social work research;the role of practitioners as researchers; and the challengeto empower service users as self-determining researchers.     

More than therapy: The link between adverse childhood experiences,social support,and therapeutic services

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have a cumulative effect on physical, emotional, and social well‐being throughout the life course. ACEs also impact parenting practices, which may contribute to intergenerational cycles of trauma. Access to child mental health services and caregiver social support are two protective factors that may reduce the burden of ACEs. To advance understanding of the relationships between caregiver social support and child mental health services among caregivers with ACEs, we interviewed 13 caregivers of young children receiving outpatient mental health services. Thematic analysis revealed the integral role of therapeutic providers in the social support circles of caregivers with high ACE scores. Caregivers frequently named therapeutic providers as the first point of contact in a problem situation. Implications for social work research, clinical practice, and advocacy are discussed.     

Off the Couch and into the Streets: Psychotherapy and Political Activism

In this article, the author discusses the intersection between psychotherapy and social activism. She argues that activism is a form of empathy in action and is a natural extension of her work as a therapist. The author reviews the history of psychoanalysis and social activism, demonstrating that the roots of psychoanalysis were embedded in the work of social activism. She discusses some of the recent history of events in her state that led her to engage in activism and some issues this presents for clinical practice.     

Complex trauma treatment in the Republic of Georgia: Stemming the contagion of psychopolitical trauma across the continuum of care

Clinical social workers in the United States increasingly have become involved as consultants in countries besieged by psychopolitical trauma. These workers face complex challenges as they provide therapy to torture survivors or consultation to indigenous mental health professionals. Workers must refine their understanding of trauma to encompass the often less familiar practice of providing treatment in the context of torture. Mental health professionals practicing in war‐torn environments must deal with their own intense reactions such as secondary traumatic stress, vicarious trauma, countertransference, and projective identification as they address the ripples of torture's devastation across the continuum of care. The author will present a case study from the Republic of Georgia in order to elucidate some subtleties of clinical practice in the context of psychopolitical trauma.     

督导在社会工作专业实习教育中的本土化实践——以某次实习督导经历为例

本文以笔者的某次实习督导经历为例,分享和探讨有关社会工作督导在专业实习教育中的目标、内容和效能的本土化经验。希望在实践经验的基础上为提炼总结适合中国国情和体制的督导理论与实务内容做些许贡献,加快突破这中国社会工作专业教育的瓶颈。     

Coping with Trauma-Related Dissociation by Boon,S., Steele,K., & Van Der Hart,O.

An innovative classroom laboratory program on social work practice with groups is presented. The program was developed by the author and conducted as a major part of an undergraduate social work practice course. The general objective of the program was to develop basic competence in group leadership for the beginning social work student. The program was conducted and evaluated with about 40 undergraduate students. The results are reported in the paper. In general, student response to the program was very positive and enthusiastic. While the program was conducted with undergraduates, it cnn be used at the graduare level as well, particularly with students who have had little prior social work education or experience.     

Third award: A follow‐up study of patients discharged as “improved” 1

In this study, the author researched his clinical practice in a community mental health center with six parental couples whose latency-aged children suffered from prevalent separation anxiety disorder symptoms. Through thematic analysis of the anamnestic process recordings of 53 parent sessions, the author's speculation on the effectiveness of the supportive psychodynamic psychotherapy techniques to psychodynamic clinical social work practice with parents was confirmed. Nine of thirteen supportive psychodynamically grounded therapy techniques were highlighted, whereas the clinical practice produced three more. The techniques permeated and shaped the author's clinical social work intervention, and a follow-up confirmed the reduction in mental health symptoms for the children and also increased parental satisfaction in response to the interventions.     

Connecting Anti-racist and Anti-oppressive Theory and Practice: Retrenchment or Reappraisal?

Correspondence to Charlotte Williams, Centre for Applied Community Studies, University of Wales, Bangor, Bangor LL57 2UW, UK. Summary In this paper the author offers a review of some of the majorcritiques of anti-racist theory and practice within social workand critically examines the trend towards anti-oppressive theoryand practice as the ‘way forward’. She argues thatthe uncritical acceptance of the move away from specificallyanti-racist perspectives towards the broader approach of anti-oppressivepractice may lead towards the retrenchment of all such criticalperspectives within social work rather than their regeneration.The author concludes that such a rigorous review will more fullyground the moves towards anti-oppressive practice as a paradigmfor social work.     

医科院校社会工作专业实习机构建设探索

社会工作作为一门助人专业和学科,是建立在专业理论和专业实习基础上的应用型专业。文章从笔者所在院校已开设6年的医务社会工作专业出发,分析了医科院校社会工作专业实习机构的现状及问题;同时,也阐述了其在不断探索中取得的成就;最后探索出一条适合我国医科院校社会工作专业实习机构建设的有效模式。     

社会工作专业小组实习教学模式探索——以民工外展服务小组为例

社会工作是集理论、技巧和实务于一体的应用型学科,以实务为基础是社会工作专业的显著特点。专业实习是实务训练的重要途径,在社会工作教学中扮演着重要的角色。由于目前社会工作专业实习教学还面临许多问题,如专业实习机构缺乏、案主资源稀缺等等,笔者将根据社会工作专业发展的现状,结合民工外展服务小组的实习经验,从系统理论视角来探讨本土化的小组实习教学模式。     

老年社会工作在养老机构中的应用探讨

随着人口老化,越来越多的国家政府开始正视老龄问题。而作为社会福利服务的重要组成部分,老年社会工作更日益受到重视。我国内地老年社会工作的发展却很滞后,大多数养老机构对于老年社会工作如何介入没有一个清晰的认识。这是由于我国内地社会工作发展较晚,相关的研究和实践都不是很充分的缘故。本文以笔者的实践经历为基础,从老年社会工作在养老机构服务中的角色、相处原则与介入的模式,尝试探讨老年社会工作在养老机构中的应用。     

A plan for helping to identify men psychologically unadapted to military service 1

Social workers increasingly practice in medical settings; however, there are few applications of clinical practice theories at their disposal. Using fictional composite cases based on the writers’ experiences in medical social work, the authors illustrate how clinical practice theories can be used in the assessment and treatment of Veterans. These cases illustrate real world applications of clinical practice theories for what is often seen as task-oriented work. The authors place case management or casework in medical settings within the confines of clinical social work and suggest clinical practice theories have important applications to these efforts.     

The A+ of a practice doctorate

In light of the growing trend of developing practice doctoral degree programmes in social work, the author uses the first Doctor of Social Work (DSW) programme in Hong Kong, which is a unique programme in China, as a case study to examine the pedagogy and constraints of doctoral programmes in social work. The programme serves as an alternative to a typical PhD programme and is designed particularly for seasoned practitioners in the field who strive to achieve a balance between a research and practice orientation and between an academic and a pragmatic focus. This paper emphasises that, to stand out from the crowd, practice doctorates in Hong Kong should take part in practice-based research and publish in refereed journals.