The other day, I had the pleasure of being able to attend a “Wise Heart and the Mindful Brain” workshop given by Jack Kornfield, a world renowned expert in Buddhist Psychology, and Dan Siegel, an authority on interpersonal neurobiology. Both speakers were extremely eloquent and knowledgeable about their respective fields and they brought together the […]
Fat Oppression: Stigma Comes in Large Sizes
This week, I had the pleasure of interviewing Michelle Matthews, a first year social work student at NYU’s Silver School of Social Work. While Michelle is just at the beginning of her social work career, I think you will find her story quite inspiring. She is already working as an advocate at her school on […]
Reflections About Termination in Therapy
The process of terminating (the official term employed when a therapist and a client stop working together) can be a rather difficult time for both the clinician and the client because of the feelings of sadness, loss and previous endings that it may raise. That said, termination may also be a time of positive reflection […]
8 Steps to Obtaining Your LMSW
Obtaining your LMSW involves multiple steps, forms, and deadlines. This practical guide walks you through the LMSW licensure process from application to exam day so you know exactly what to expect.
Eating Disorders Are About Relationships
To help clients address their eating disorders, Jodi Rubin, ACSW, LCSW, tries to “be mindful of joining people in understanding the ways in which their eating disorder has served them and in doing this, am able to slowly shift into looking at the ways in which it is no longer serving them.” This week, I […]
Spirituality, Compassion and Gestalt Therapy
Earlier this week, my school had a “Maintaining Our Commitment to Social Justice” day including a keynote address and three workshops of our choice amongst a selection of workshops. It was a very informative and interesting day and I felt very appreciative of my school having hosted such an event. Kalima DeSuze, an African American […]
Art Therapy – The Power of Art in Healing
Art therapy can have a potent healing effect. Pamela Hayes describes it as having “provided some of my clients with clarity and the strength to change their lives. In other instances, Art Therapy has moved people through the grief process. I have even seen art diagnosis my clients with medical problems.“ Pamela Hayes is a […]
20 Inspirational Quotes for Social Workers – When You Need Them Most
Are you looking for some inspirational quotes to motivate you and remind you why you chose to become a social worker? Here are 20 inspirational quotes that are especially apropos for those who are looking to make a difference, or are thinking about making an important change in their life… Also make sure to check […]
First Case Presentation
Have you ever had to make a case presentation in front of a group of your peers and supervisors? The other week, I had to do just that in front of the other (25) social work interns in my hospital and their respective supervisors. The case presentation was supposed to be based upon a client with whom […]
Are Some Therapeutic Impasses Unavoidable?
Last week, it became rather clear that I had reached a therapeutic impasse with one of my clients. A therapeutic impasse essentially refers to a situation in which a therapist has stalled in her/his ability to facilitate the changes the client seeks and/or needs. To provide some background information, client X was someone I had […]
