Ethics for Social Workers: How can we be Ethical in a Chaotic World?
Or how to work in the midst of chaos, madness, and evil.
Instructor: Phoebe Cirio, MSW, LCSW
Date: 8/22/2026 Saturday
Time: 10:00 AM–1:00 PM
Credits: 3.0
Level: Intermediate
Format: Hybrid
Fee: $99 (with credits), $25 (without credits)
The NASW Code of Ethics is based on a set of core values: service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. These values are stated in the affirmative as something we clinicians should strive for. Yet, at present, these core values seem too often to be absent from our public discourse, and are not demonstrated by leadership. In place of an emphasis on the worth of persons, we have the demonization of immigrants, toleration for the abuse of women, and the display of greed, avarice, and the use of high office for personal enrichment.
Many people are discouraged and alienated. These conditions create a perverse moral climate where there is no discernment of right and wrong, instead there is an elevation of narcissistic desire, and manic triumph which supplants creative interpersonal intercourse and mutuality. These conditions foster evil and offer no counter to it, which leads to a state of madness and chaos. Evil manifests, creating “an emotional distance and a deep insincerity, which does not allow for meaningful contact with others,” and “the hatred of and tendency to destroy the emotional meaning of life, itself” (Migliozzi). One remedy to these conditions is to speak honestly and clearly about it in a group setting where we can explore how we feel; we will examine these conditions through a psychoanalytic lens.
Before the class meets, I ask that participants view three films: Antichrist (2009) directed by Lars von Trier; Women Talking (2022) directed by Sarah Polley; and Never Look Away (2018) directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. These films converge around the use, misuse, and abasement of women. These conditions demonstrate woman hating, which is a manifestation of evil that we will use for our discussion. There will also be a selection of readings to read before we meet. There will be additional material presented in class to guide and facilitate discussion.
Please note: these films contain mature themes and graphic content, including depictions of violence against women.
Course Objectives
Upon completion, attendees will be able to:
- Articulate two features of chaos, madness, and evil operating in the world.
- Delineate two theoretical concepts for understanding chaos, madness, and evil and the things they bring forth in daily life.
- Define two ways that psychodynamic methods can be useful in reckoning with chaos, madness, and evil and their effects on both clinician and patient.
References
- Yadlin-Gadot, S. (2026). On the danger of losing particularity: Ethics and the real. Psychoanalytic Inquiry, 46, 554–562.
- Ackerman, S. (2020). Impossible ethics. Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association, 68, 561–582.
- Lemma, A. (2024). Mourning, melancholia, and machines: an applied psychoanalytic investigation of mourning in the age of griefbots. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 105, 52–63.
About the Presenter
Phoebe A. Cirio, MSW, LCSW, is a graduate analyst, a member of the faculty, and a Training and Supervising Analyst at the Saint Louis Psychoanalytic Institute.
Credit Information
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by the American Psychoanalytic Association and the St. Louis Psychoanalytic Institute. The American Psychoanalytic Association is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
Credits Available
- Physicians: 3.0 Credits
- Psychologists: 3.0 Credits
- Social Workers: 3.0 Credits
- PAs: 3.0 Credits
- Nurses & NPs: 3.0 Nursing Contact Hours
- Pharmacists/Pharmacy Technicians: 3.0 Credits. Pharmacists must claim credits within 30 days and provide their eProfile ID and Birthdate. APsA will not report credits claimed after 30 days or with incomplete information.
- Interprofessional Continuing Education (Counselors, NPs, students): 3.0 Credits
Other Profession Types
Other profession types will receive a certificate of attendance upon completion of the activity and online evaluation confirming their participation. Participants may claim credit for recertification; however, their professional organization/institute holds the final say on which accredited activities they accept.
Disclosure Statement
None of the planners and presenters for this educational activity have relevant financial relationship(s)* to disclose with ineligible companies* whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients. There is no commercial support for this activity. APsA verifies that all materials generated by AI are accurate, including cited publications and posttests.
COUNSELORS: The St. Louis Psychoanalytic Institute has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 5953. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. The St. Louis Psychoanalytic Institute is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
*Financial relationships are relevant if the educational content an individual can control is related to the business lines or products of the ineligible company. — Updated December 2022