Psychoanalytic Treatment in Contemporary Social Work Practice: An Interview with Dr. Carol Tosone

[Episode 54] Today's Social Work Podcast, Psychoanalytic Treatment in Contemporary Social Work Practice: An Interview with Dr. Carol Tosone, addresses two questions: First, is psychodynamic treatment relevant in contemporary social work practice? In other words, does it meet the needs of the clients, the agencies, and the funding sources? Second, has clinical social work abandoned social work's historical commitment to advocating for social change? I think they are questions worth thinking about.

Well, in order to answer some of these questions, I spoke with Dr. Carol Tosone about contemporary psychoanalytic treatment. Dr. Tosone completed her psychoanalytic training at the Postgraduate Center for Mental Health, where she was the recipient of the Postgraduate Memorial Award. She is an Associate Professor at the Silver School of Social Work at New York University, the recipient of the NYU Distinguished Teaching Award and is a Distinguished Scholar in Social Work in the National Academies of Practice in Washington, D.C. In 2007, Dr. Tosone was selected for a Fulbright Senior Specialist Award for teaching and research at the Hanoi University of Education in Vietnam. She is the editor-in-chief of the Clinical Social Work Journal, and the executive producer and writer of four social work education videos. And she is an expert in shared trauma – which is when a client and therapist experience the same traumatic event. I interviewed Carol about shared trauma in Episode 90: http://www.socialworkpodcast.com/shared-trauma.html.

Trailer for the "No One's the Bitch" podcast

[Trailer] A few months ago I interviewed a mother and a step-mother, Jennifer and Carol, two women whose book, No One's The Bitch: A Ten-Step Plan for the Mother and Stepmother Relationship had just been published by Globe Pequot Press. Their book quickly became a best-seller on Amazon.com, briefly reaching the #1 spot in the family category. I was really intrigued by what they had to say to social workers - or anyone who works with families. They were saying, "do not forget about the mother / step-mother relationship, it is perhaps the most important relationships to address in a blended family." Well, their message has caught the attention of major media outlets like the Washington Post, and most recently the Dr. Phil show. Although the interview is not ready for prime time, I wanted to give you a preview of the podcast in advance of their appearance on the Dr. Phil show, Tuesday, December 1st. In this three minute excerpt, Jennifer and Carol are talking about some of the typical issues that the mother / step-mother relationship brings. Enjoy this preview, and watch them on the Dr. Phil show Tuesday, December 1st.

Prochaska and DiClemente's Stages of Change Model for Social Workers

[Episode 53] Today's podcast is on Prochaska and DiClemente's (1983) Stages of Change Model. This model describes five stages that people go through on their way to change: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance.
The model assumes that although the amount of time an individual spends in a specific stage varies, everyone has to accomplish the same stage-specific tasks in order to move through the change process (Prochaska & Prochaska, 2009). There is an unofficial sixth stage that is variously called "relapse," "recycling," or "slipping" in which an individual reverts to old behaviors. Examples include having a beer after a period of sobriety, or smoking a cigarette a year after quitting. Slipping is so common that it is considered normal. Social Workers are encouraged to be honest with clients about the likelihood of backsliding or reverting to old behaviors once the change process has started, not because we expect our clients to fail, but because it normalizes the experience and takes away some of sense of failure and shame.

Theories for Clinical Social Work Practice: Interview with Joseph Walsh, Ph.D.

[Episode 52] Today's podcast looks at the relationship between theory and clinical social work practice. I spoke with Joseph Walsh, professor of social work at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), and author of the Brooks/Cole text, Theories for Direct Social Work Practice, which came out in a third edition in 2014. We talked about why social workers should learn practice theories, the differences between practice, developmental and personality theories, the difference between a theory and a model, and why there are so many different practice theories. We talked about how knowing theory makes for better social work practice and how being "eclectic" isn't about eschewing theory, but being well grounded in a few theories and making intentional choices about when and how to draw from them. Joe suggested that social workers in the field can contribute to theory refinement by thinking seriously about how well the theories they use work with the clients they serve. We ended our conversation with some information on resources for social workers who are interested in learning more about practice theories.

When In Doubt, Give Hope: 2009 Graduation Speech by Allison Anais Brunner

[Episode 51] Hello, podcast listener. It is June 21, 2009 – the first day of summer. By now all of the schools of social work in the United States have had their spring graduation and unleashed tens of thousands of newly minted social workers into the world. You might be one of these recent graduates. Like those who came before you and those who will come after, you’ve spent the last 2 – 5 years becoming socialized into the profession of social work. You’ve written thousands of papers, spent thousands on books, spent thousands of hours with clients (or close to it), you’re your share of group projects, process recordings, video taped assignments, ... all to become skilled professionals who can provide competent and ethical social work services to your clients.

Well, today’s podcast is a tribute to you. And who better to pay tribute than a fellow student. Today we’re going to hear Allison Anais Brunner’s 2009 MSW graduation speech from Temple University’s School of Social Administration. In her speech, entitled, “When In Doubt, Give Hope,” Allison juxtaposes the anxieties and doubts that recent graduates feel with their professional responsibility to hold hope for their clients. She describes her own doubts as a social worker, relates those to her personal moments of doubt and shares how she drew from those experiences to help her client. Using our experiences to benefit our clients rather than ourselves, is what we call “professional use of self.” And as Carl Rogers demonstrated many years ago, bringing our genuine self to the clinical relationship is one of the most important things we can do to help our clients. So, I dedicate this podcast to you, our professions newest members. And now Allison Anais Brunner and her speech, “When In Doubt, Give Hope.”

Salary Negotiation for Social Workers (Part 2): Interview with Cynthia L. Conley, Ph.D.

[Episode 50] In today's podcast I speak with Dr. Cynthia Conley,assistant professor of social work at the School of Social Administration at Temple University, about salary negotiation skills for social workers. Cynthia takes us through salary negotiation from the application to the job offer. Today's podcast is a follow-up to our December, 2008 interview in which Cynthia spoke generally about the importance of salary negotiation to both individuals and to the profession.

Social workers and depression: Interview with Mark Meier, MSW, LICSW

[Episode 49] In today's podcast I speak with Mark Meier, a licensed independent clinical social worker from Minneapolis, Minnesota about social workers and depression. Depression is biopsychosocial disorder that interferes with daily functioning, interpersonal relationships, and school/work. Depression is one of the most common psychiatric disorders, with 18% of men and women in the United States reporting at least one depressive episode in their lifetime (Kessler et al, 2005). Depression can be treated successfully in most people using either talk therapy, medication or both.

In today's podcast, Mark and I spoke about how social workers are three times as likely to be depressed as people in the general population. We talked about the personal and professional responsibility social workers have in addressing their depression, and the role that schools of social work, agencies and colleagues have in supporting social workers to get treatment. Mark shared his personal experience with depression, suicidal ideation, and the subsequent hospitalization. We ended our conversation with a discussion about what programs or workshops schools of social work can provide students to address the issue of social workers and depression.

Social Work with Immigrants and Refugees: Interview with Dr. Elaine Congress and Fernando Chang-Muy, J.D.

[Episode 48] In today's podcast, I speak with Dr. Elaine Congress, and Fernando Chang-Muy, JD about their 2008 text from Springer publications, Social Work with Immigrants and Refugees: Legal Issues, Clinical Skills and Advocacy (note: a second edition was published in 2015). We talk about why they thought it was important to have legal and social work perspectives in a book on working with immigrants and refugees. We also talk about the interface between social services and legal system, how social workers and lawyers can work together when helping immigrants and refuges, and some of the ways that professionals can advocate for immigrants and refugees at a policy level. Elaine and Fernando ended our conversation with some ideas about how the concepts discussed in today’s podcast and the book can be applied to people who live in countries other than the United States. Related podcast: Listen to Elaine Congress talk about using her visual assessment tool, the Culturagram, when working with immigrants and refugees.