E Ko te Matakahi Maire : Therapeutic Social Work

Therapeutic Social Work provides a focused way of working relationally with people to support holistic wellbeing, especially for those who have experienced relational trauma. It is positioned in generalist social work, and involves intentional purposeful work based in the home or community.

For some people experiencing mild to moderate well-being impacts from trauma, or current life difficulties, formal mental health services and counselling may not be obtainable or appropriate. E Ko te Matakahi Maire : Therapeutic Social Work bridges this gap, going further than task centred work and stopping at the boundary of intensive therapy. This begins through a relational foundation of providing acceptance, kindness, listening, respect and warmth, and helps connect people to their own strengths and insights within the context of their experiences. Therapeutic Social Work provides an opportunity for generalist social workers to step deeper into relational work with the intention of supporting sustainable and meaningful change in peoples lives, and ultimately our communities and the world.

This handbook provides a framework for therapeutic social work that describes working with loss and grief, anger, anxiety, supporting healthy self and inter-personal relationships, and providing psycho-education around relational trauma. It offers practical ideas, reflection questions, and examples from practice in each of these areas. There is also exploration around the conscious use of self when undertaking therapeutic work, and a description of supportive counselling. An example of a group and individual programme is provided to help implement the ideas and resources in the book.

Nicki Weld is currently the national social work advisor for Stand Children Services Tu Maia Whanau and a supervisor, consultant and educator. She is the author and co-author of five books published in New Zealand, England, and Japan. She is the primary creator of the Three Houses tool used internationally.

Stand Children Services Tu Maia Whanau is a national child and family NGO in Aotearoa New Zealand that provides residential, school, and home based services to children aged between five and 12 years and their families. Services include social work, therapeutic care and education, family therapy and parenting support.

Featured in the January 2018 Social Work Newsletter.
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