Psychotherapy, distributive justice, and social work revisited

The psychological goods on clinical social work: a content analysis of the clinical social work and social justice literature

“…Nine (25%) provided a definition of social justice (Birkenmaier, 2003;Dulmus et al, 2005;Lee & Barrett, 2007;McLaughlin, 2002;Miley & DuBois, 2007;Swenson, 1998;Van Wormer, 2004;Wakefield, 1992Wakefield, , 1998. These definitions all agreed with the view that society was accountable for ensuring all individuals' basic rights, protections, and opportunities.…”

“…Of the four articles (11%) that provided formal definitions, two indicated that clinical social work involved solely a micro-level intervention (Miley & DuBois, 2007;Swenson, 1998;Wakefield, 1992Wakefield, , 1998. However, two common threads in these definitions were: (1) the recognition of the psychological or psychotherapeutic component of clinical social work; and (2) the process of clinicians' direct interactions with clients facilitated the personal and interpersonal change process.…”

“…Authors referred to internal psychological resources, such as psychological health, productive-creative, security, self-actualization and spiritual, mental, physical, and emotional faculties (Birkenmaier, 2003;Wakefield, 1992Wakefield, , 1998. Perhaps the most effective description was Wakefield's (1992) reference to clinical social work's transmission of 'psychological goods'.…”

“…According to Wakefield (1998), clinical social work consists of the use of 'psychotherapeutic-style methods to help remove the client's internal psychological impediments to better social functioning or to provide the client with basic psychological needs and thus to pursue social work's goal of justice' (p. 30).…”

“…For example, Lee and Barrett utilized Van Soest's definition that: 'Within the social work profession, social justice is defined as an ideal condition in which all members of a society have the same basic rights, protections, opportunities, obligations, and social benefits' (as cited in Lee & Barrett, 2007, p. 3). Where the definitions differed was whether: (1) psychological or internal resources were included along with sociopolitical and external resources as part of social justice aims; and (2) Six of the articles defined social justice as consisting solely of external resources involving economic, social, legal, material, work, civil, cultural and political rights (Dulmus et al, 2005;Lee & Barrett, 2007;Miley & DuBois, 2007;Swenson, 1994;Van Wormer, 2004;Wakefield, 1998). This type of narrow macro-level definition which excluded psychological or internal resources, made it plausible to conclude that clinical social work does not facilitate social justice aims.…”