Essays in Holistic Social Work Practice: The Need for an Interdisciplinary Approach

With the second half of the twentieth century seeing a number of conceptual and methodological changes in the field of social service, an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach has the potential to unify the variety of fragmented approaches and commitments that remained in the wake of this change. Pursuing a holistic, interdisciplinary approach to therapeutic change in diverse practices and settings-from school or community-based facilities to geriatric settings-can provide a fresh and comprehensive set of concepts and models for treatment that transcend the personal encounters of worker and client. In Essays in Holistic Social Work Practice, author Dr. Allan S. Mohl, PhD, LCSW, shares his experiences during the late sixties and early eighties to help reveal the necessity of utilizing various disciplines within agencies in order to bring about effective changes within individuals and communities. With over fifty years of psychotherapy and social service experience, Mohl has a broad perspective on and understanding of what it is like to be involved in diverse school and other community settings-being involved in antipoverty programs, social work supervision and direction, the development of stimuli therapy programs for geriatric patients, and anticruelty and incest treatment for children and families. The more open social workers are to understanding and embracing a client's entire personal, social, cultural, and institutional field, the more open are the possibilities for intervention and treatment. And with holistic social work practice, social work practitioners can better confront their client's complex reality and embrace the need for professional accountability and improvement.