The Creation Of Meaning In Clinical Social Work

Download or read book The Creation of Meaning in Clinical Social Work written by Carolyn Saari and published by Guilford Press. This book was released on 1991-09-20 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reflecting the trend of constructivist thinking across the sciences, this volume provides a framework for integrating newer ideas with the traditional practice of clinical social work. Its underlying assumptions are that construction of a mutual meaning system between therapist and client is essential for treatment, and that identity complexity is essential to healthy adaptation. Relating to former notions of process and content in treatment, this volume by Carolyn Saari illuminates these concepts. In her previous book, Clinical Social Work Treatment: How Does It Work?, Saari demonstrated the importance of a shared meaning system in treatment. In this significant new work, she offers a detailed examination of the manner in which such meaning is constructed. She also shows how this theory more adequately bridges the gaps between the intrapsychic and the interpersonal as well as between the individual and the social structure. As she explains in her introduction: ...the adaptive point of view has provided an inadequate foundation for clinical social work theory. A theory of meaning in which psychological health is indicated by a constructed personal meaning system (or identity) that is highly differentiated, articulated, and integrated is proposed to take the place of conceptualizations about adaptation. This theory of meaning, which includes the idea that what the child internalizes is his or her experiences with the world, is believed to hold more utility for understanding the psychological effects of phenomena such as racism and social oppression. In an intellectual climate involving much heated debate between treatment methodologies based upon scientific empiricism and those based on hermeneutics, Saari argues that clinical theory must rely on both a causal, developmental science and on a theory of meaning that involves the narrative construction of the possible. Her work lays the foundation for sorting out the aspects of clinical theory that involve each of these ways of thinking, and for exploring their interaction. Providing the basis for a deeper understanding of the complexities of human functioning and clinical practice, this volume is an enlightening guide for advanced graduate students and an invaluable resource for practicing clinicians.

Download or read book Paradigms of Clinical Social Work written by Rachelle A. Dorfman and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2020-08-26 with total page 410 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provokes sociological questions about the expanding number of paradigms of clinical social work and the application of clinical theory. It enhances clinical social workers' ability to make sense of people's lives so that we may help them in their struggles.

Download or read book Advanced Clinical Social Work Practice written by Eda Goldstein and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2009-08-22 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Advanced Clinical Social Work Practice traces the development of relational ideas from their origin in object relations and self psychology to their evolution in current relational, intersubjectivity, and attachment theory. Relational treatment emphasizes openness and collaboration between client and therapist, mutual impact, the client's subjectivity, and the therapist's empathy, genuineness, and use of the self in therapeutic interaction. The approach treats the relationship and dialogue between client and therapist as crucial to the change process and shows how the therapeutic relationship can be used to help clients and therapists bridge differences, examine similarities, overcome impasses, and manage enactments. The relational emphasis on the subjective experience of both client and therapist is beautifully illustrated throughout this book as the authors draw from their clinical work with clients from diverse backgrounds, including gay and lesbian clients, immigrants, and clients of color. They demonstrate how relational principles and techniques can be applied to multiple problems in social work practice& mdash;for example, life crises and transitions, physical and sexual abuse, mental disorders, drug addiction, and the loss of a loved one. The authors also discuss the integration of relational constructs in short-term treatment and with families and groups. This volume opens with a historical perspective on the role of relational thinking in social work and the evolution of relational theory. It presents an overview of the key concepts in relational theory and its application throughout the treatment process with diverse clients and in different practice modalities. The book concludes with a discussion of the challenges in learning and teaching new theoretical and practice paradigms, particularly in creating a more mutual exchange in the classroom and during supervision.

Download or read book Clinical Social Work written by Rachelle A. Dorfman and published by Psychology Press. This book was released on 1996 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Twenty-nine collected essays represent a critical history of Shakespeare's play as text and as theater, beginning with Samuel Johnson in 1765, and ending with a review of the Royal Shakespeare Company production in 1991. The criticism centers on three aspects of the play: the love/friendship debate.

Download or read book Beyond Multiculturalism in Social Work Practice written by Kui-Hee Song and published by University Press of America. This book was released on 2004 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Drawn from experience, this in-depth case study presents an integrated approach to social work practice with culturally linguistically diverse clients, to show how theories of postmodernism and multiculturalism can be applied when working with Korean immigrant families."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Download or read book Human Behavior Theory and Social Work Practice written by Roberta R. Greene and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-07-28 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Human Behavior Theory and Social Work Practice remains a foundation work for those interested in the practice and teaching of social work. Roberta Greene covers theoretical areas and individual theorists including classical psychoanalytic thought, Eriksonian theory, Carl Rogers, cognitive theory, systems theory, ecological perspectives, social construction, feminism, and genetics. She discusses the historical context, its philosophical roots, and major assumptions of each theory. The general theme, which distinguishes this volume, is that the person-in-environment perspective has been a central influence in the formation of the profession's knowledge base, as well as its approach to practice. Greene provides perspective on how individuals and social systems interact. This book examines how social workers can use theory to shape social work practice by increasing his or her understanding of and potential for enhancing human well-being. Greene covers the relationship between human behavior theory and professional social work practice. She also explores the challenges and limitations of each theory and addresses the following issues: how the theory serves as a framework for social work practice; how the theory lends itself to an understanding of individual, family, group, community, or organizational behavior; what the implications are of the theory for social work interventions or practice strategies; and what role it proposes for the social worker as a change agent. Throughout the profession's history, social workers have turned to a number of theoretical approaches for the organizing concepts needed to define their practice base. The aims of social work--to improve societal conditions and to enhance social functioning of and between individuals, families, and groups--are put into action across all fields of practice and realized through a variety of methods in a range of settings. This third edition, completely revised, represents a fundamental contribution to the field, and like its predecessors, will be widely used as a basic text.

Download or read book The Environment written by Carolyn Saari and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2002 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Saari posits that human beings may first construct a picture of their immediate environment and then construct their identity within that environment. She argues that the psychotherapeutic profession must extend its range to include socio-cultural-economic factors and she includes ample case studies to support her position.