Essay On The Difference Between Psychology And Social Work

Psychologists, just like social workers, are in the helping profession, and both offer their clients counseling services on closely related problems. However, despite the functional similarities between social workers and psychologists, there are inherent differences in their areas of focus and the level of training undergone. This paper seeks to compare psychology to social work, and it will explore the target individuals of either profession, aspects of human functioning that each focus on, human problems addressed by each profession and the areas of overlap between the two.

The origins of psychology can be traced back to the sixteenth century, and the name was derived from the Greek words “Psyche”, which means “soul” and “Logos”, which means “knowledge”. Therefore, the original definition of psychology was “a study of the soul”. The definition has, however,

They deal with problems like poverty, political marginalization, and social injustices. On the other hand, psychologists deal with mental, emotional and behavioral challenges in society. These problems include addictions, workplace conflicts, stress and esteem issues. While a social work might deal with those issues by connecting the individual with the resources available for help them.

Despite the functional differences between social workers and psychologists, there are areas of overlap in their roles. For instance, both professionals offer counseling services to their clients. Additionally, both use various accepted psychological methods in assessing and counseling individuals. It is common to find psychologists and social workers working in the same place, for example in mental health facilities, hospitals, and community centers. At times, social workers may refer their clients to psychologists to address some specific issues on mental and emotional