Freed, Anne O.

Anne O. Freed (1917–2012) is among the pioneers in clinical social work in the United States. She served as a clinician, administrator, researcher, lecturer, and mentor. She advanced clinical social work practice and furthered the awareness of mental health issues in geriatric practice. Anne introduced clinical social work to Bulgaria.

Neoliberalism in clinical social work practice: the benefits and limitations of embedded ideals of individualism and resiliency

Social workers either treat or refer clients to psychotherapies that reflect dominant societal beliefs with neoliberal underpinnings. Despite efforts to adapt treatments to different racial, ethnic and socio-economic groups, deeply embedded values of individuality and resilience remain in most mainstream psychotherapies. While the field is broad, encompassing hundreds of different therapies with various goals, deliveries and indicators of change, most modern treatments draw upon such ideas. Neoliberal values of free choice, creativity, self-expression and permission for people to shape themselves confer many benefits, but they also limit the conception and delivery of interventions, and contribute to inequality in service usage and outcomes. By critically analysing neoliberal cultural ideas of resiliency and individualism, and how they embed themselves in psychotherapeutic theories and practice, social workers may be able to create treatments that are more culturally competent and palatable to underserved populations and those suffering from the effects of structural inequities.

Contextualizing clinical social work practice with individuals, families, and groups in Northern British Columbia

Contextualizing clinical social work practice was the goal of the 450 practicum hours I completed at Walmsley and Validity Counselling Services. The practicum report starts with an overview of clinical social work practice and provides a detailed history of the practicum agency, services offered, and funding. In the following chapters, I explore and weave myself into the theoretical orientations that ground my practicum practice. Also, there is a salient review of literature necessary to contextualize clinical practice, especially in Northern British Columbia. From the practicum experience, I drew connections between the contextualization of clinical social work practice and key elements such as reflexivity, supervision, and training.