Abstract

Social work is fundamentally a relationship-based profession. This book offers a critical multidisciplinary analysis of case studies of social work interventions from a psychosocial and relationship-based perspective. Providing a description of each case, it draws on psychodynamic theory, object relations theory, attachment theory, relational psychoanalysis, and sociological theories and research to present a critical interdisciplinary analysis of the dynamics and the outcomes of each case. This offers the reader a holistic and practical psychosocial and relationship-based perspective in thinking about and analysing each case, and offers a host of learning that is immediately relevant to the readers’ own practice.

 This book serves as a contemporary, integrated, and highly valuable reference and resource for social work students and practitioners as well as students and practitioners from allied professions, such as health, occupational therapists, nursing, psychotherapy and counselling, who may be interested in a psychosocial and relationship-based understanding of their own cases and interaction with their own clients/user of services.

I think this book is really  helpful in explaining and promoting the relationship based approach to social work. I found it clear amd very thought provoking, with a real sense of practice underlying it.

This is an excellent text book, which is very easy to read. It clearly conveys the importance of relationship based practice at a time when current organisational structures are challenging its application.

Claudia Megele is a Senior Lecturer and PQ/CPD Programme Leader at Middlesex University, she is also the Head of Practice Learning at Enfield Council. Claudia’s psychosocial and interdisciplinary approach is shaped by her studies which include psychology, sociology, social work, and psychotherapy, and her professional experience ranging from play therapy with terminally ill children at Red Cross Children’s Hospital to psychotherapy with adults at the NHS, and from frontline social work with children and families to research on identity, mentalization, empathy and relationships.

Claudia has also served in a number of public and third sector posts and organisations including: member of the advisory board of the National Children’s Bureau (NCB), Trustee at Mind, and the Chair and Vice-Chair of Tower Hamlets Police and Community Safety Board.

It's essential to good practice with 'people' not paperwork- one that will raise the emotional awareness and empathy of students to understand others problems or difficulties in life. I really like the fact that the book is doing well to pull together two necessary bed fellows, which are at times in oppositional positions, - the social /sociological and psychological. It does well to show how important relationship base practice is, and not just by highlighting the obvious: the relationship, but all the key facets of a good relationship in practice. The criticality of the discussion is good and students will learn from this as it will reflect some of the views they may hold or come to hold as their learning about self and others develops. There is not much to dislike about this book. I would say buy it!