Social workers as an action-oriented sociotherapist: an existential health discourse

Abstract

ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper is to reinvigorate sociotherapy by contextualizing its practice within a logotherapeutic and an existential health discourse. This approach is used to enhance meaningfulness in life within the framework of a sociotherapy, through mindfulness, and greenspace activities such as walking and gardening. This discourse has been largely inspired by: 1) sociotherapy’s capacity to facilitate existential health; 2) the international research community’s struggle for a broader concept of health; 3) World Health Organization’s concept of existential health; and, 4) Frankl’s assertion that people must be understood holistically as physical, psychological, social and spiritual beings. This paper approaches the social worker as sociotherapist (SWS) from an ecological and systemic perspective, the aim being to move the client from an egoistic to a mindful and ecological mind-set.