Social Work and Family Therapy: Interdisciplinary Roots of Family Intervention

Robert Constable

doi:10.18778/2450-4491.03.09

Authors

Robert Constable Loyola University Chicago, School of Social Work

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18778/2450-4491.03.09

Keywords:

social work, family therapy, family systemic therapy

Abstract

Social work practice takes place between persons in families and other social institutions, such as schools, health systems, welfare systems or courts. Drawing from multi-disciplinary theoretical sources, the article brings together social work and family therapy to develop a contemporary model of social work practice with families. There are five generic principles of family systemic practice: 1) persons are inherently relational; 2) families have resilient strengths; 3) family life cycles proceed systemically generating relational tasks for family members; 4) repetitive family interaction generates relational structures; 5) cultures, as perceived by family members, are themselves in dynamic motion, necessitating a transcultural understanding of family interaction.

Author Biography

Robert Constable, Loyola University Chicago, School of Social Work

DSW, Professor Emeritus of the Loyola University Chicago. He has practiced, taught and published extensively in social work with families and school social work. Recently: School Social Work: Practice, Policy and Research (2016, 8th ed.) and Social Work with Families: Content and Process (2015, 2nd ed.). From 1990 to 1997 he taught and consulted at Polish and Lithuanian universities.

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