The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

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   Number 1: 2: Bio-psychosocial-spiritual Assessment and Mental Status Exam for Social Workers

   Episode 2: 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.

   January 22, 2007·18min
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   Number 2: 54: Psychoanalytic Treatment in Contemporary Social Work Practice: An Interview with Dr. Carol Tosone

   Episode 54: Today's podcast, Psychoanalytic Treatment in Contemporary Social Work Practice: An Interview with Dr. Carol Tosone, addresses two questions: First, is psychodynamic treatment relevant in contemporary social work practice? In other words, does it meet the needs of the clients, the agencies, and the funding sources? Second, has clinical social work abandoned social work's historical commitment to advocating for social change? I think they are questions worth thinking about. Ask any social work student today what the organizing framework for social work practice is, they won't say, "psychodynamic theory." They'll likely say "the strengths perspective," or "ecological systems theory." When my students do research papers on the best approaches to addressing mental health problems, they usually write about cognitive and behavioral treatments, perhaps because the evidence-base is dominated by studies of cognitive and behavioral approaches. When I ask my students what theoretical perspectives seem to be most consistent with their values and perspectives, they usually say "CBT" or "solution-focused." I usually only have one or two students who take a psychodynamic perspective. My students are usually surprised to hear that in the early 20th century, the social work profession adopted Freudian psychoanalysis as the organizing framework for providing direct services to clients. Social work pioneers such as Mary Richmond were psychoanalytic social workers. The dominance of psychodynamic treatment continued for decades. Even during the 1960s and 70s, when social work returned to its community organizing roots and mezzo and macro level changes were seen as the best way to improve clients' lives, most direct practice social workers identified as psychodynamic. For example, in 1982, a national study reported that even though most clinical social workers were eclectic in their practice, their preferred theoretical orientation was psychoanalytic (Jayaratne, 1982). Fast forward to 2009. Psychoanalytic treatment is widely dismissed as being patriarchal, oppressive, and out-of-touch with the needs and realities of social work clients. Insurance companies are requiring that clinicians use treatments that are short-term, empirically validated, and cost-effective. Agencies are increasingly requiring clinical staff to use prescribed treatments. Clinical social work education has moved towards teaching evidence-based practice, and learning about treatments with a cognitive behavioral, rather than psychodynamic basis. So, if students seem to prefer non-psychodynamic theories, agencies and insurance companies are mandating the use of non-psychodynamic treatments, and an increasing number of schools of social work are teaching cognitive and behavior-based evidence-based treatments, what place does psychodynamic treatment have in contemporary social work practice? Well, in order to answer some of these questions, I spoke with Dr. Carol Tosone about contemporary psychoanalytic treatment. Dr. Tosone completed her psychoanalytic training at the Postgraduate Center for Mental Health, where she was the recipient of the Postgraduate Memorial Award. She is an Associate Professor at the Silver School of Social Work at New York University, the recipient of the NYU Distinguished Teaching Award and is a Distinguished Scholar in Social Work in the National Academies of Practice in Washington, D.C. In 2007, Dr. Tosone was selected for a Fulbright Senior Specialist Award for teaching and research at the Hanoi University of Education in Vietnam. She is the editor-in-chief of the Clinical Social Work Journal, and the executive producer and writer of four social work education videos. And she is an expert in shared trauma, which is when a client and therapist experience the same traumatic event. In today's podcast, Carol and I talked about what distinguishes contemporary dynamic treatment from traditional psychoanalysis, the role of attachment theory in contemporary dynamic treatment, how talk therapy changes the way the brain processes information, and how brief dynamic treatment can be used in typical social work agency settings. Carol emphasized that contemporary psychoanalytic treatment and concrete services, such as case management, referral, or advocacy work, are not mutually exclusive. She shared how she came to see herself as a social worker first and an analyst second. We ended our conversation with information about resources for social workers in school and in the field who might be interested in learning more about contemporary dynamic treatment. Carol suggested that the best resource social workers have is other social workers and encouraged clinical social workers to write more and share their insights and experiences. I recorded today's interview at the University of Texas at Austin's school of social work. Carol was at UT to give the inaugural Sue Fairbanks Lecture in Psychoanalytic Knowledge. I want to thank the Sue Fairbanks lecture organizing committee, particularly Vicki Packheiser, for helping to coordinate the interview with Carol. You might hear the sound of children playing in the background - Carol and I spoke in an office right above a daycare center.

   December 14, 2009·38min
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   Number 3: 149: Getting the Social Work Job You Want: Interview with Jennifer Luna, Michelle Woods, and Cindy Snell

   Episode 149: In today’s episode of the Social Work Podcast, I spoke with Jennifer Luna, Michelle Woods, and Cindy Snell - co-authors of the NASW Press book The Social Work Career Guidebook: How to Land Your Ideal Job and Build a Legacy. We spoke about the arc of the social work career. Jennifer shared tips for getting a job. Then Michelle talked about how to prepare for and negotiate after getting a job offer. And Cindy told stories about once you’ve been in a job for a while how to find a new job or change your focus, say from micro to macro social work. We ended with Jennifer talking about branding in social work. You can read a transcript of today's interview at https://socialworkpodcast.blogspot.com/2025/12/career.html. You can connect with other social workers at the Social Work Podcast Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/swpodcast, or follow the Bluesky feed at https://jbsinger.bsky.social.

   December 19, 2025·36min
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   Number 4: 148: Psychodynamic Theory and Human Development: Interview with Dr. Terry Northcut

   Episode 148: In today's episode of the Social Work Podcast, I spoke with Dr. Terry Northcut, Lucian and Carol Welch Matusak Endowed Professor at Loyola University Chicago's School of Social Work about psychodynamic theory as a framework for understanding human development. She talks about how psychodynamic theory offers conceptual scaffolding for understanding our internal worlds and how early experiences continue to leave a lasting imprint. You'll learn about the epigenetic principle, how repeated interactions, particularly in childhood, generalize into "working models" or "templates" that then play out in all our relationships. We talk about how psychodynamic theory recognizes developmental deficits and how it is strength-based. Along the way, Dr. Northcut acknowledges the role of attachment, trauma, and the importance of neurobiology (the focus of Episode 147 with our Loyola University Chicago colleague, Dr. Jim Marley). You can read a transcript of today's interview at https://socialworkpodcast.blogspot.com/2025/08/Northcut.html. You can connect with other social workers at the Social Work Podcast Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/swpodcast, or follow the Bluesky feed at https://jbsinger.bsky.social.

   August 17, 2025·43min
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   Number 5: 147: Neurobiology for Social Work: Interview with James Marley, Ph.D.

   Episode 147: In today's episode of the Social Work Podcast is about a topic that's often glossed over in social work education: neurobiology and the brain. I spoke with Loyola University Chicago School of Social Work associate professor James Marley, Ph.D. In today’s interview, we talk about how trauma literally writes itself into the brain; why understanding neuroplasticity gives hope to clients who feel stuck; the importance of being a critical consumer of neuroscience headlines—because clients read them too; and how social workers—often the first to hear about new symptoms or med side effects—can respond with confidence and compassion. We also get into brain basics: structures like the prefrontal cortex and limbic system, neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, and how meds like SSRIs trick the brain into adjusting. We talk about how social workers can talk about the medical side of medication without talking beyond our training, including the neurobiology of side effects, withdrawal, and why you shouldn’t go cold turkey off your meds. If you’ve ever felt underprepared to talk about the brain—or wondered why it matters for your practice—this episode is for you. You can read a transcript of today's interview at https://socialworkpodcast.blogspot.com/2025/07/neurobiology.html. You can connect with other social workers at the Social Work Podcast Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/swpodcast, or follow the Bluesky feed at https://jbsinger.bsky.social.

   July 28, 2025·46min
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