This section presents an overview of the ecological perspective by covering the ecological theory and the application of the theory through the life model of practice. A theme throughout is the interaction of people with their environment and the impact this has on growth and development. Questions 1. What was the social worker’s focus at the beginning of the work together? 2. Who identified the life stressors and goals for the work together? 3. How was the “environment” considered in the work with the client? 4. What other theories and methods might be appropriate to use with this client alongside the ecological perspective? Social Work Practice from an Ecological Perspective Barbra Teater Ecological theory is fundamentally concerned with the interaction and interdependence of organisms and their environment. Likewise, the profession of social work was built upon an acknowledgement that individuals, families, groups and communities interact with their environments and are shaped by them. Individuals do not operate in isolation but are influenced by their physical and social environments in which they live and interact. Taking an ecological perspective towards social work practice involves taking into consideration a person and the environment around her or him and is referred to as the “person-and-environment concept” (Gitterman & Germain, 2008, p. 51). This chapter explores the ecological perspective by describing the ecological theory and the life model of social work practice. The chapter then turns to an illustration of how to apply the ecological perspective to social work practice through a case example. Theoretical Perspective