Pennsylvania Society for Clinical Social Work
Clinical Book Discussion Program
Presents
The Mental Health Benefits of Being Seen Deeply and
Deeply Seeing Others
Book Title: How To Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen
Author: David Brooks
Presenters: Vicki Lipoff & Fran Gerstein
Date: Sunday, October 27th, 2024
Time: 10am-1pm | 3 CEUs
Place: Linda Barth’s Home, Mt. Airy
About the Book: How to Know a Person opens with the passage: There is one skill that lies at the heart of any healthy person, family, school, community organization, or society: the ability to see someone else deeply and make them feel seen – to accurately know another person, to let them feel valued, heard, and understood.
In this book David Brooks addresses how to pay attention to a person, what sorts of conversations to have with people, and the most salient aspects of a person’s story to attend to. How to Know a Person speaks to what we do, what we know, and what we understand from our training and lived experiences as social workers, helpers, empathic guides, and coaches. There exists a crisis of loneliness, disenfranchisement, and alienation in our current world which is reflected in our practices and may make us feel helpless in the face of our clients’ experiences.
Brooks advocates for working within a humanistic framework so that our individual, dyadic, and collective needs for health, survival, and healing can be met. This discussion will encourage creative ways of applying these humanistic concepts to clinical practice.
Clinical Objectives: By reading this book and participating in the discussion:
Describe at least four ways excellent listening skills can create a healing environment at the individual, family, group and community level.
Compare three clinical concepts/theories/techniques with Brooks’ ideas on how to conduct a meaningful interview and see others deeply.
List two ways you might personally apply Brooks principles to your work with individual/families or communities.
Identify five ways communication might break down, creating a sense of isolation or alienation.
Vicki Lipoff, LCSW has been in the field as a Clinical Social Worker since 2003. Currently serving as a private practitioner in west Conshohocken as well as a staff therapist for a group practice in Collegeville, PA. She has previously been on staff at Widener University Graduate Center for Social Work as an adjunct faculty member and a Field Liaison from 2010-17.
Fran Gerstein, LCSW is in private practice in Wynnewood. She formerly served as adjunct faculty at the Bryn Mawr Graduate School of Social Work and also acted as a field liaison.
This PSCSW Event is open to PSCSW members only. Participants who attend this program must be present for its entirety in order to get continuing education credits. Cost: No charge for PSCSW Members to attend. There is a $10 fee for anyone wishing a CE certificate.
Cancellation Policy: There is a $5 non-refundable administrative fee for any cancellation up to 48 hours prior to this program. No refund will be issued if less than 48 hours’ notice is given for this program.
Continuing Education Credits: FOR PENNSYLVANIA SOCIAL WORKERS, MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPISTS, AND PROFESSIONAL COUNSELORS: This program is approved for credits for professional workshops sponsored by the Pennsylvania Society for Clinical Social Work, a state affiliate of the Clinical Social Work Association listed in Section 47.36 of Title 49, Chapter 47 of the PA Code, State Board of Social Work Examiners. This program is also approved for 3 credits for professional workshops for marriage & family therapists (Section 48.36) and professional counselors (Section 49.36).
FOR NEW JERSEY SOCIAL WORKERS: This program is approved for 3 clinical credits. Attendance at programs or courses given at state and national social work association conferences, where the criteria for membership is an academic degree in social work, are a valid source of continuing education credit (N.J.A.C. 13:44G-6.4(c)4).
PSCSW Members - Before you begin any registration, you must log in to the website to pay the member rate. If you register without logging in, you will pay at the nonmember rate. If you need assistance logging in, please contact the PSCSW office at: pscsw@pscsw.org.