This response paper is based on two professional interviews with a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) who works in the school environment named Eva Payano-Veras. The other one is a clinical psychologist working as a licensed professional counselor at a hospital named Kirby Hollingsworth and has worked in the hospital environment for over five years. Both interviews were conducted in a person to person interviews, and the interviewees were selected through personal association and word of mouth. There is a difference in how LCSW and clinical psychologists conduct their treatment, which might be credited to variations in their training and other factors.
Similarities in Treatment Approaches
There are many similarities in the treatment approaches offered by clinical social workers and clinical psychologists because they inherently work in the same field. First, both clinical psychologists and LCSWs are subject to high standards of ethical behavior, as well as confidentially of patient information (Wood & Tarrier, 2010). Both, Eva and Kirby were keen to avoid using any of their patients’ names during the interviews. LCSWs and clinical psychologists both use research-based methods in providing treatment to their clients.
Differences in Treatment Approaches
Treatment approaches between clinical psychologists and clinical social workers might differ for various reasons. The LCSW uses a research-based approach to treating patients; this entails basing treatment on previous social work research that has presented positive results (Burger, 2013). Eva as a clinical social worker often bases her decisions on treatment, upon recent clinical research in the field of social work. In contrast, clinical psychologists base their treatment decisions on the psychological behavioral approach. Kirby's approach to treating clients is based on current research based on the psychological, behavioral field. Clinical psychologists are more focused on scientific and research methods in comparison to the counterparts, which make them more qualified to undertake psychological testing on patients than LCSWs. In some states, clinical psychologists are allowed to prescribe medication to a client which is not the case for LCSWs. The issue of prescribing medication presents a legal and ethical challenge to clinical psychologists such as Kirby who are often faced with patients who seek prescriptions for certain drugs due to their addictions to these drugs.
Therapy approaches also vary between clinical psychologists and clinical social workers. The type of therapy that clinical social workers use is mainly strength based (Burger, 2013). It means that the therapy and the patient work together to determine the strong skills that the patient possesses and use these as an avenue to deal with issues challenging the patient. Similarly, Eva who works at a school often relies on this method to help the students who seek therapy in times of difficulty. She helps such students to focus on their natural strengths, such as athletic talents and social skills to help them face challenging decisions. The framework she employs comparable to that of another LCSWs is a holistic one that assesses not only the student's psychological or emotional makeup but also takes into account external factors. LCSWs also help their clients in improving their social productivity by affording them some necessities such as employment.
Conclusion
In summary, clinical psychologists and clinical social workers often conduct related tasks of diagnosing and treating emotional, behavioral, and mental disorders in patients. However, differences in their treatment approaches arise due to the amount of training and other factors. Clinical psychologists like Kirby are however more equipped to psychologically test and treat their patients than LCSWs like Eva. LCSWs also rely on external factors, such as the society in treating patients, as well as offer them social support in the form of employment and housing. Both Kirby and Eva believe that effective communication skills and social skills are useful for an aspiring professional.
Reference
Burger, J. M. (2013). Desire for control: Personality, social and clinical perspectives. Springer Science & Business Media.
Wood, A. M., & Tarrier, N. (2010). Positive clinical psychology: A new vision and strategy for integrated research and practice. Clinical psychology review, 30(7), 819-829.
