SocialWork.Career

In the first two posts in this series, we explored why financial stress in social work goes deeper than low pay, and how the money beliefs we developed in childhood shape our financial behavior through the Relationship → Behavior → Circumstances chain. Today, I want to focus on one of the most common behavioral expressions of those beliefs: difficulty setting financial boundaries. In my clinical work and in conversations with colleagues, I notice something striking: social workers often have a sophisticated understanding of boundaries in theory. We teach them, model them for clients, and write case notes about them. But when it comes to money, the boundary often collapses. The financial boundaries social workers struggle to set aren't about willpower. They're rooted in deeply held beliefs about money, worth, and professional identity. We stay late without pay. We undercharge. We avoid the salary conversation. We say yes when every part of us knows we should say no. This … [Read More...] about Financial Boundaries Social Workers Struggle to Set (and How to Build Them)