ABSTRACT
In this chapter, Malcolm Payne discusses how the skills and understanding deriving from psychodynamic theory can be of value in a variety of social work contexts. He provides a clear account of how ideas originating from Freud have been developed and used extensively within a social work context. Payne proposes that psychodynamic thought still has a role to play in informing practice, as it casts light on complex psychological processes that can be highly significant in terms of how people react to their day-to-day challenges and problems. Psychodynamic processes play a key part in shaping thoughts, emotional responses and behavior. While these ideas are widely used in counseling and psychotherapy, this chapter presents them as also useful in social work more broadly defined, in so far as it locates individuals within a wider set of social relationships.
