Social Work Spotlight

International Episode 25: Sophia (Germany)

Social Work Spotlight

Show Notes

In this episode I speak with Sophia, a social worker, sexologist, and relationship counsellor from Germany. She has worked in child protection and youth services in both Germany and Australia, including child and family welfare services, therapeutic residential crisis care for children and young people, and specialised crisis support for girls who have experienced sexual violence and abuse. Sophia has worked as a lecturer in sexology, and is the founder of Sexology Hub, where she offers sexuality and relationship counselling, individual coaching, as well as educational programs, workshops, and professional training for diverse audiences.

Links to resources mentioned in this week’s episode: Trauma-informed work and recovery Sanctuary Institute - https://www.thesanctuaryinstitute.org/

Creating Sanctuary by Sandra Bloom - https://sandrabloom.com/book/creating-sanctuary-toward-the-evolution-of-sane-societies/

Trauma and Recovery by Judith Herman - https://openlibrary.org/books/OL1563764M/Trauma_and_Recovery

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk - https://www.besselvanderkolk.com/resources/the-body-keeps-the-score

Practical resources and research on sexual violence RAINN - https://rainn.org/

Caste-based discriminination International Dalit Solidarity Network - https://idsn.org/

International Cooperation Work Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire - https://fsi-ebcao.princeton.edu/sites/g/files/toruqf1411/files/media/freire.pdf

Decolonizing Methodologies by Linda Tuhiwai Smith - https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/decolonizing-methodologies-9781786998125/

Social Work Crisis in Berlin AG Weiße Fahnen, DBSH Berlin, GEW BERLIN "Die Berliner Jugendhilfe befindet sich im Kollaps" | GEW - Berlin - https://www.gew-berlin.de/presse/detailseite/ag-weisse-fahnen-dbsh-berlin-gew-berlin-die-berliner-jugendhilfe-befindet-sich-im-kollaps

Sexuality and relationship counselling/therapy A Clinician's Guide to Systemic Sex Therapy by Gerald Weeks et al. - https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781315817392/clinician-guide-systemic-sex-therapy-gerald-weeks-katherine-hertlein-nancy-gambescia

Principles and Practice of Sex Therapy by Hall & Binik - https://www.guilford.com/books/Principles-and-Practice-of-Sex-Therapy/Hall-Binik/9781462543397

Personal / Professional Resources Sophia’s open-access publication on Problematic Porn Consumption among Men: Males’ Lived Experience with Self-Perceived Pornography Addiction: A Qualitative Study of Problematic Porn Use - https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/2/1497

Sophia’s website - https://sexologyhub.com/

This episode's transcript can be viewed here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vmORcM52JnAuYjakfttLbPmLQHqEH2JH5fOPG8AmOC8/edit?usp=sharing

Thanks to Kevin Macleod of incompetech.com for our theme music.

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