Kontakt 2018, 20(3):e278-e286 | DOI: 10.1016/j.kontakt.2018.04.004

(Socio)therapy in social work - Ambiguous theoretical conceptSocial Sciences in Health - Review article

Beáta Balogová^*, Martin Hamadej, Lívia Pížová

Prešovská univerzita v Prešove, Filozofická fakulta, Inštitút edukológie a sociálnej práce, Prešov, Slovenská republika

To compile this paper we used the research technique of content analysis of text material. Relevant sources were found on the scientific databases (EBSCO, ProQuest, Pubmed, Science Direct, Scopus and the like; the authors analysed 45 foreign sources published from 2016 until the present day). The authors propose to offer a theoretical comparative synthesis (exploring sociotherapy in its totality and in terms of the interrelatedness of its particular segments) of sociotherapy definitions (in terms of social therapy in social work, social support, and social treatment) trying to determine some concrete aspects which point out to some commonalities or differences between these definitions. The basic methodological concept of comparative synthesis within the theoretical-methodological, legislative and territorial framework is defined by the following aspects (these were also used as keywords in the search boxes of the above-mentioned scientific databases): activation of the client's social potential, placing emphasis on the client's relationship to his or her environment, the client's environment itself, the client in his or her environment, and a therapeutic relationship. This issue presents a challenge for scholars in the field of social research and for the further professional practice.

Keywords: Theory; Therapy; Social work; Identity; Legitimacy of the profession

Received: October 31, 2017; Revised: March 7, 2018; Accepted: April 30, 2018; Published: October 12, 2018  Show citation