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SPOKEN WORD
“ As social workers, we are
artists. We have the power to utilize our collective and creative voices to heal individuals, groups, communities and ultimately, the planet.” —NICHOLE WOFFORD, PH.D. ’19, from 2019 commencement Ph.D. address
Through a Wider Lens Psychodynamic theory keeps clinicians on track At SSW, Tara Bredesen, M.S.W. ’18, became keenly interested in how psychodynamic theory can “speak to social problems like racism.” Her scholarship in that area led her to join a panel of presenters at the APA Division 39 spring meeting in 2019 on “Trauma and Undocumented Migration: Psychoanalytic Experiences with a Contemporary Crisis.” As a Bay Area clinician, Bredesen works with children and their care givers. Her agency emphasizes several less psychodynamic approaches but she views all models with a psychodynamic lens. “I think behavioral models can be too narrow for young children,” said Bredensen, “they may not take into account the environmental piece, and they put responsibility for change on the kid. It can too quickly become a punitive framework.” In her sessions, Bredesen encourages exploration of deep feelings, fantasies and memories and looks to unpack symbolic language. Bredesen speaks enthusiastically about her work, despite the fact that many of her clients can’t escape ongoing traumatic situations. “When I get discouraged, I remind myself that children are always healing, that trauma gets metabolized, and what I have to do is help them do that.” Like Bredesen, Jixia Ao, M.S.W. ’18, presented at last year’s APA Division 39 meeting, on “Queer and Gender-Expansive Clinicians of Color Talk Psychoanalysis: A Dialogue Across Difference.” Ao also believes psychodynamic training imparts important tools—and a more inclusive perspective. “I pay close attention to relationship dynamics, to transference and counter-transference. I work with homeless youth, and there are a lot of scheduling problems. It’s frustrating, unsettling, unpredictable. By recognizing how it makes me feel, I gain insight into how their lives feel.” Summing up, Ao said, “I’m very glad I learned psychodynamic theory, but it needs to do better in engaging with social realities, to be less focused on the single family unit. It has the potential to widen your lens, to take into account power, oppression and privilege and consider the effects of class, gender, race, disability. Talking about race and other ‘isms’ is not only relevant but also essential to developing useful, insightful and powerful theory and practice.”—Faye Wolfe
PROFESSIONAL ED CORNER Webinars bring CE choices to your desk SSW Professional Education now offers a series of inspiring and lively webinars on pressing contemporary issues that are grounded in the School’s commitment both to clinical practice and anti-racism. Topics range from supporting trans-identified individuals, cultural considerations in improving end of life care to changing the narrative around suicidality. Offering education on contemporary social work issues “helps people expand skills into new areas,” said Mary Curtin, M.S.W. ’00, manager of SSW Professional Education. One recent webinar on how to conduct social work assessments for immigrants seeking asylum offered “a tangible way that social workers could get involved and help people try to stay in this country,” said Curtin. And the webinars are easy to access, too. Typically held during the noon lunch hour, clinicians can earn a 1.5 CEs without leaving their desks. For clinicians who can’t attend the live session, webinars are recorded so they can be watched after the fact. “I’m also always looking for new webinar proposals,” said Curtin. “We select topics from those identified in last year’s alumni survey but new ideas are always welcome.” For clinicians interested in offering a webinar, visit ssw.smith.edu/submitaproposal
ssw.smith.edu/ onlinecourses
Many of our Professional Education webinars are available on-demand. Visit our website to learn about which past courses are available and watch them on your schedule! Most range from $25 to $35 and CEs are available.
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