What I Love About Being a Social Worker
Social work is probably one of the most misunderstood professions. Social workers are constantly faced with barriers that make it difficult to fulfil our mandates, from unrealistic systematic expectations to societal stigmas about what it is we actually do. I can’t pretend that some of those challenges don’t make the job difficult at times - they absolutely do. Social work can be frustrating, disappointing, and overwhelming. There are days when it can absolutely take a toll on your health, mentally and even physically.
But honestly? I love being a social worker everyday. Today I want to share with you some of the reasons why I love being a social worker, specifically working as a psychotherapist in private practice.
Diversity
Every single day of my job is different. Most days are a mix of direct therapy sessions with clients and behind-the-scenes client care (treatment planning, connecting to resources, referrals, etc). Even if I have two clients who are attending therapy to discuss the same clinical diagnosis (such as Major Depressive Disorder or Generalized Anxiety Disorder), those sessions often look nothing alike because everyone’s lived experience is different. We approach the session together in unique ways, use different coping strategies or home practice resources, and because my sessions are client-centered, each session is an innovative and interesting experience that I’m always honoured to be part of. So while in one session we are exploring a client’s Thought Record, the next session could simply be me listening to a client talk about her grief for the very first time.
Since I’m in private practice, my job also includes marketing and administrative tasks. I found these overwhelming at first, because I became a social worker to work with people, not maintain a ledger or grow an Instagram page! I was lucky enough to grow up in the age of social media and listened to my family talk about the family business at Sunday dinners, so I was starting maybe a step above the ground. I had to learn on the fly - but the more I learned and the more I tried, the more I have actually grown to love running my own business.
Helping Actual Change
Now, obviously I can’t write a blog post about what I love about social work or psychotherapy without acknowledging one of the most rewarding aspects: helping people.
I know it’s what everyone says, so it’s a little bit cringey by now, but it’s honestly true. On my YouTube channel, I share my personal story about why I decided to become a social worker. Most social workers, therapists, and healthcare professionals in general have a personal reason for joining the profession. All of us want to help people, and I think I can safely say that all of us find it rewarding and fulfilling when this happens.
But for me, one of the things that is challenging about social work specifically is that it isn’t always easy to feel like you’re making a difference. There are so many societal barriers in our way that make it seem like you’re fighting an endless, uphill battle while making no real headway at all. That’s what I like about working as a therapist: I get to help an individual, or a couple, or a family directly. It honestly makes me feel so incredibly fulfilled when my clients achieve their goal, or set that boundary when they’ve spent a lifetime struggling with being a people pleaser - any progress or healing. I get to watch so much growth happen every single day. I love sharing that with my clients.
Flexibility & Independence
This is a perk that many social workers in the public sector don’t get to share, which can be positive or negative. Not everyone is an entrepreneur or wants an inconsistent schedule - which is totally okay! I know many people thrive in a team-based, structured environment during standard business hours.
My neurodivergent brain? That just isn’t the vibe - which is also okay!
Working in private practice as a social worker is a unique experience. I largely get to set my own schedule and a lot of my work is independent. So if I choose Wednesday as an admin-focused day (as I currently do) and want to go to the beach in the afternoon, that’s up to me. It just might mean that night while watching an episode of Bad Batch I’m also writing my case notes or scheduling social media posts. For me I enjoy the flexibility of being able to make those decisions.
Having Fun
This isn’t often something we hear attributed to social work, but hear me out! There are actually a lot of moments that are truly fun and enjoyable. My clients have some of the best senses of humour out of anyone I get to interact with. I get to hear stories of hope and strength, and we get to celebrate wins together.
As I mentioned, I also have grown to love the unexpected side of private practice social work. I have genuinely enjoyed creating the different Simply Social Work platforms. I love making reaction videos and swapping self-care tips on Instagram. I’ve even gotten to be on a few podcasts and have made new friends, which has been amazing!
Learning & Professional Development
In case you missed it: I’m a huge nerd. I loved university (most of the time) because I truly love learning. It’s one of the reasons that, despite working in psychotherapy and loving every minute of it, I honoured my original goal of returning to school for my Master’s. There is still so much more for me to learn and ways for me to grow, both personally and professionally.
As a social worker, one of the requirements for our registration with the OCSWSSW (our regulatory body) is their Continuing Competency Program (or CCP). What this means is that every social worker in Ontario must continue to pursue additional education and professional development. This is to ensure that we are continuing to engage in best practices, as well as to ensure that the profession of social work continues to evolve, just as society does. So, I get the opportunity to constantly attend different webinars or have access to different articles on a variety of subjects, from topics of social justice and advocacy to therapeutic modalities like DBT. My love of learning is now something that is not just encouraged, but actively supported and provided for.
