Traditionally, family physicians have been called on to handle the emotional problems of their patients. Their ability to address these concerns has been inconsistent. In hospital settings, where interdisciplinary teams are common, nonmedical professionals have been able to provide counseling services to patients. But this is a problem in private medical practices. This article presents a model for collaboration between family medical and clinical social work practice and describes a holistic approach for primary care practice.

This article applies the theory of self-psychology, developed initially by Heinz Kohut and more recently adapted to brief treatment and counseling the mother of an individual who underwent male to female sex reassignment surgery. It includes a brief summary of transgenderism and of self-psychology as a theoretical framework with specific focus on the self-objea matrix as the therapeutic vehicle for change. The article illustrates the stages of treatment in a detailed case discussion that also raises concerns about how cultural gender bias contributes to shame and stigmatization.

No abstract

No abstract

This paper explores psychotherapy between a North American female social worker and a Vietnamese adolescent. Self psychological and constructivist framework s are integrated to accommodate clinical work with a client from a different culture. Clinical case material illustrates the multifaceted nature of cross-cultural therap y.