top of page
Dr. Uri Shefer Shalev
Psychological Counseling
The Psychosocial Therapy Approach (Woods & Hollis, 2000; Woods & Robinson, 1996)
The psychosocial approach is a therapeutic method which focuses on the encounter between an individual and the environment in which he/she operates. This approach is concerned with creating and uncovering resources within the individual, with the goal of helping the individual reach a functioning level that is more satisfactory and complete.
Premises of the Psychosocial Approach:
-
Each individual has the capacity to grow, learn and adapt, and to change their social and physical environment.
-
An emphatic relationship with the therapist can facilitate in detecting and developing an individual’s strengths, creativity and resilience.
-
Significant thoughts and emotions are stored in an individual’s subconscious and an individual’s personality is a dynamic and flexible system of strengths, which influence his/her behavior.
The Goals of Therapy According to the Psychosocial Approach
-
Reducing distress experienced by the individual.
-
Enhancing the individual’s personal well-being.
-
Recognizing and marking problem areas and the actions that are needed in order to change the situation.
-
Identifying coping resources, strengths and capacities inherent within the individual for coping with the problem at hand.
-
Creating optimal compatibility between the individual and his/her physical and social environment.
Intervention Methods of the Psychosocial Approach:
-
Focusing on the “here and now”: examining the individual’s behavior, emotions and thoughts in the context of the problem being coped with, while utilizing the relationship with the therapist as a touchstone.
-
Observation of dynamic patterns: identifying beliefs, thinking patterns and emotions which have become engrained in the individual and that may influence the problem.
-
Developmental observation: reference to the individual’s family of origin and to early experiences which influence the personality and the current functioning of the individual.
References:
Woods, M.E., & Hollis, F. (2000). Casework: A psychosocial therapy (5th ed.). Boston: McGraw Hill.
bottom of page