Personal Narrative: Adjusting To Change

This was a very eye opening class for me. Coming from a mental health counselling background I have to admit it is a major difference in how social workers operate versus therapist. In this essay I will reflected on how this social work class has genuinely affected me, my strengths and weaknesses, and what I have taken away from this class. I always gain a great deal of satisfaction from helping others. I remember from middle school on through adulthood I was the go to person. If a person had an issue or needed to talk. I was the voice of reasoning. I was the one able to grab hold of certain resources if someone was in need

With a master 's level education in social work, I see myself envisioning clients’ health and well-being. As a student, I will study and practice techniques, beyond a generalist perspective, that will allow me to give clients hope and the ability to see something greater than what they are facing. Upon completion of a Master of Social Work direct practice degree and certificates in gerontology and mental health programs, I intend to become a licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, I will competently incorporate specialized skills in different professional settings while developing my knowledge of a wide range of social issues and professional standards. With commitment, I wish to develop skills that will enable me to create or find hidden resources and services for my future clients, create platforms through counselling for victims of trauma.

Service users expect Social workers to intervene in their lives when they are facing difficult or challenging situations. To do that we have to understand the service user 's life, their relationships and their environment as a whole. In addition to using our professional judgments in dealing with service users and offering support to them, we are guided by theories, models, and approaches. Theories help social workers to describe, explain and predict what is happening in the service user 's life, why it happened and what might happen next. (Maclean and Harrison, 2015 page 9)

As a new social worker, I find comfort in the fact that I can learn from my mistakes and seek supervision for situations such as this one. I feel most confident that my thoughts took me to a place where I would have looked to a more seasoned professional for advice and supervision as I was unsure of how to approach this specific situation.

The social work profession and my life experiences have taught me that we all at one point of our lives have been in the position of asking for help. For some people asking for help may be an effortless task, but for others, asking for help may involve challenging cultural and family values. This paper will focus on a period in my life when asking for help signified a huge personal challenge, as I was taught growing up that I should keep my personal problems to myself and not involve third parties.

I was only two years old when my mother passed away. Left with an absentee father, I felt a void in my life. I was constantly misunderstood by other family members, which triggered my aggressive behaviors and communication style. Unable to cope with my emotions as an adolescent, I sought help from my school’s social worker. For the first time, it felt great to express my feelings without worrying about being judged. Through our regular meetings, she helped me improve my social development and attitude. She changed my life as I was becoming a better person. In addition, with her assistance, my family and I were able to value communication, understand each other and live in a healthier environment. This chapter of my life has inspired me to pursue a career in social work and be part of a team who continuously helps people overcome obstacles in their lives.

For as long as I can remember I have always wanted to pursue a career in social work. Helping others is something I have always been passionate about and I hope to be able to make a difference in the lives of those around me. Throughout my life, I have always been the person my friends would go to when something was wrong and they needed to talk. Growing up, I also experienced close family members struggle with addiction and mental health problems. I have seen how damaging these experiences can be on an individual. I have also witnessed the effects these experiences can have on family relationships. My personal occurrences have instilled in me a further desire to become a social worker.

I want to leave, I want to disappear. Not a vacation, but that spontaneous quick escape with no bothers, just an unrestricted trip to free the mind and enjoy the bits of silence. To go by car to see how the scenery around me changes as I kill the distance, while listening to my favorite music as loud as I can. Just shout out my lungs with my terrible singing. As the music plays, I will grab a book, which will get all my beliefs and views away. No matter what the book will be about. As long as it would get me away, away from here. There would be just me and the characters of the novel, who struggle, fight, and compete, while they face delight, pleasure, and glory. Every so often, I will stop at the cafes on the road to grab some food, which

On admirable 10, 2011, my term changed for eternity. I might have been Along these lines energized What's more frightened toward those same the long haul. It might have been a critical day. I might have been entering the united states from claiming america to the verwoerd Initially period. I might have been nearing here only to a get-away on visit my family, at the same time then i chose with sit tight. My mother. Needed me should sit tight in the states, on account of she needed me should bring a greater amount chances Previously, existence What's more. Should help my gang The point when i develop up.

Growing up I witnessed my sister and grandmother deal with serious mental illness. My sister and grandmother both were diagnosed with bipolar disorder. It has always been my passion to help them manages their episodes. Growing up witnessing these episodes I always knew that I wanted to help those who are struggling to cope with mental health issues. Social work is not just a passion of mine, but a solution to the struggles many people face every day. I learned my “caring and compassion” for others, from my mother. My early experiences were a driving force for me pursuing my master’s in social work. As a child, my mother took in adults, children, and families within our neighborhood and afar to aid them in difficult times. Whether it was for a meal, a night, or longer, she has spent her life caring for others. The passion my mother possessed for helping others has become my

The social work profession and my life experiences have taught me that we all at one point of our lives have been in the position of asking for help. For some people asking for help may be an effortless task, but for others, asking for help may involve challenging cultural and family values. This paper will focus on a period in my life when asking for help signified a huge personal challenge, as I was taught growing up that I should keep my personal problems to myself and not involve third parties.

Starting over. Those two simple words pretty much sum up where I am at in my life at the moment. I am a 34 year old mother of three. I have never been to college. My husband just recently left me. It has been a whirlwind summer to say the least, but before I get into what brought me back to school, I'll start at the beginning. I was born in FL., and quite literally spent all my time either at the beach or running bare foot on my grandparents farm. I loved every second. Shortly after I turned 8 my mom met my step-dad, and we were quickly headed on our first big adventure, moving to Texas! While I missed my family in FL., I can not tell you enough how happy I was that my mom married my dad. He has been a rock and solid foundation for me my whole

Another important aspect of social work is acknowledging our own privileges and disadvantages. In working with homeless people, I realized how incredibly fortunate I was and am to have a roof over my head and food on the table every day. Being a straight cis-white woman from an upper-class family, I have not seen the vast social and financial hardships that most Americans face every day. In acknowledging this privilege, I am better able to acknowledge and help those around me. With everything I am so fortunate for, however, I must also acknowledge my own social and personal hardships. Growing up in a household afflicted by alcoholism and depression forced me to become independent at a very young age. This experience, along with being diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder when I was ten-years-old, has influenced my passion for mental health. Because I was lucky enough to have access to early intervention, I was healthier and happier, I could concentrate better in classes, and I more easily made and maintained friendships. Had I not had early intervention, I don’t believe I would be where I am today, having graduated from high school with great grades, gone to Vassar College, and been able to pursue my dreams with the support of best friends and a partner.

Self-awareness and the use of self is a key component in social work practice. Depending upon how one integrates their personal being and accompanying thoughts, experiences, emotions, and consciousness into the helping profession has a profound impact on whether that integration is positive or negative, particularly when it comes to that of one’s relationships with their clients. While remaining impartial is often critical to effective social work practice, the complete separation of self from one’s professional practice is not only impossible to realize, but would arguably have less of a meaningful impact with one’s relations with clients as well as self. Understanding the use of self and the importance of self-awareness in the social work profession is the first step in establishing a healthy means of practicing and the impact that our own individuality has when interacting with clients. In this paper I will analyze, and further critically reflect upon, four academic journals on the topic of the use of self in social work; later applying this learning to an experience from my field placement.

After all the hard work and challenges I may face academically, I’ve learned that I may also face emotional challenges once I have my foot stepped into the career. Although I believe I have an emotionally strong personality, this career as a social worker still can be stressful. As my responsibility to make decisions about the welfare of the children and families, I may be faced with difficult situations such as not being able to help everyone in the way I hope. Some of my clients or cases may be stuck because of obstacles created by