Client Education for Clinical Social Work.

Abstract

The content of this article is a description of clinical social work as education for clients. A feature of the model is teaching clients the fundamentals of selected assessment and intervention theories of clinical social work. Attachment theory and cognitive therapy are organizing theories for the model supplemented by constructivist theory and Vygotsky’ s sociocultural theory 
Knowledge of assessment and intervention theories have enabled clients in the corresponding author’s clinical practice to participate fully in treatment and learn problem solving tools that can help them resolve present and future emotional distress. Follow-up with clients about sustained and improved adaptation and social functioning indicated they used what they learned. This suggests that teaching clients about clinical theories is one method of clinical social work that promotes clients’ problem solving ability.