In this episode of Social Work Radio, Vince and Cara take on a question that quietly sits in the background of the profession: do you need trauma to be a good social worker? They explore why lived experience is often seen as a badge of credibility, the real role empathy plays in practice, and the risks that come when personal pain becomes an unspoken qualification for the job.

From the value of emotional literacy and supervision to the burnout risks of over-identification, the conversation unpacks what truly shapes effective practice - and why the profession needs a healthy mix of perspectives, not a competition over who has suffered the most.

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