Treatment Approaches

Question 1

Cultural Factors Impeding Access to Psychotherapy

Answer 1

Language Barriers, Cultural opposition to outside help, Differing views of symptom origin (physical or magical), shame of psychological problems

Question 2

General Cultural Factors Affecting Psychotherapy Process

Answer 2

Cultural differences need to be acknowledged by SW, SW familiarize with client culture, SW recognizes & respects cultural material in sessions, SW aware of “culturally bound syndromes” that appear abnormal to SW’s culture but not client’s, SW aware of ethnic transferences-countertransferences-stereotyping, SW flexible enough to accommodate cultural differences

Question 3

Evidence Based Social Work Practice (EBT)

Answer 3

is the systematic integration of professional judgement and client values with the best available empirical research evidence.

Question 4

Psychotherapy

Answer 4

“a specialized formal interaction between a SW/other MH professional and a client in which a therapeutic relationship is established to help resolve symptoms of mental disorder, psychosocial stress, relationship problems, & difficulties in coping in the social environment.

Question 5

Goals of psychotherapy

Answer 5

Involve: change in affect, behavior, and/or cognition
i.e. releif of emotional distress, replacement of inappropriate/dysfunctional behavior with more appropriate behavior, & positive changes in the way clients think and fee about themselves

Question 6

Psychodynamic therapies

Answer 6

Focus on the realm of affect.
“assume that human behavior is constantly influenced by unconscious thoughts, wishes, and mental representations.”
Includes:
1) classical psychoanalytic psychotherapy
2) Ego psychology approach
3) self-psychology approach
4) object relations/attachment based therapy

Question 7

Behavioral and Cognitive therapies

Answer 7

Deal exclusively with conscious “here & now” issues rather than unconscious, historical issues.
Geared towards changes in behavior & cognition.

Question 8

The Social Work Therapies

Answer 8

Origins in SW practice while incorporating elements of earlier models.
i.e. problem-solving, task-centered, & psychosocial therapies

Question 9

Crisis Intervention

Answer 9

Based on theoretical contributions from many sources including social work. Increasingly used bc of combination of brevity with effectiveness.

Question 10

Useful Individual Treatment Techniques

Answer 10

• Building and maintaining a helping relationship
• Developing and establishing a measurable treatment plan
• Using bias-free language
• Responding to client’s resistant behavior
• Use of active listening skills

Question 11

Partializing

Answer 11

breaking problems down into manageable segments and tackling them one at a time

Question 12

Supporting

Answer 12

reassuring, encouraging, advising, informing about other resources & pointing out clients strengths. Goal to maintain adaptive patterns

Question 13

Focusing

Answer 13

keeping treatment oriented to the primary issue

Question 14

Clarifying

Answer 14

an interpretation that removes obstacles to understanding

Question 15

Confronting

Answer 15

Facing a client’s own attitudes and behavior- doing so in a way that focuses on the best side of the client & bringing that out

Question 16

Interpreting

Answer 16

Offering a explanation to enhance understanding, make connections, and aid the development of insight.

Question 17

Reflecting

Answer 17

clarifying for the client what he/she feels at the moment & encouraging further expression & understanding of feelings