Integrating Psychodrama and Systemic Constellation Work – An Interview with Karen Carnabucci

“Psychodrama and systemic constellation work – sometimes called family constellation work – look very similar yet have some specific differences. Psychodrama explores the conscious story that we tell ourselves about what has happened in our lives or what we wish would have happened. Constellation work goes deeper, delving into the distorted unconscious energies in the family system and allows love to flow more fully through the system. Because we may have various levels of consciousness about various parts of our lives and the lives of our family members, it’s helpful to be able to choose different methods for different situations.”

Social Work Under Pressure – Fighting Monsters Blogger interviews JKP author Kate van Heugten

“It is possible that social workers may be somewhat more prone to stress and burnout because their relationship with clients is so central to their work. Their work efforts revolve around empathy and understanding of service users’ situations and this can be draining. They may not have been assisted to know how to handle this inherent stress in their training, and they may not be aware that setting boundaries is critical to self-care.”

Understanding Crisis Therapies – An Interview with Dr Hilda Loughran

“I’d like to think that balancing the individual and social approaches to crisis does offer something special at a time when people may be so burdened by stressful/crisis situations that they may take too much on themselves. This book really emphasises the idea that crises happen in a social context, that social supports can mitigate the devastating effects of a traumatic event and that a lack of social support can make even a simple problem seem insurmountable.”

“Dancing at the crossroads and playing on the battlefields” – An Interview Stephen Levine and Ellen Levine, authors of Art in Action

“To focus on conflict usually means that individuals and groups get stuck in polarizing positions and are unable to see alternatives. Art-making, within an expressive arts framework, ‘decenters’ from the usual perspective and opens up new possibilities. It also makes us aware of resources that we might have otherwise overlooked in our focus on our difficulties.”

Understanding and Working with Parents of Children in Long-Term Foster Care – An Interview with Gillian Schofield and Emma Ward

“Parents felt that, with a few exceptions, social workers did not and could not understand what it was like for them as parents of children growing up in care. There was stigma to bear as well as the emotional loss. In contrast, social workers talked of being aware of the parents’ distress and loss, but often not having the time to see parents, because they were focussing on work with and for the child, or simply not knowing how to help parents.”