Theoretical Perspectives for Direct Social Work Practice: A Generalist-Eclectic Approach

This expanded third edition of a popular textbook provides a completely revised and updated overview of the theories, models, and therapies that inform direct social work practice. The text is grounded in generalist social work principles and values and promotes a problem-solving model of social work practice as a framework for the eclectic use of theory, as well as for integrating the artistic, reflective elements of practice. It provides in-depth coverage of select psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, humanistic, critical, and postmodern theories.

The third edition features a new section on Critical Theories, where a new chapter on Empowerment Theory is included with a completely revised chapter on Feminist Theory. A new chapter on Strengths-based Social Work has been added to the section on meta-theories for social work practice. Other new chapters include Emotion-focused Therapy and Collaborative Therapy. These revisions are based on suggestions from an extensive survey of professors.

New to the Third Edition:

• A new section on Critical Theories
• New chapters on Strengths-based Social Work, Emotion-focused Therapy, Empowerment Theory, and Collaborative Therapy
• Updated research on the debate about the importance of theory/technique versus common (e.g., relationship) factors, and on the critique of the empirically supported treatment movement

Key Features:

• Grounds direct practice firmly in the principles and values of generalist social work
• Promotes a problem-solving model of social work as a flexible structure for integrating the eclectic use of theory with the artistic, reflective elementsof practice
• Organizes direct practice theories into like groupings and provides an overview of the main characteristics of each grouping
• Provides in-depth coverage of topics in a clear, logical, and consistent format
• Includes editors and contributors from the U.S. and Canada