Neuroscience and Clinical Social Work Practice

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Neuroscience and Clinical Social Work Practice
Mind, Body, and Wellness
Integration with Practice
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Studying the brain and neural connections in depth provides clinical caregiving an opportunity to heal a person through gentle communication and support. This process is facilitated by the neurobiology of memory, which explores the mechanisms underlying the memory input and output. More importantly, affective expressions that include non-verbal communication help workers obtain more emotionally meaningful relationships. Clinical workers focus on two concepts from the work of Sharipo and Applegate (2018), the neurobiology of memory and affect regulation, to understand clients’ emotions and heal their mental health.

Delving into neuroscience starts with understanding its basics, such as brain structure and function. First, the brain consists of one hundred billion interconnected cells, or neurons, that transmit an electrical charge through its body (Sharipo & Applegate, 2018). A single neuron comprises three parts: the cell body, dendrites, and axon. Dendrites and axons are neural branching appendages that connect neurons and create synaptogenesis that passes neurotransmitters. Firing, energy transmission occurring at regular intervals, facilitate mental activities like perception and memory.

The definition of neuroscience arises from the mentioned fundamental concepts as it studies the mechanisms behind thoughts, perceptions, and emotions. Neuroscience proves that dynamic interplay among brain regions affects a person’s cognitive processes. However, focusing on single brain functioning is not enough, as Gerloff et al. (2022) suggest involving multiple brains to “predict behavioral responses, clinical phenotypes, or treatment outcomes” (p.4460). Neuroscience helps analyze neural system underlying human interactions and cognitive processes.

When it comes to clinical caring accommodated by supportive, sustaining, and empathic qualities, it is based on the human relationships between the caregiver and the patient. The more “the warmth, acceptance, genuineness, attentiveness, concern, responsiveness, and understanding” the worker shows to the vulnerable person, the more positive impact it has on the patient’s mental health (Sharipo & Applegate, 2018, p. 9). Thus, clinical social work provides a chance to heal a person through communication.

Mind, Body, and Wellness

The general connection between mind, body, and well-being focuses on memory. The neurobiology of memory is based on neural networks that activate and deactivate through different periods. Usually, specific patterns activated in the past tend to continue throughout life because “synaptic connections among the neurons involved are strengthened” (Sharipo & Applegate, 2018, p.31). If something causes a strong emotional response, it stays in a person’s mind and memory.

Moving on, the well-being of a person depends on his excitatory neurotransmitters. When a person’s body experiences traumatic events, it is encoded through dopamine and norepinephrine, involved in flight-or-flight responses. They are the basis for all emotions, and their levels affect a patient’s anxiety, depression, and weight (Liang et al., 2021). Therefore, certain aspects of events in the form of emotions are held in the patient’s memory, affecting his mind, body, and well-being.

The importance of studying neuroscience and connections between brain and mind is high for clinical social workers. Today, they still experience a lack of knowledge despite their significance in working with at-risk children. However, when workers realize their power using neuroscience, they become more skilled and knowledgeable in controlling patients’ emotions. They can easily manipulate peoples’ minds by providing legal assistance and attention.

Integration with Practice

What is significant about the connection between a patient’s memory and social work practice is that person’s first impression of a worker impacts future interactions. If the interaction between two agents is positive, it facilitates trusting relationships (Sharipo & Applegate, 2018). It happens because memory is stored by neural connections, which are activated at any time, affecting brain functioning. Thus, I will try to be more attentive and thoughtful with the patients from the early beginning to affect our further communication positively.

Another implication of knowledge is connected to affective expressions. Apart from translating emotions into words, people use gestures, postures, and prosodic elements such as speech tone and rhythm. For example, open gestures, relaxed posture, and calm tone signals composure. This is used in clinical work to read the patient’s emotional state through non-verbal communication. When workers understand the client’s behavior on time, they have a chance to regulate and change it. For me, it highlights the importance of affect regulation in social work.

When clinical workers fail to recognize the client’s capacity for affect regulation, the client struggles with expressing emotions. Children in at-risk families tend to develop strong emotions resulting in psychopathy. Moreover, they cannot soothe themselves and regulate aggressive impulses. In the future, there is a risk of developing “disturbances, personality disorders, … and substance abuse” (Sharipo & Applegate, 2018, p.11). These all are consequences of limited help to clients with affect regulation.

Conclusion

To conclude, neuroscience, exploring the human brain and behavior, provides insights into new focus areas for clinical social workers. They should build a trusting relationship with their patients from the early experience of being aware of the neurobiology of memory and affect regulation. Such a complex approach to treating patients using neurobiology helps clinical social workers terminate their clients’ maladaptive modes of reacting to stress.

References

Gerloff, C., Konrad, K., Bzdok, D., Büsing, C., & Reindl, V. (2022). Interacting brains revisited: A cross-brain network neuroscience perspective. Human Brain Mapping, 43(14), 4458–4474. Web.

Liang, F., Feng, R., Gu, S., Jiang, S., Zhang, X., Li, N., Xu, M., Tang, Y., & Wang, F. (2021). Neurotransmitters and electrophysiological changes might work as biomarkers for diagnosing affective disorders. Disease Markers, 1-12. Web.

Sharipo, J. R. & Applegate, J. S. (2018). Neurobiology for Clinical Social Work: Theory and Practice.

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Neuroscience and Clinical Social Work Practice

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