What does it mean to practice social work with curiosity, accountability, and the courage to hold more than one truth at a time?

In this episode of The Social Worker Podcast, we speak with Tyler Coulbourne (he/they) as part of CASW’s special series celebrating 100 years of social work in Canada.

Tyler’s path into the profession was anything but linear. From working as a flight attendant, photographer, bartender, hiking guide, pirate deckhand, and more, Tyler reflects on the many experiences that shaped how they show up in social work today. At the centre of that journey there has always been a commitment to relationality, learning, community, and supporting people in meaningful ways.

Throughout the conversation, Tyler shares how queerness, decolonial learning, adult education, and Indigenous approaches to practice have shaped their understanding of what social work can be. They also speak honestly about the tension of being part of a profession with a history of harm while remaining committed to pushing it toward liberation, justice, and deeper accountability.

This episode invites social workers to sit with complexity, resist simple answers to complex problems, and imagine a profession rooted in relationships, humility, mutual aid, and meaningful solidarity.