Integrative Clinical Social Work Practice

Alexithymia, Affect Regulation, and Binge Drinking in College Students

“…Believing that her eating symptoms were partly adaptive while also creating problems (Barth, 2014) and that the denial and resistance in regard to family dynamics were probably an attempt to protect a needed bond with idealized parents and a somewhat fragile, grandiose self-image (Barth, 2003(Barth, , 2008Bacal & Herzog, 2003;Kohut, 1977), I did not try early in treatment to break through her resistance or confront her rejection of interventions. Like numerous other authors (e.g., Connors, 2006;Frank, 1999;Siegel, 1999;Wachtel, 1997Wachtel, , 2008, I employ an integrative approach in such circumstances.…”

“…Like numerous other authors (e.g., Connors, 2006;Frank, 1999;Siegel, 1999;Wachtel, 1997Wachtel, , 2008, I employ an integrative approach in such circumstances. With many clients who resort to behavioral actions such as binge eating or excessive exercise for affect-regulation, it is useful to integrate other self-soothing techniques (e.g., warm showers, calling a friend, taking a walk, listening to music, withdrawing from a situation) with insight-oriented discussions (Barth, 2014;Chapman & Linehan, 2005;Hayes, Strosahl, & Wilson, 1999). But as I worked with Andrea on recognizing triggers and managing feelings, I discovered that she often had no idea what she had been feeling before she began a binge.…”

“…Elsewhere (Barth, 1998(Barth, , 2014, I have discussed the importance of gathering information about the apparently insignificant details of a client's daily life as part of any ongoing psychotherapy. With college students, who often partialize and compartmentalize different aspects of their lives, this variation on Sullivan's (1953) "detailed inquiry" can be a tool for learning not only about unarticulated psychodynamic material, but also about other symptoms and problem areas.…”

Common Factors as a Road Map to MFT Model Integration: Implications for Training Therapists

“…Many theorists argue that therapy is more complex than the application of a model to a presenting problem. The majority of therapists report using an integrative or eclectic approach (Norcross and Newman 1992;Davis et al 2011;Norcross and Goldfried 2005;Barth 2014; Woolfe and Palmer 2000). Integrative approaches draw from a broad theoretical basis, and are flexible enough to account for a wide range of human behavior (Lebow 1987).…”

Psychoanalytic Contributions to the Understanding of Vulnerable Populations: A Case Illustration

“…Others (Berzof 2012), through narrative case accounts with traditional social work populations, demonstrate the unique contributions that a psychoanalytic understanding can bring to complex, multidimensional problem situations. Some might characterize this as a science versus art approach to clinical practice, although an integrative perspective is gaining in ascendency (Barth 2014) whereby competing perspectives are considered purposely and in tandem.…”