Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping

Reflections from the Editorial Team: Preparing the Next Generation of Helping Professionals

2026-04-29T15:46:43+00:00

We are excited to announce that our next publication will be the first in a series of Special Issues on Navigating Change. In this current Issue we highlight the important theme of preparing the next generation of helping professionals to be self-reflective, engage in reflexivity, learn to communicate well, and become effective supervisors and educators of the future. Eleven articles are highlighted in which authors’ personal and professional experiences reinforce a deep commitment to learning from others, so that expectations, boundaries, and interventions are available to light the way in uncertain and often challenging settings. In so doing, we aim to assist helping professionals to do their best work and to support one another in the process.

Supervising Medical Social Work Interns in a Veterans Medical Center Hospital

2022-11-08T12:22:45+00:00

This paper presents a narrative compilation of real social work student experiences through a pair of fictitious medical interns—“Michelle” and “Dwight”—assigned to simulated practicum education placements. Exploring Michelle’s work in the burn unit and Dwight’s in the traumatic brain injury unit, we consider the emotional challenges interns weather in the face of extreme physical trauma and how faculty supervisors can provide support.

Sending Paraprofessionals Out as Sheep to a Pack of Wolves: A Professional Reflection

2026-03-02T10:53:42+00:00

Black and Brown men who have sex with men (BMSM) are often recruited as paraprofessionals to offer risk-reduction counseling services to their communities. Due to the high prevalence of HIV, mental health issues, substance use disorders, and suicidal thoughts among BMSM as compared to the general population, these service providers are often at risk themselves—yet are seldom obligated to receive continuing education or clinical supervision. This reflection shows the importance of providing organized, culturally competent support to paraprofessionals in community- and health-based institutions delivering services to an at-risk and vulnerable community. I demonstrate the implications of offering risk-reduction counseling without adequate clinical support. I also discuss what a successful supervisor of BMSM paraprofessionals might look like. Finally, I discuss what BMSM paraprofessionals need to succeed when delivering care and examine how unaddressed personal and structural factors can contribute to maladaptive coping in the face of such targeted workplace stressors.

From Student to Educator: A Social Worker’s Journey with Self-Disclosure

2024-12-15T11:03:27+00:00

The use of self-disclosure in social work remains controversial despite the growing theoretical and empirical evidence that engaging individuals with lived experience is fundamental to providing equitable and inclusive services. Within mental health services, social workers (and other helping professionals) appear particularly reluctant to engage in the practice due to stigma and fear of professional ramifications. This is further compounded by limited research and guidance on the risks and benefits of self-disclosure. Using a personal narrative covering my journey with self-disclosure as a social worker, this paper explores gaps in social work education and supervision related to lived experience and the resulting implications for social workers and service users. Recommendations for creating a culture of self-disclosure—including the role of social work education, practicum, and supervision—are discussed.

Reaching Out of the Abyss: A Reflection on an Animal-Assisted Crisis Response Deployment

2024-10-04T12:10:21+00:00

In the wake of crises and disasters, Animal-Assisted Crisis Response (AACR) is an innovative intervention that provides comfort and support to survivors and bystanders. This article recounts the palpable and gratifying contributions of AACR in the aftermath of a tragedy, and a crisis scene in a city in Israel demonstrates the support that can be provided through this AACR handler and her dog.

Don’t Count Me Out: Advice from Older Black Women to Healthcare Professionals

2024-07-11T09:15:35+00:00

Communication between healthcare professionals and older Black women can be hampered by many factors, particularly cultural gaps, sensory decline, and the fast-paced nature of healthcare settings. After witnessing my own grandmother’s struggle to be heard by her doctors, I sought to provide an avenue for others like her to share their experiences. Therefore, this qualitative case study aims to document the narratives of seven Black women ages 67+ and, in doing so, provide insight for improved communication and cultural competence.

Learning from Hanne: Reflections on Social Work Practice in Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID)

2025-11-11T12:06:22+00:00

This article details the experiences of Hanne Schafer, who is the first Canadian, outside of Quebec, to receive a court-ordered exemption on February 25, 2016, for a physician-assisted death which occurred on February 29, 2016. While helping my friend achieve her goal of a peaceful death, I reflected on the implications for social work practice with clients considering or proceeding toward what is known in Canada as MAID, Medical Assistance in Dying. I offer my ideas on how social workers can prepare themselves for engaging in this developing area of practice.

Adapting Autoethnography to Explore Cultural and Generational Differences on Aging

2025-02-03T14:59:20+00:00

In this article we analyze a series of in-depth interviews and conversations between two women, both social workers and gerontologists, that culminate in an oral history project which created a space for dialogue across generations. The narrator (Virginia), 99, reflects on the experiences that shaped how she cared for people with dementia. The interviewer (Natalie), 42, assumes a co-interpreter role as she documented what informed Virginia’s relational, person-centered approach. Additionally, reactions and responses from a graduate student (Sajjad), 42, invited by Natalie to assist with data analysis, are shared utilizing an adapted autoethnographic approach. Together, we offer two culturally and generationally divergent perspectives on aging and care for older adults. This paper highlights how autoethnography facilitates the co-construction of a nuanced understanding of aging and offers a vehicle for scholars and practitioners to examine their assumptions about aging.

Where Do You Stand?: Lessons I Hope My Great-Grandfather Will Teach Me

2025-03-15T11:45:50+00:00

In this piece, I reflect on my new research into my great-grandfather, an influential and controversial Rabbi who, beginning in the 1940s, lobbied against the establishment of a Jewish state. Part 1 considers the current crisis in Palestine/Israel alongside a sermon delivered by my great-grandfather 80 years ago. Part 2 reflects on the origin of this research, begun two years before the current escalation of violence, as well as the scope and potential contributions of this study to contemporary American history and to the field of social work. In Part 3, I interrogate why it has taken so long to begin this work, critically reflecting on what has held me back from engaging in anti-Zionist study and action.

Coping as a Double Minority: Reflections of a Black Man Who Achieved His Doctorate in Social Work

2023-11-03T12:07:24+00:00

This article discusses my personal experience as a double minority—Black and male—in a social work doctoral program, emphasizing the unique challenges posed by this intersectionality in an academic context. The narrative explores the correlation between doctoral education and the experiences of Black men, highlighting coping mechanisms and the importance of community support. By explicitly noting the double minority status within this specific academic setting, the examination of implications for social work and recommendations for future research aims to contribute to improving the experiences of the next generation of individuals navigating multiple marginalized identities.

I Need Help with Teaching Racism to Students Who Appear to Internalize or Appropriate Racial Oppression

2024-03-08T10:49:58+00:00

This narrative delineates my engagement with race discourse within social work classrooms, with particular emphasis on the personal challenges encountered in facilitating discussions among white anti-racist students, non-white students, and students of non-white backgrounds who seem to internalize and appropriate racial oppression. While existing literature offers insights into techniques for fostering racial dialogues between white and non-white students, it provides scant guidance on pedagogical methodologies tailored for individuals grappling with internalized or appropriated racial oppression. In this paper, I humbly seek guidance in devising effective strategies to address the needs of social work students who have internalized or appropriated racial oppression.

Social Work as a Path to Diversity Work

2024-01-03T21:02:13+00:00

We are in an exciting time in our country as we navigate racial tensions and resolve to make our organizations better places for everyone to work and live. One way to do so is professionally as administrative leaders dedicated to this cause (often called chief diversity officers or directors of an office of diversity). Social workers are taught a skillset that is conducive to work in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion. This skillset includes brokering, strategic planning, evaluation, and research. Here, I focus on three essential skills that have been particularly helpful in helping to lead an organization in areas of equity and inclusion: communication, resource-gathering, and self-care. As context for the conversation, I share my journey to leadership. This article ends with implications for research and a call for willing social workers to consider entering this work at any level desirable.