ABSTRACT
Social workers can enhance their own practice and contribute to the profession's knowledge base by using multiple theories and by engaging in theoretical integration. Theoretical integration refers to attempts, however piecemeal, to transform multiple theoretical frameworks into a unified framework. The Transtheoretical Model of Change (TTM) developed by Prochaska and DiClemente is a very popular and well-researched approach to theoretical integration used in many fields of practice. Theoretical integrationists have generated lists of factors common to practice theories. The assimilative integration of theoretical approaches requires the creation of a new superordinate or overarching conceptual framework into which other theories will fit. The umbrella conceptualization integrates and organizes many theories and capitalizes on the strengths of all the theoretical elements assimilated into the larger framework. The client-directed approach to theoretical integration is the newest addition to this field.
