Revisiting the Use of Self: Questioning Professional Identities

In recent years, several developments have stimulated new ways of thinking about the social worker's "self" or "selves" in all aspects of practice. The focus on practice with diverse populations, and the emphasis on "anti-oppressive" practice have highlighted elements of the relationship between social worker and client.

The objective of this book is threefold:

1. 1. Offer the reader a historical/developmental overview of the concept of "use of self" and critically explore its adequacy for contemporary ethical practice.
2. 2. Provide the reader with first-person, practitioners' accounts of their own "use of self" in examples of reflective practice approaches.
3. 3. Broaden the scope of the concept of critical "use of self" to fields of service where it is under-theorized in, for example, community work and corrections.

Deena Mandell is Associate Professor, Faculty of Social Work, at Wilfrid Laurier University.