The relational social work: Principles and methods

Relational Social Work is an approach and a method for professional social work practice developed in about 15 years of theoretical analysis, field experience and empirical researches. Relational Social Work is connected with Constructive Social Work, Anti-Oppressive Social Work and Anti-Discriminatory Social Work. In Relational Social Work view, well-being and solutions to social life problems can arise not from individuals, but from coping networks’ reflexivity and action. Social workers are seen as «relational guides» of these networks, and their helping tasks are based on the reciprocity principle. In this article key-ideas of Relational Social Work are briefly illustrated, and the role that Relational Social Work proposes for practitioners is discussed.