148: Psychodynamic Theory and Human Development: Interview with Dr. Terry Northcut

The Social Work Podcast

Episode 148: In today's episode of the Social Work Podcast, I spoke with Dr. Terry Northcut, Lucian and Carol Welch Matusak Endowed Professor at Loyola University Chicago's School of Social Work about psychodynamic theory as a framework for understanding human development. She talks about how psychodynamic theory offers conceptual scaffolding for understanding our internal worlds and how early experiences continue to leave a lasting imprint. You'll learn about the epigenetic principle, how repeated interactions, particularly in childhood, generalize into "working models" or "templates" that then play out in all our relationships. We talk about how psychodynamic theory recognizes developmental deficits and how it is strength-based. Along the way, Dr. Northcut acknowledges the role of attachment, trauma, and the importance of neurobiology (the focus of Episode 147 with our Loyola University Chicago colleague, Dr. Jim Marley). You can read a transcript of today's interview at https://socialworkpodcast.blogspot.com/2025/08/Northcut.html. You can connect with other social workers at the Social Work Podcast Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/swpodcast, or follow the Bluesky feed at https://jbsinger.bsky.social.