The Client, The Caseworker and The Absent Third Person

Summary Some people seek social work help with problems that have arisenin their relationships with others to whom they are very closeand by whom they feel betrayed, attacked or maltreated. Often,so great are the distress and force with which the problem isbrought, the social worker may find himself drawn to acceptas substantially accurate the client's view of the situationand to act accordingly. This article argues that such a lineof action may be misguided or even harmful, and that help canonly be effective in the situations described if it has as oneof its basic assumptions the notion that the picture conveyedof 'the absent third person' has more connection with the client'sown inner needs than with anyone else