Dr Pamela Trevithick is Visiting Professor in Social Work at the Buckinghamshire New University and Chair of GAPS, a membership organisation promoting psychodynamic and systemic thinking in social work. As an academic, Pamela's work has focused on the relationship between theory and practice, with a particular emphasis on social work skills and methods including groupwork. Her practice experience and scholarship is clearly evident in her best-selling text Social Work Skills: A Practice Handbook (OpenUP, 2000 and 2005).

Part 1: Theories and Theorists Introduction Theoretical knowledge Factual knowledge Practice knowledge Understanding human beings Part 2: Skills and Interventions Communication, observation, listening and assessment skills Interviewing skills Providing help, direction and guidance Empowerment, negotiation and partnership skills Professional competence and accountability Appendices Appendix 1: Behavioural approaches Appendix 2: Cognitive approaches Appendix 3: Crisis intervention Appendix 4: Ecological approach in social work Appendix 5: Feminist perspectives in social work Appendix 6: Motivational interviewing Appendix 7: Person-centred approaches Appendix 8: Psychological approaches Appendix 9: Radical and activist perspectives in social work Appendix 10: Strengths perspective Appendix 11: Task-centred approaches Appendix 12: Stages of change (or cycle of change) References