Psychotherapy and the Clinical Social Worker

Social work’s long and historical involvement in psychotherapy has resulted in many significant contributions to practice such as the use of time, family and group therapy, the development of innovative settings and practices, and skill in using action communication. In addition, social workers have developed expertise in working with many that others have considered unsuitable for psychotherapy. Differences between psychiatric social work and the present more commonly used term, clinical social work, are related to issues of identity and autonomy, and essential practices and values that differentiate the clinical social worker from other professionals. These are a preference for the term client rather than patient, an emphasis upon person-in-situation, and a valued belief in client self-determination. However, special educational preparation is needed for the practice of psychotherapy which is considered a specialty within social work.