This episode starts with a raw and necessary conversation between Felicia and Rachel about the current state of the world, from Gaza to media complicity to the breakdown of trust in institutions. Then we shift to our guest, the remarkable Gisselle Pardo, a licensed clinical social worker, public health professional, educator, and advocate.

We dig into what it really means to be a social worker right now. We consider what it means to hold space for grief, trauma, and hope in communities facing systemic harm, including the terrifying resurgence of ICE raids in NYC. Gisselle speaks candidly about the devaluation of care work, the cost of choosing this profession, and what it means to show up anyway. We explore institutional betrayal, collective burnout, and why small acts of resistance and humanity still matter.

It’s not all doom and gloom! We also explore reasonable hope, talk about dancing, being in community, and finding joy.

Chapters

(0:00:00) - Felicia and Rachel's Intro

(0:23:18) - Interview begins with Gisselle

(0:30:48) - Reimagining the Social Work Narrative

(0:37:12) - Role of Social Work in Communities

(0:40:33) - Impact of ICE Raids on Communities

(0:52:27) - Challenges in Social Work Advocacy

(0:58:52) - Navigating Crisis and Sustainable Hope

(1:06:20) - Cultivating Reasonable Hope in Social Work

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