What It Really Means to be a Social Worker
I completed my first year of school...this time I got paid for it! Like I have said, I am working for a school district and this was my first year of being the "real deal". As I was reflecting on my last year as being a mental health therapist, I was thinking of memories from this year. I have gained many more stories to my collection of all varieties. Some stories are too sad to share on this blog and some are hilarious.
I was thinking about other peoples reactions to me when I tell them what I do and this were some of the most common:
"What exactly do you do?"
"Do you have a magic wand"
"Can I get some free therapy"
No response....(just looks at me)
"Perfect, this kid is not doing work, can you talk to him"
"When are you going to fix (insert name)'s problems"
"My (insert family member/friend) is diagnosed with a disorder and takes some pill"
The number one thing I have learned after my first year is that there are so many misconceptions of mental health therapy. Some people believe that I do this mysterious thing that either is supposed to fix the world or do nothing. The art of therapy is misjudged and I can be perceived as this amazing or useless person depending on how the person views therapy.
The problem with this job is that it is completely in the grey area. I live in the grey area. There are some things that are black or white but the majority of what I do depends on the needs of the individual. I love this field because of this but some people want more certain and absolute facts or knowledge that comes from therapy. I remember when I was getting my bachelor's degree in psychology I realized how often the teacher would respond to a question using the phrase "It depends". A student would ask "Why does someone display this behavior?", "What does anxiety disorder look like?" or "How do you talk to someone who is delusional?". There was always one right answer to every question: "It depends".
So, this mindset is hard for some people when there is no clear answer. Often times, when I am in therapy, I don't know what will help the client until trying it with them. Trial and error is the best way (of course we rely on evidence based practice), however every individual responds to therapy and treatment so differently. I could use mindfulness with one student and another one may not benefit from it.
I found this frustrating to explain to some people as they wanted to know what we talked about or specific details regarding therapy. First of all, I am obligated to keep things confidential so I can't share whatever I want. Second of all, therapy is hard to explain! It does work, I have seen my students progress from treatment but how do you explain it to someone? I could talk about different techniques I would work on with my clients but sometimes therapy just doesn't make sense. The thing I'm certain on is that therapy creates small changes during treatment but it's hard to explain why the changes occurred.
So. What does a social worker primarily do?
Listen. Acknowledge. Validate. Question. Challenge. Analyze. Support. Collaborate. Research. Advocate. Empower.
To all those who still wonder what therapy looks like, it will look different for everyone. The essential part of therapy is to develop a positive relationship with your client that will let them feel safe enough to openly discuss their feelings without fear of judgment. I know that it sounds really cheesy, but when you create this safe space, it's a sacred place for someone who feels like they can't find it in another location. It allows them space to grow and become.
The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.
Maya Angelou
As I reflect on this, I can't help but to feel so lucky to be in this profession, I get paid to create relationships with people and be invited into their life for a short period of time. I'm not saying this to brag or announce to the world that I'm amazing. Some days I just wake up and realize that I made it to my goal and that I am paid to do what I love doing.
I was thinking about other peoples reactions to me when I tell them what I do and this were some of the most common:
"What exactly do you do?"
"Do you have a magic wand"
"Can I get some free therapy"
No response....(just looks at me)
"Perfect, this kid is not doing work, can you talk to him"
"When are you going to fix (insert name)'s problems"
"My (insert family member/friend) is diagnosed with a disorder and takes some pill"
The number one thing I have learned after my first year is that there are so many misconceptions of mental health therapy. Some people believe that I do this mysterious thing that either is supposed to fix the world or do nothing. The art of therapy is misjudged and I can be perceived as this amazing or useless person depending on how the person views therapy.
The problem with this job is that it is completely in the grey area. I live in the grey area. There are some things that are black or white but the majority of what I do depends on the needs of the individual. I love this field because of this but some people want more certain and absolute facts or knowledge that comes from therapy. I remember when I was getting my bachelor's degree in psychology I realized how often the teacher would respond to a question using the phrase "It depends". A student would ask "Why does someone display this behavior?", "What does anxiety disorder look like?" or "How do you talk to someone who is delusional?". There was always one right answer to every question: "It depends".
So, this mindset is hard for some people when there is no clear answer. Often times, when I am in therapy, I don't know what will help the client until trying it with them. Trial and error is the best way (of course we rely on evidence based practice), however every individual responds to therapy and treatment so differently. I could use mindfulness with one student and another one may not benefit from it.
I found this frustrating to explain to some people as they wanted to know what we talked about or specific details regarding therapy. First of all, I am obligated to keep things confidential so I can't share whatever I want. Second of all, therapy is hard to explain! It does work, I have seen my students progress from treatment but how do you explain it to someone? I could talk about different techniques I would work on with my clients but sometimes therapy just doesn't make sense. The thing I'm certain on is that therapy creates small changes during treatment but it's hard to explain why the changes occurred.
So. What does a social worker primarily do?
Listen. Acknowledge. Validate. Question. Challenge. Analyze. Support. Collaborate. Research. Advocate. Empower.
To all those who still wonder what therapy looks like, it will look different for everyone. The essential part of therapy is to develop a positive relationship with your client that will let them feel safe enough to openly discuss their feelings without fear of judgment. I know that it sounds really cheesy, but when you create this safe space, it's a sacred place for someone who feels like they can't find it in another location. It allows them space to grow and become.
The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.
Maya Angelou
As I reflect on this, I can't help but to feel so lucky to be in this profession, I get paid to create relationships with people and be invited into their life for a short period of time. I'm not saying this to brag or announce to the world that I'm amazing. Some days I just wake up and realize that I made it to my goal and that I am paid to do what I love doing.
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