Editor's Introduction

The historical relationship between clinical social work and psychoanalysis is both fascinating and exceedingly complex. Classical psychoanalytic theory and, later, ego psychology stood in relation to social work theory and practice in much the same way that the theory of relativity has stood in relation to modern day theoretical physics. In each example, the introduction of a new and radical theory has had far-reaching ramifications for the existing framework of knowledge. (Psychoanalytic theory, of course, is not a unified body of knowledge, but is in reality, composed of multiple theories of development, psychopathology, and clinical method and technique.) To be certain, clinical social work has had many other important theoretical referents outside of psychoanalytic theory, although perhaps none has exerted as pervasive an influence on the shape of clinical practice.

Unfortunately, we have observed a gradual erosion of this influence as it is reflected in the clinical curricula in our graduate programs. There has been an assiduous effort to incorporate and integrate family systems theory, cognitive-behavioral theory, and an impressive array of other theoretical systems, techniques, and clinical approaches within the clinical social work curriculum. Unfortunately, this has all too often meant that students are not provided with any sort of meaningful introduction or exposure to psychoanalytic