Social Work Theories and Practice: A Case Study of Leah Smith

This case study explores the application of social work theories and practice to address the challenges faced by Leah Smith. The report presents a holistic view of Leah's problems, followed by the practice theories that would help her overcome her challenges. The report also explains the reasons for practice theories that are selected and the relevance of the practices.

Running head: CASE STUDY
CASE STUDY
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

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Introduction:
Social work theories are the explanations of certain human behaviour supported by
evidence. Scientific methods support the theories used to justify the situations or human behavior
(Greene, 2017). The theories may help in explaining human’s way of interacting with people or
reacting in situations (Hepworth et al. 2016). Leah Smith is 33 years old is currently faced with
specific challenges in her life. She has visited ABC Center for help on her problems. The report
aims to identify Leah’s issues and provide practice theories for her problems. Firstly, the report
presents the holistic view of Leah’s problems followed by the reasons. Secondly, it gives the
practice theories that would help each overcome her challenges. The report also explains the
reasons for practice theories that are selected and the relevance of the practices. Lastly, while
summarising the report, it provides the outcome or the impact of the practice theories on Leah.
Overview of the case study:
Leah is unhappy and dissatisfied with her life. She want to seek help for the issues she is
facing and want to leave her current abode however she does not have any place to go. There is
information she has provided regarding herself. Physically she is perfectly fine, and she is taking
birth control pills. Hair fall issue and the irregular is her only physical problem. She is an
occasional drinker. She has a full-time secure job, and it is only her workplace where she feels
happy about herself. She often beat herself for unmet deadlines and accomplished tasks. Leah is
emotionally uncertain and feels low of herself. It is hard for her to stand for herself and she is all
the time stressed. ‘A terrible mother’ is what she calls herself when she speaks about her
children. Although she loves them and wishes to show them, she is only resentful toward them.
She has grown up with working-class neighbour where women are mostly the victim of domestic

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violence. She has faced the same problem as well. Even in her own house, she has seen her
father having the accessing the man control over the family, and her mother hardly had any place
to go. She loves her brother immensely and feels proud of him too.
She is unhappy with her marriage where in a month she is hit by her husband, John at
least thrice. She cannot share her problems with anyone since she has a distant relationship with
her parents and there is no mention of friends by her. John has grown up in a foster home, and it
was in the high school where they met. Leah was not in deep love with John then, and she calls it
a good reason as it would not be a problem for her to leave her husband if she has to. John is a
carpenter with no stable income. There is very less communication between Leah with her
husband and children which makes her upset however she cannot help it fir her irksome nature.
At present, she does not see any source of motivation. Spiritual or religious is not her
traits. She is a Catholic however, she likes to believe herself as an open-minded person who
loves making friends with people from different cultural background. She is hardworking and a
talkative person, however, there is a barrier to the service that would be provided by ABC centre
of help such as Leah’s indecisive nature and her unclear decision regarding her marriage.
Identification and description of the practice:
According to Jorgensen (2015), understanding human behaviour and psychological
practices are significant for every social worker. It is essential for the fact that it can help people
succeeding in their life. There are various social work theories social workers use to assist people
with their issues and behaviour problems. There are five practice theories that social workers
should become familiar.

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Psychosocial theory: Posited by Erik Erikson in the year 1959 was undoubtedly drawn from
Sigmund Freud’s early works. It is a theory that aims at the ways individuals have shaped
themselves intentionally or unintentionally and react to their social environment (McLeod,
2013). According to this theory, people grow and evolve with their different experiences and
crisis situations throughout their life. People form their perspectives through experiences they go
through. In the similar way, this theory helps social workers to decide the service they would
provide Leah.
Psychodynamic Theory: This theory began by Freud and continued by Erikson and other. This
theory understands the reasons for the way human behave. It uses scientific methods to
determine existing casual relationships among people (Capps, 2015). Through this process,
social workers understand the relationship between the person and its environment. The theory
focuses primarily on id, the ego and the superego. The unconscious minds conflict constantly and
it is crucial for social workers to know that these conflicts guide human behaviours.
Transpersonal Theory: the theory was pioneered by Carl Jung which uses positive influences,
not the diseased human psyche as a model for the realisation of human potential (Rosselli &
Vanni, 2014). The theory mainly applies artists, heroes, saints and similar figures as people have
strong egos identities and it is used by social workers to understand people. To help people
develop strong ego identity is the motive of the theory. It is a spiritual as well as psychological
and can help the client overcome adversity and develop good habits.
Social Cognitive Theory: Albert Bandura building upon B.F. Skinner’s behavioural theories is
the social learning theory. The theory focuses solely on the observation of individuals. It is found
that people tend to repeat the actions that are observed by them in their environment
(Zimmerman, 2013). Therefore, focusing on Leah’s environment will give the social worker the

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understanding of the her certain behaviour. People can adapt to good practice as well as the bad
acts which are the reason for people’s pleasant behaviour as well as unpleasant behaviour.
Systems Theory: According to system theory, a person’s behaviour can be shaped by various
factors such as parents, family, friends and neighbourhood. A person’s way of thinking can be
influenced by the factors mentioned (Prochaska, 2013). Finding the correct or missing part of the
system can explain a lot regarding an individual’s behaviour. Therefore, considering this theory,
in the case of Leah by social workers must observe and analyses all of the systems around her.
This may involve forming a positive role model and therapy sessions to help the client establish a
better system.
Application of the practice theory
In this particular case, to Leah’s problem, a combined approach will be most suitable. A
combination of psychosocial theory, psychodynamic Theory and Systems Theory would be
appropriate. Leah’s experience through which she evolved seemed unpleasant which makes her
believe that her life is filled with unhappiness. The way she reacts is guided by few of the
experiences she has in her past such as seeing her father dominate the house. However, she was
able to interact with other people in her universities and in her workplace which have given her
more perspective about life. She was brought up in a neighbourhood where domestic violence
was common although she feels exposure to the outer world have taught her that it is wrong. She
is a pessimist person for there are unachieved goals in her life. While growing up she is faced
with experiences that have made her doubtful regarding her capabilities, and that is the reason
she is hard on herself and feels grateful when she achieves any goal. She has not been in deep
love with her husband while she was getting in a relationship with him that makes her feel bitter
in a certain way. Her stress is the cause for her fitful sleep and feeling exhausted while waking

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up as she is in constant conflict in her mind regarding her decisions she has made in her life and
she will make in future.
There are some strategies that can be helpful in this present case study. With all the issues and
behavioural changes of Leah, there can be various suggestions for improvement. There is a need
for her to avoid thinking about the negative. She needs to look at the brighter sides of situations.
She can practice writing journals introspecting herself, writing about her qualities and the times
of any achievements she has made. She can think about the situations when she felt herself
incapable and yet overcame the situations. Issues such as her marriage, her relation with her
children, her parents and workplace, should be written and analysed by her to find solutions.
Lastly, a short span of meditation would be helpful for her to her for sleeping along with a proper
schedule designed as per her priority.
Conclusion:
Social theories help social workers to explain human behaviour and the way humans
react in any situation. With the case of Leah and her issues, it was possible to understand the
theories in a more appropriate way and provide with relevant solutions. Human beings are
complex for they have the power of thinking; however, each person is different. The way
socialisation takes place in their life, the experiences they go through, the life events and their
environment are important aspects that influence human behaviour and their thought process.
Therefore, social workers need to understand and apply the appropriate method while assisting
the client.

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References:
Greene, R. R. (2017). Human Behavior Theory and Professional Social Work Practice.
In Human Behavior Theory and Social Work Practice (pp. 31-62). Routledge.
Capps, D. (2015). Erik H. Erikson’s Young man Luther: A classic revisited. Pastoral
Psychology, 64(3), 327-343.
Rosselli, M., & Vanni, D. (2014). Roberto Assagioli and Carl Gustav Jung. Journal of
Transpersonal Psychology, 46(1), 7.
Zimmerman, B. J. (2013). Theories of self-regulated learning and academic achievement: An
overview and analysis. In Self-regulated learning and academic achievement (pp. 10-45).
Routledge.
Prochaska, J. O. (2013). Transtheoretical model of behavior change. In Encyclopedia of
behavioral medicine (pp. 1997-2000). Springer, New York, NY.
Hepworth, D. H., Rooney, R. H., Rooney, G. D., & Strom-Gottfried, K. (2016). Empowerment
series: Direct social work practice: Theory and skills. Nelson Education.
Jorgensen, D. L. (2015). Participant observation. Emerging trends in the social and behavioral
sciences: An interdisciplinary, searchable, and linkable resource, 1-15.
McLeod, S. (2013). Erik Erikson. Retrieved August, 9, 2013.