Pulling it All Together

In our final discussion post - please offer any practice examples from your internship where you have questions. Are you able to see and experience the application of some of the techniques we have discussed this term?

Working with Children & Families

What do you see as the difference between Directive and Non-Directive Play Therapy? What experiences have you had in working with children and families? Offer some examples. Can you see a way that you can incorporate the intervention strategies previously discussed into your work with children and/or families?

Solution-Focused Treatment

This week we are learning about Solution-Focused Treatment. Please review the four Step by Step video clips paying careful attention to the clinician's use of solution-focused techniques. What do you notice that feels different than a general counseling approach or than CBT or psychodynamic therapy. Please identify an example where you see the clinician using the "Exploring for Exceptions" skill. How does this assist with Solution Building?

Video Discussion

Please use this post as a place to discuss Alice & William's video. As you viewed their videos, did you notice places where Motivational Interviewing "came to life"?  Did you see the techniques noted on their cheat sheet? Be as specific as possible here, noting what you saw. What did you learn from their video?  Visit again to see what others have written. Please feel free to offer any additional feedback here, then email me - either the form I provided or just in the body of the email - the video's strengths & one constructive criticism as well as whether the video was Very Well Done  (top notch), Well Dome (successful), or Fail ( does not meet assignment criteria). Disregard the technology problems in class. Apologies to all again for the confusion.

Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

Please select a classmate to work with - share one of your process recordings with each other. Review this classmates's process recording and using the highlight tool, show places where you believe that he or she is using a psychodynamic technique. Return the process recording to the classmate. Then return here and discuss.

What did all of you learn from this exercise? Are you using psychodynamic approaches without even realizing it? What aspects of psychodynamic work do you like or support? What aspects are you not supportive of?  Offer any thoughts and opinions about this topic.  For those of you in more macro settings, can you see any usefulness for psychodynamic understanding in organizations.

Motivational Interviewing

This week, I would like you to practice the OARS skills throughout the week - with your clients, your family and friends, with your colleagues here.

Find a partner - a classmate using skype or zoom, or a colleague close to home and ask the following:

Using only open-ended questions and reflections, ask –

What it was like growing up in your home?

How did you come to do the work that you are doing?

Find another partner, and continue:

Using only Affirmations and Summary – ask:

What would you like to accomplish in the future?

What ways have you changed in the past?

Return to the blog here and share what you learned - what was it like? what were your partner's reactions? did it feel comfortable or different than your typical style?  Be sure to also respond to a classmate or two.

Cognitive Behavioral Treatment

Please view this video. It is a session with Judith Beck, one of the primary experts in the field of CBT. Judith's father, Aaron Beck is considered one of the forefathers of CBT. This is an old video but I feel that it demonstrates well many of the principles of CBT. In this interview, Judith is a consultant asked to offer some feedback to a client and her current therapist.

Please watch it and offer some of your reactions to her methods. It is only a snippet, so imagine how it might continue. What did you like about her interactions with the client? What didn't you like? What could you see yourself incorporating into your own work?

Video Sign UP

VIDEO SIGN UP SCHEDULE

                                   

Tuesday  November  17   7:30 – 8:30    Alice & William

Tuesday November 24   8:00 – 9:00    Amanda & Christine G - CBT

                                     

Tuesday December 1    7:30 – 8:30    Jennifer & Rebecca - Play Therapy

Tuesday December 8    8:00 – 9:00   Annie, Christine, & Gail - DBT

Evidenced Based Practice

For this week, let's begin a discussion about evidence-based practice. After reviewing the lecture material on EBP, please post here. Please write an initial response and then return and respond to two of your classmates' comments. First - based on your readings and your experiences in the field, what is your definition of evidence-based practice?  How is your current field agency applying the concept of evidence-based practice? Moreover, how do you see yourself as a professional social worker engaging in practice that is evidence-based? And finally - apart from what you have read - how do you feel about the idea of evidence-based practice?

Assessment

Please review the following brief video clip of an initial interview. Offer some comments about the assessment techniques that you observe. What additional questions would you ask during this interview?

 Click here to watch    Social Work Interview

Ask the Professor

Please feel free to ask any questions that arise for you during your review of this material. This course is jam-packed with so much - that it is impossible to include everything in a lecture format. I also want to maintain  engaging conversations about practice topics and encourage you to think about their application to your own work. So - ask away and see what we come up with!