In today's podcast, I talk with Dr. Christina Newhill, a nationally recognized expert on client violence and the author of Client Violence in Social Work Practice: Prevention, Intervention, and Research, published in 2003 by The Guilford Press. In today’s podcast, Dr. Newhill defines client violence, talks about why social workers should be concerned with client violence and identifies which social workers are at greater risk for violence. She discusses some ways to assess a client’s potential for violence, how to intervene with a violent or potentially violent client, and identifies some strategies for increasing worker safety. We end our interview with information about existing research and resources for social work educators.

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Today’s podcast is the last in a three part series on phone supervision. In Part I and Part II I spoke with Simon Feuerman and Melissa Groman about their experiences of providing phone supervision and consultation. In today’s interview I speak with Jody Bechtold about her experience receiving phone supervision as part of her process of becoming a Nationally Certified Gambling Counselor. We talked about the process she went through to find phone supervision, some of the pros and cons and likes and dislikes. Jody contrasted phone supervision with face-to-face supervision and talked about phone supervision etiquette.

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Today’s podcast is the second in a three part series on phone supervision. In today’s podcast I continue my discussion with Simon Feuerman and Melissa Groman about phone supervision. Simon and Melissa are licensed clinical social workers, clinical supervisors and consultants and founders of the The New Center for Advanced Psychotherapy Studies and The Good Practice Institute for Professional Psychotherapists. These businesses were established in 2006 and 2007 respectively, as learning programs for licensed clinicians from all training and theoretical backgrounds to learn together without geographic limitations. Simon and Melissa are two of a growing number of clinicians who use accessible and affordable telecommunications and internet technologies to eliminate traditional barriers to supervision, including geographical distance, time constraints, and lack of local clinical experts.

In this episode we talk about the technical details of setting up and participating in phone supervision, NASW guidelines for supervision and the benefits for supervision and consultation, and the future of phone supervision, including the emergence of webcam technologies. We end with an “off line” discussion about my experience conducting this interview over the phone.

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Today’s podcast is the first of a three part series on phone supervision. In parts one and two I speak with Simon Feuerman and Melissa Groman, licensed clinical social workers, clinical supervisors and consultants and founders of the The New Center for Advanced Psychotherapy Studies and The Good Practice Institute for Professional Psychotherapists. The New Center for Advanced Psychotherapy Studies was established in 2006 as a learning program for licensed clinicians from all training and theoretical backgrounds to learn together without geographic limitations. Simon and Melissa are two of a growing number of clinicians who use accessible and affordable telecommunications and internet technologies to eliminate traditional barriers to supervision, including geographical distance, time constraints, and lack of local clinical experts.

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In today’s podcast, I talk about some basic concepts in supervision. I define administrative, clinical and supportive supervision, talk about differential uses of supervision, including improvement of clinical services and issues of liability. I also address the ethical standards for social workers providing supervision. Like many of the Social Work Podcasts, much has been written about the topic of supervision – more than can be covered in this short podcast. If you are interested in learning more about supervision or becoming a supervisor, schools of social work like the University of Texas at Austin and Smith College School of Social Work have continuing education programs dedicated to training clinical supervisors. There are dozens of independent continuing education programs as well as books and articles on the topic. As always links to further readings and resources can be found at the Social Work Podcast website at socialworkpodcast.com. Today’s podcast on supervision addresses a topic that is relevant to social workers at all stages of their career. It also sets the stage for an upcoming three part series on phone supervision in which I’ll be talking, over the phone, with two clinical social workers who provide phone supervision and consultation. The final episode in the series is an interview with a social worker who received phone supervision towards an advanced license because the resources were not available locally.

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Today's podcast is the second in a two-part series on Clinical Hypnosis. According to the American Society for Clinical Hypnosis, hypnosis is a state of inner absorption, concentration and focused attention. Today I spoke with Dr. Elizabeth Winter about how and when to use clinical hypnosis. In the first episode, Dr. Winter and I spoke about the history of clinical hypnosis, key assumptions, goals, the client's role and types of problems that might be addressed with clinical hypnosis.

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Today's podcast is the first in a two-part series on Clinical Hypnosis. According to the American Society for Clinical Hypnosis, hypnosis is a state of inner absorption, concentration and focused attention. In today's podcast, I talked with Dr. Elizabeth Winter about the history of clinical hypnosis, key assumptions, goals, the client's role and types of problems that might be addressed with clinical hypnosis. In Part II, Dr. Winter and I talk about how and when to use clinical hypnosis.

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In today's podcast, I speak with Carol Anderson, who along with Gerry Hogarty, developed a family-based approach to working with people with schizophrenia called Family Psychoeducation. Family Psychoeducation is only one of a handful of treatments that has been empirically validated to improve the lives of people with serious mental illness. According to the American Psychiatric Association, when people with schizophrenia are involved in family psychoeducation while taking medication, there is a significant reduction in relapse and unemployment. In today's podcast, Carol describes the 5 stages of psychoeducation, distinguishes between psychoeducation and other forms of family therapy, provides some anecdotes about family psychoeducation treatment, and provides some information for people interested in learning how to do family psychoeducation.

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In today’s podcast, I speak with Sabrina Heller, a social worker in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania who has used Dialectical Behavior Therapy, (DBT) in a variety of clinical settings, including an inpatient eating disorders clinic and an outpatient substance abuse treatment program. In today's interview we spoke about the goal of DBT, clinical techniques, the role of the client and clinician, the skills training workshop, the three mind states: reasonable mind, emotion mind, and wise mind, and how Sabrina incorporates DBT into her work with clients.

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Sex addiction has been defined as "engaging in persistent and escalating patterns of sexual behavior despite increasingly negative consequences to self and others" (Ewald, 2003). In today's podcast I talked with Chris Wolf, a licensed marriage and family therapist and a certified sex addiction counselor. She received her masters in counseling psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, and trained with pioneering sex addictions researcher, Patrick Carnes. She currently works at Gateway Rehabilitation Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and has a private practice where she works with primarily with couples dealing with sex addiction. Our interview covered a broad range of topics, including how sex addiction is similar to and different from substance use addiction, common characteristics of sexually addicted clients, basic skills and competencies clinicians need when working with sexually addicted clients, and some resources for further study or learning.

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Today's interview with Dr. Edward Sites is the second in a two-part series on grant writing. In today's episode, I talk with Dr. Sites about the three sections most commonly found in grant applications - the narrative, the budget and the appendices. In the first episode, Dr. Sites talks about strategies for developing and writing a grant proposal. You can find the first part of the interview, as well as Dr. Site's thoughts on the role of women in the development of social work in the United States at the social work podcast website at social work podcast on LIFEATUNI.com.

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Today's interview with Dr. Edward Sites is the first in a two-part series on the basics of grant proposal writing. In today's episode, I talk with Dr. Sites about strategies for developing and writing a grant proposal. In the second episode, Dr. Sites goes into more detail about the three sections most commonly found in grant applications - the narrative, the budget and the appendices.

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In today's podcast, I speak with Dr. Lambert Maguire about social networks. Dr. Maguire discussed the development of his interest in the topic, as well as some historical context for understanding social networks. We discussed the theoretical assumptions and differential applications in research and clinical work. Dr. Maguire relates the traditional understanding of social networks to contemporary uses of "web 2.0" social networking sites such as MySpace.com. We end out interview with a description of how social networks can be conceptualized throughout the life span.

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July 11, 2007 - In this podcast, the last of four on pathological gambling, I speak with Jody Bechtold, LCSW about the process for becoming a nationally certified gambling addictions counselor. Jody compares the national certification process with the process to be designated as "competent" to treat pathological gambling in the state of Pennsylvania. If you are interested in becoming nationally certified, you might want to listen to the podcast a couple of times, as there are a number of steps in the process.

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June 5, 2007 - In today's podcast, the third of four on pathological gambling, Jody Bechtold, LCSW talks about two concepts that are central to understanding the thinking of the pathological gambler: Illusions of Control and Chance vs. Skill.

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May 28, 2007 - Today's podcast is the second in our four-part series on pathological gambling. I talk with Jody Bechtold, LCSW about treatment basics for clinicians who work with pathological gamblers. We'll start with a quick overview of crisis intervention and then move into some of the assumptions and techniques of the treatments with the most empirical support in the treatment of pathological gamblers - behavior and cognitive therapy. We end with a brief overview of some challenges that can arise during the treatment of pathological gambling.

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May 22, 2007 - Today's podcast is the first in our four-part series looking at the DSM diagnosis of pathological gambling. In today's podcast, Jody Bechtold, LCSW looks at what it is, what it is not, and what are the similarities and differences between pathological gambling and substance use disorders.

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April 19, 2007 - In today’s podcast, I talk with Dr. Edward Sites about women in social work. Dr. Sites gives us a historical perspective of the role of women who were born at or before 1900 in the development of social work as a profession in the United States.

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March 26, 2007 - In today’s podcast we will look at Reality Therapy, developed by Dr. William Glasser. We briefly review the assumptions of choice theory and how those assumptions are translated into Reality Therapy. The majority of today’s short podcast comes from the Gerald Corey text, Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy.

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March 19, 2007 - In today's podcast, we're going to talk about the therapies that take a cognitive-behavioral approach to working with people. I review the theoretical assumptions, therapeutic process, techniques, use in culturally competent practice, and strengths and limitations of CBT. This podcast is longer than most because I use a lot of clinical examples and dialogue to illustrate the concepts.

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March 15, 2007 - Today we’re going to be talking with Kya Conner about stigma. Kya is a doctoral candidate at the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work and a masters student in the School of Public Health. She is a Hartford Doctoral Fellow and a CSWE Minority Research Fellow. Kya is also a licensed social worker who maintains a part-time private practice. Her doctoral dissertation is called, Mental health treatment seeking among older adults with depression: The impact of stigma and race. In today’s interview, Kya defines stigma and discusses implications for research, direct practice and public health.

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March 12, 2007- In this lecture, I focus on the concepts of stimulus and response, rewards and punishments, and how these concepts make operant conditioning such a powerful approach to behavior change. Also in this lecture I touch on classical conditioning, social learning theory and cognitive behavior therapy. The role of the therapist, client, expectations for treatment, implications for multicultural treatment, and the strengths and limitations of the approach are covered.

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March 1, 2007 - In this podcast I cover the basics of problem definition, developing goals and measureable objectives as well as identifying interventions and strategies. The key to good treatment planning is making sure that there is a clear and logical relationship between your assessment, problem formulation, goals, objectives and interventions.

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February 26, 2007 - In today's lecture I will will focus on some of the key concepts of IPT, the role of the therapist and client, the structure and goals of IPT - specifically focusing on grief, interpersonal role dispute, role transition and interpersonal deficits, and some of the techniques used in IPT. I'll end with a brief discussion of the applications of IPT, its strengths and limitations.

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February 19, 2007 - Today we're going to talk about the Gestalt therapy, which is part of the existential-phenomenological tradition. The Gestalt approach can be best summed up by the phrase, “the most important moment in a persons life is right now.” Gestalt is an experiential therapy that uses experiments and specific techniques to bring the client into the here and now. Through the experience of the here and now, the client is able to make contact with their environment. Contact is a fleeting experience, but it is during contact that we are in the here and now, and thus are in the process of self-actualizing. During the process of self-actualization we are able to make changes. In today's lecture I will will focus on some of the key concepts of Gestalt, the role of the therapist, the client’s experience and some of the innovative techniques attributed to Gestalt therapy. I’ll end with a brief discussion of the applications of Gestalt, the contributions and limitations of the approach.

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February 12, 2007 - Today we're going to talk about Carl Rogers and his revolutionary approach to psychotherapy - Person-Centered Therapy. Next to Freud, no other therapist has influenced the practice of therapy more than Carl Rogers. The humanistic assumptions at the core of Person-Centered therapy stand in stark contrast to the problem-centered, expert-oriented approach of what was then the dominant model of psychotherapy - Freudian Psychoanalysis. Rogers gave us an equation that would forever change the concept of therapy...

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February 12, 2007 - In today's podcast, I talk about Existential therapy as an intellectual or philosophical approach to working with people. Although some authors have attempted to manualize Existential therapy (most recently Keshen, A. (2006). A new look at existential psychotherapy. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 60(3), 285-298), the existential approach is not known for specific techniques or procedures. Rather, its influence has been most notable in encouraging clinicians to focus on the ideas of freedom of choice, the responsibility that accompanies choice, and the notion that the inevitability of death is what gives life meaning.

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February 5, 2007 - In this lecture, I discuss key elements of Adler's Personal psychology and how this approach contrasts with Freud's theory. The contrast between Adler's and Freud's approaches can best be summed up in the quote "We are pulled by our goals, rather than pushed by our drives."

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February 5, 2007 - In this lecture, I discuss key elements of Freud's theory of personality and how that translated into his approach to therapy. The central goal of Freudian psychoanalysis is to make the unconscious conscious.

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January 29, 2007 - This is part two of a two-part series on Crisis Intervention. In this lecture, I discuss individual crisis intervention within the context of Roberts's Seven-Stage Model of Crisis Intervention, and the most popular group crisis intervention model currently in use, Critical Incident Stress Debriefing. The podcast ends with a detailed review of suicide assessment.

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January 29, 2007 - This is part one of a two-part series on Crisis Intervention. In this lecture, I provide a brief overview of the history of modern crisis intervention and crisis theory. I discuss two approaches to crisis assessment, Myer's Triage Assessment Model and the Dilation-Constriction Continuum model.

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January 22, 2007 - This is the second part of a two-part lecture on diagnosis and assessment. In the first episode I reviewed the history of the DSM and the multiaxial system. In this lecture, I discuss the Bio-psychosocial-spiritual (BPSS) assessment as the means for providing context for the client's presenting problems. I discuss the purpose of each of the four life domains and how the information is used in social work practice. Emphasis is placed on solution-focused approaches to assessment. I end with a brief description of traditional format for organizing observations about the client - the Mental Status Exam.

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January 22, 2007 - This is the first part of a two-part lecture on diagnosis and assessment. The Bio-psychosocial-spiritual (BPSS) assessment and the DSM diagnosis are the two most common types of assessments made by social workers. In this lecture, I briefly review the history of DSM diagnosis, from the creation of the first ICD in 1900 to the most recent text revision of the DSM-IV in 2000. I discuss the multiaxial system and provide examples. I transition from DSM diagnosis to the BPSS assessment by discussing the similarities and differences between the two assessments.

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