The Cognitive-Integrative Framework and the Case of Nicole: Using Tools of Narrative Therapy and Pastoral Counseling Toward Effective Clinical Practice

Quite often in clinical social work, it can be difficult to find just the right theoretical framework for understanding and helping our clients. Most theoretical perspectives focus solely on the psychological processes of the individual, offering little foundation for addressing the person's environment or accessing the client's local knowledge. At these times, an integrated approach, respectful of the core values of social work, may be most useful. This paper provides a specific case-analysis from the Cognitive-Integrative (C-I) perspective. The treatment involved the integration of theories from Task-Centered Social Work Practice, Narrative Therapy and Spiritual Counseling with the goal of demonstrating how the incorporation of these theories, as guided by the C-I framework, can inform effective clinical social work practice.