Thoughts from the Field

I can still recall the time I had an upset client tell me “You’re just a social worker” when I worked in a prison setting, as a way to insult me or even possibly trying to goad me into responding in a negative way.

I had to chuckle as I walked away because while I am a social worker, I have a tremendous amount of respect for all the hard work my fellow social workers put in, day after day, during moments in a person’s life that are hard, painful and often shameful to them.

Social workers see the best in people and inspire hope that things can be better. They work hard to show others the path they can take to empower themselves, to make their lives and the systems they live in better for themselves and others. 

My hopes for Just a Social Worker

My deep wish for this website and blog is to offer hope and love for social workers because we show up every day trying to do our best. We put our bodies and mental health on the line for our fellow human beings. This work, in turns, works to make our own lives better as we reduce universal suffering.

While this might sound a bit high level, it is important to know that as social workers we work to reduce the suffering of others, which in some way helps to embolden the humanity of others.  

Over the next weeks and years of this blog, I want to write about the experience of social workers and to celebrate the hard work of social workers.  Offering products to support self care is one way, advocating is another and being seen and heard as a person is another. To support our profession is important to me. 

As I have looked around, I see social workers writing about how to help clients in different ways, how to help those struggling and even about self-care at times.  I don’t always see social workers writing about life through the lens of social work and discussing the personal experiences being a social worker; both of which bring tremendous joy, heartbreak, and frustration. 

I hope this blog will be a source of comfort, support and at times humor.

Here’s to the journey!!