Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping
https://reflectionsnarrativesofprofessionalhelping.org/index.php/Reflections
<p style="margin: 0in; background: white;"><em><span style="color: black;">Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping</span></em><span style="color: black;"> is a multi-disciplinary, double-blind, peer-reviewed, open access, online journal. Over 100 distinguished academics and practitioners serve as reviewers to ensure that manuscripts are of the highest quality. <em>Reflections</em> is a forum for uncovering and conveying the multiple challenges, joys, questions, and ideas that surface within the helping professions. With narratives at the core, authors use original prose, poetry, art, and photography to explore their lived experiences in classrooms, organizations, communities, and policy contexts. <em>Reflections</em> is a journal that reveals the disconnections that divide us and the many connections that unite us all. For more information, please visit</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in; background: white;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://reflectionsnarrativesofprofessionalhelping.org/index.php/Reflections/index" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://reflectionsnarrativesofprofessionalhelping.org/index.php/Reflections/index&source=gmail&ust=1684436176625000&usg=AOvVaw0vMpWKmikxnpRl6Xj2-_zV"><span style="color: #1155cc;">https://<wbr />reflectionsnarrativesofprofess<wbr />ionalhelping.org/index.php/<wbr />Reflections/index</span></a>.</span></p>Salem State Universityen-USReflections: Narratives of Professional Helping1080-0220<p>REFLECTIONS:<br />NARRATIVES OF PROFESSIONAL HELPING<br />SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY, PUBLISHER <br /><br />PUBLICATION AGREEMENT</p> <p>1. COPYRIGHT: If the manuscript you submit to this site (the “Manuscript”) is selected for publication in Reflections, the author(s) of the Manuscript hereby agree to transfer copyright of the Manuscript to Salem State University, including full and exclusive rights to reproduce the Manuscript in all media now known or later developed, including but not limited to electronic databases and microfilm, and in anthologies of any kind.</p> <p>2. AUTHOR RE-USES OF MANUSCRIPT: As a professional courtesy, the author(s) retains the right to reprint the Manuscript again after publication in Reflections, in any work the author(s) is sole author, or in any edited work for which the author(s) is senior editor, though the author(s) is required to cite the Manuscript as a prior publication in “Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping.” No further permission is necessary in writing from SSU, nor will SSU require fees of any kind for this reprinting. This statement is intended to provide a copyright release for the purposes set forth in this Section 2, and a photocopy of this Publication Agreement may be used when another publisher requires a written release.</p> <p>3. READER RE-USES OF MANUSCRIPT: The author(s) acknowledge that registered readers of Reflections and others with access to the Manuscript may use the Manuscript consistent with applicable law including, but not limited to Fair Use under 17 U.S.C. § 107.</p> <p>4. AUTHOR WARRANTIES: The author(s) represent(s) and warrant(s):</p> <p>a.) that the Manuscript is the author's (authors') own work;<br />b.) that the Manuscript has been submitted only to this journal and that it has not been previously published;<br />c.) that the Manuscript contains no libelous or unlawful statements and does not infringe upon the civil rights of others;<br />d.) that the author(s) are not infringing upon anyone else’s copyright.<br />e.) that the author(s) are responsible for any individual or organizational names that are mentioned in the Manuscript, as SSU disclaims responsibility for references to individuals, organizations, facts, and opinions presented by the published author(s) in the Manuscript.<br />f.) That the author(s) have taken care to ensure that the Manuscript does not contain any identifiable information about clients or patients except as pursuant to appropriate permissions and forms of informed consent as provided for in all relevant laws and codes of ethics.<br />g.) That the Manuscript in no way violates any individual’s privacy rights.</p> <p>The author(s) agree that if there is a breach of any of the above representations and warranties that the author(s) will indemnify SSU, including the publisher and editor of Reflections, and hold them harmless.</p> <p>5. AUTHOR RETENTION OF PATENTS: The author(s) may have, within the Manuscript, descriptions of the author's (authors') own proprietary patents. Nothing herein shall be construed as a transfer of any proprietary right in such patents. Accordingly, the author(s) retains all proprietary rights in any such patents described in the Manuscript, but such reservation in rights does not include ownership of the Manuscript, and SSU shall retain full and exclusive rights to the Manuscript as set forth herein.</p> <p>6. NOTE FOR U.S. GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES: Any Manuscript authored by a U.S. government employee(s) as part of the employee's official duties, must be noted with your submission.</p> <p>7. JOINT WORKS: Any Manuscript written by two or more authors with the intention that the Manuscript will be merged into one inseparable or interdependent parts of a unitary whole are considered a “Joint Work” under § 101 of the U.S. Copyright Act. This Agreement must be signed by all contributing authors to any Joint Work.</p> <p>8. “WORK FOR HIRE” AUTHORS: If the Manuscript was written by an author(s) who was hired by another person or company to do so, the manuscript is considered a “Work Made for Hire” under § 101 of the U.S. Copyright Act. This Agreement must be signed by the “employer” who hired the author(s), as well as the author(s).</p> <p>9. NO AMENDMENTS: This form is not valid if the author(s) add(s) any additional constraints and amendments. Please submit the article elsewhere for publication if the author(s) do not sign the form without alteration.</p>Reflections from the Editorial Leadership Team: Seizing the Opportunity to Reflect
https://reflectionsnarrativesofprofessionalhelping.org/index.php/Reflections/article/view/2201
<p>In Volume 30(3) we welcome a new Publishing Partner representative from Monmouth University and a new Co-Editor from the University of Minnesota to our Practice Section, along with grateful appreciation for the dedicated people who contribute their time and expertise to making <em>Reflections </em>possible. We introduce the idea of <em>Reflections </em>as a “way station” for authors and readers on an increasingly rapid journey of professional helping, where making the space to reflect is absolutely critical, and yet, actually grasping the time and savoring the moment is challenging. We are excited to highlight eight articles that offer insights about self-care and strategies for facilitating opportunities for change in practice and educational arenas as well as remind us of the importance of balancing the multiple and many demand in our lives. </p>Darlyne BaileyMonica LeiseyF. Ellen NettingKelly McNally Koney
Copyright (c) 2024 Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping
2024-07-152024-07-1530349Coming to Terms with Ukrainian/Russian Identity During the War: An American Social Worker’s Perspective
https://reflectionsnarrativesofprofessionalhelping.org/index.php/Reflections/article/view/2074
<p>Conflict in Ukraine has disrupted the lives of millions of people, including orphaned children. Yet, the consequences of the war in Ukraine extend beyond the Ukrainian border. The current crisis also impacts Ukrainian adoptees in the United States. Social workers are in a position to help children and families dealing with the effects of the crisis. My narrative adds another voice to the academic conversation from the perspective of a Ukrainian adoptee and a licensed clinical social worker working on coming to terms with multicultural identity as it pertains to the war in Ukraine. Additionally, it guides social workers who may be working with current or future adoptees in a therapeutic space by emphasizing the importance of culturally sensitive and trauma-informed services to address the intersection of institutionalization, adoption transition, and the impact of the current crisis in Ukraine.</p>Natalia "Natasha" Smith
Copyright (c) 2024 Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping
2024-07-152024-07-153031019Como Una Flor: A Self-Reflexive Experience of Countertransference, Enactments, and Culture
https://reflectionsnarrativesofprofessionalhelping.org/index.php/Reflections/article/view/2072
<p>This composite, self-reflexive clinical case study chronicles the complexities of a multi-contextual relationship between an undocumented Latina client and myself, the author and her reunification therapist. Individuals who experience trauma are often left with unresolved wounds that create layers of suppressed emotion. If these suppressed emotions are not healed, they can lead to unhealthy relationships and even, consciously or unconsciously, harmful responses that create re-victimization. Therapists often guide trauma survivors through this journey with support, education, and enactments. Many clinicians make the mistake of bracketing themselves out of this journey, which inevitably elicits counter-transferential reactions as a result. The importance of cultural influence is frequently reduced to language and broad cultural idioms. The therapeutic relationship within this case study, however, challenges the traditional practices of boundaries and enactments and further complicates my parallel journey as an early-career clinician who awakens my clinical expansion from my internal thoughts and a client’s evolution.</p>Juan Antonio Rios
Copyright (c) 2023 Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping
2024-07-152024-07-153032025Yes, I Am Helping “Model Minorities”: A Narrative of a Bicultural and Bilingual Asian Social Worker
https://reflectionsnarrativesofprofessionalhelping.org/index.php/Reflections/article/view/2069
<p>The “model minority” perception creates barriers for Asians in seeking health and social services in the context of their racial positioning and racial realities in the United States. As a bicultural and bilingual Asian social worker, I see the value of Asian Critical Race Theory (Chang, 1993) and the need to apply this theoretical framework in delivering health and social services to Asian populations facing the COVID-19 pandemic. Asian Critical Race Theory raises awareness on the “model minority” myth and how it is another form of racism against Asian Americans. This narrative is about Asian clients who I had worked with in the field, who I found were burdened by the “model minority” myth.</p>Isabel Sangeun Lee
Copyright (c) 2024 Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping
2024-07-152024-07-153032632Necessary Tension
https://reflectionsnarrativesofprofessionalhelping.org/index.php/Reflections/article/view/2076
<p>A slack violin string cannot produce a single note of music. A life without some degree of tension may be equally soundless, even unsound. Reflecting on the sometimes straight, more often crooked paths that have led me to inhabit the roles and responsibilities I carry today allows for course correction. It may even grant some measure of satisfaction. Balancing multiple roles, working within restrictive and inequitable institutional structures while simultaneously working to change them, answering the moral and ethical demand to advocate for social justice while holding space for personal spiritual development—these are the tensions at play in my life while navigating dual careers as a counselor educator and a clinical professional counselor.</p>Patricia Somers
Copyright (c) 2024 Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping
2024-07-152024-07-153033347“The Room Where It Happens”: Doctoral Students’ Journey to Community-Engaged Research
https://reflectionsnarrativesofprofessionalhelping.org/index.php/Reflections/article/view/2042
<p>Doctoral education in social work equips students to be stewards of the discipline through training in practice, policy, and research methods. In this article, we, as two doctoral students, reflect on our research practicum coursework. As fans of the musical<em> Hamilton</em> (Miranda, 2015a), we were struck by the parallel of gaining access to “the room where [research] happens” (Miranda, 2015c) and offer commentary on the historically exclusionary practices of the empiricist-driven academy. While learning the research process, it became obvious and disconcerting that doctoral education in social work focuses on teaching students how to engage in primarily positivist, empiricist, generalizable research. However, this epistemology does not align with most social work scholarship agendas. Through critical consideration of personal and professional values, we posit that the social work profession has a responsibility to infuse humanizing, community-engaged research methods and offer points of reflection educators may consider to enhance their research courses.</p>Jennifer TanisLeonardo Kattari
Copyright (c) 2024 Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping
2024-07-152024-07-153034858Baptism by Fire: Field in the Time of COVID-19
https://reflectionsnarrativesofprofessionalhelping.org/index.php/Reflections/article/view/2077
<p>This paper explores our lived experiences as undergraduate social work students in our practicum placements during the first year of COVID-19, including our reactions to seeing COVID-19 unfold in our agencies, the impacts on clients, how we developed social work skills given all of the restrictions, and how we managed our own physical and mental health. We struggled with getting sick—and so did family, clients, and co-workers, some of whom did not live. We highlight the importance of support networks, supportive supervision, and self-care. We utilize the concept of shared trauma to illustrate how, despite the collective nature of the pandemic, each of us brings a unique perspective, especially given the wide range of practicum placements. Finally, we include reflections on systemic vulnerabilities that COVID-19 revealed and frustrations with engaging and supporting client needs.</p>Diane GriffithsJill RussettSequoia BenhartMichele BlackGeorgia BransfordEmerald CheesbrewAshley DuVallJ'Keyah GaskinsEmily HewettAnna JunkinsKisha LimDelaney MenoherEmily MillerEmma MillerCharlotte PattersonMadison PorterMadison PoznerOltar QuintanillaHannah SteelmanMiriam StumpLillian TysonEmily WeatherholtzMcKenzie WhiteAnna Wilcox
Copyright (c) 2024 Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping
2024-07-152024-07-153035975On Becoming a Professional Social Worker: Stressors and Successes
https://reflectionsnarrativesofprofessionalhelping.org/index.php/Reflections/article/view/2041
<p>Social work is an honorable profession, but it may also be a difficult profession considering high caseloads, low salaries, and numerous opportunities to experience stress, burnout, and vicarious trauma. The process of becoming a professional social worker at the graduate level requires considerable time, energy, money, and stamina. Four first-semester MSW students and I, their professor, share our lived experiences and challenges during the Fall 2021 semester at a historically Black university in the midst of the pandemic. Time management, work-life balance, coursework demands, self-care, social support, social justice, and advocacy surface as primary concerns. Our narratives suggest that self-care for graduate social work students is as important as self-care for professional social workers. Graduate social work programs are advised to consider implementing courses or programs that teach social work students how to engage in self-care rather than presenting it as a topic for discussion. Implications for research are discussed.</p>Val LivingstonHelen MerriwetherCarly MarcusAlijhanae TrowerPrecious Waddy
Copyright (c) 2024 Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping
2024-07-152024-07-153037689Reflecting on Fear and Relationship
https://reflectionsnarrativesofprofessionalhelping.org/index.php/Reflections/article/view/2062
<p>This reflection is by an MSW early on in my career on the ways social work has made me more afraid, and how fear can undermine and erode relationships. Ultimately, I conclude that unconditional positive regard and relationship-centered practice are the heart of social work. I hope to cultivate kinder, gentler, and friendlier social work practice throughout my career.</p>Sean Carr
Copyright (c) 2023 Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping
2024-07-152024-07-153039094