Patrick Zobrist

Patrick Zobrist is a Lecturer and Project Manager at the Lucerne School of Social Work, part of the Institute for Social Work and Law at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. He holds a PhD in Education Sciences from the University of Zurich (2023) and a Master of Arts in Social Work from FHNW (2015). His expertise spans social work in coercive contexts, power dynamics in professional relationships, juvenile justice, and probation systems.

• Education:
• PhD in Education Sciences (2023), University of Zurich
• MA in Social Work (2015), FHNW
• Diploma in Social Work (1999), ZHAW

His research focuses on motivation enhancement in mandatory client contexts, power dynamics in social work, and interventions within legal frameworks. Key projects include evaluations of probation programs, risk assessments in juvenile justice, and strategies for child protection systems. He actively contributes to policy committees, including the Federal Commission on Penal Execution Models (since 2016).

Zobrist’s publications emphasize practical methodologies for working with resistant clients, the ethical balancing of control and support in justice systems, and the integration of motivational techniques in coercive settings. He co-leads the CAS Juvenile Justice program at the University of Fribourg and advises multiple institutions on social work practices in legal contexts.