Counseling and Social Work Key Terms

Understand the key terms of counseling and social work professionals

Counseling and social work terms can be quite confusing even if you're a professional in the field. Aside from differentiating between disorders, you have to know what types of therapies are available for your clients and lingo that other professionals might use. This will allow you to better help your patients as well as communicate with other therapists. Attaining these goals will help you build a successful and long-lasting practice.

 

Affective disorders

Also known as mood disorders, these greatly affect a person's mood, making them seem depressed, agitated or even euphoric. Bipolar and cyclothymic sufferers may switch back and forth between these types of moods. Other common affective disorders include major depressive disorder (MDD) and seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Mental illnesses like these are classified as "Axis I" in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).
Try: The University of Texas Harris County Psychiatric Center at Houston provides some information on several mood disorders. You can find diagnostic criteria for quite a few Axis I disorders at CounsellingResource.com.

Personality disorders

Counselors and social workers often see people with personality disorders. These disorders are pervasive and highly ingrained; they make up the illnesses that are categorized as "Axis II" disorders in the DSM. The three main categories of these illnesses are known as Clusters A (odd), B (dramatic) and C (anxious).
Try: Mental Health America reviews how to diagnosis personality disorders, the details of each and how to treat them.

Psychosis

Psychotic features are prevalent with both affective disorders and personality disorders. These include auditory and sometimes visual hallucinations, as well as delusions. Medication is the usual course of treatment for those with disorders that include psychosis; hospitalization may be necessary to treat temporary psychotic episodes.
Try: Learn more about psychosis, including positive and negative features, at Early Assessment & Support Team.

Cognitive-behavior therapy

Cognitive-behavior therapy, or CBT, is actually the term for a subset of psychological therapies that involves helping patients to understand the link between their thoughts (cognition) and their behavior. These goal-oriented therapies are relatively short-term and can be effective for almost any psychological disorder.
Try: The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies offers a variety of resources regarding CBT for professionals, including continuing education.

Evidence-based practices

Evidence can prove convincing to all parties involved when faced with a tough counseling or social work case. Any evidence the professional has can be used to show why a certain course of action was chosen. Evidence in the psychological fields includes findings from actual cases and from experts. The entire system is built upon these empirical findings.
Try: The Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration has provided a helpful guide for those just getting started in the fields of counseling or social work.

Co-morbidity

Unfortunately, counselors and social workers see a lot of patients who have co-occurring disorders. When illnesses exist together, it's known as co-morbidity.
Try: To find out a bit more about co-morbidity in patients with ADHD, check out Northern County Psychiatric Associates.

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