A review of Rankian will therapy and its relevance for social casework

Conclusion In this study I have postulated on teh basis of Rankian philosophy and my own personal and professional experience that 1) self-knowledge in and of itself rarely heals; 2) a client who is accepted by another, in his totality, is able to change; and 3) persons have an inherent need to become fate-determining beings.Engaging the other in a process of willing his own growth is the central aim and way of helping. Thus, the caseworker is not a foe, educator, or passive on-looker; rather, he lendshimself, to be used or not as the client chooses. There is in the caseworker a willingness to let the client fumble, flounder, and waver until his rigid Will can soften enough to encompass and use another. A caseworker who can permit this freedom offers his steadiness as a springboard against and with whom the patient finds his own strength. This process is characterized by a slow coming together, a period of union, and a separation when the newly-won self fears, yet seeks autonomy. Having discovered that he can unite with another without being destroyed, the client leaves, not cured, yet less restricted, more open to the promises of life.