Social Work Therapy and Psychiatric Psychotherapy

A critical look at professional education in the mental health field.

“…Psychiatric caseworkers and lay analysts have remained largely aloof from this argument, at least in print. Caseworkers have been beset with the most acute problems of professional identity: With rare exceptions, they lack the magic degree which enables one to be called "Doctor"; they frequently approach the issue with an air of diffidence and conciliation and become involved in apologetic and largely unsuccessful attempts to differentiate their practice of office "casework" from "psychotherapy" so that no one will be angry with them (Grinker et al, 1961;Hollis, 1964;Josselyn, 1.948;Kaplan, 1963). Lay analysts consider themselves strictly "psychoanalysts"; they stem directly from a European tradition and, because of the official position of the American Psychoanalytic Association, sec themselves as a dying breed for whom there is no longer any point in fighting.…”