What Would Dr. Meyers Do?

Whether you enjoy the holidays or not, they can still be a source of expectation, stress, and pressure. Dr. Meyers identifies some of those challenging aspects and offers a few tips on successful navigation.

There are quire a few essentials in doing therapy. As we banter about those essentials including empathy, listening without judgment, self-efficacy, and accepting feedback Kellyanne Brady, LMHC reminds us to "be present not perfect". Whether a beginner or seasoned professional it's easy to lose sight of this idea. And, certainly all of us who walk on this earth have challenges with some of these conceptes, therapist or not. What do you struggle with when doing this work - or just living in a world driven by connection to others? This episode also considers what is needed to build and deepen relationships.

In episode 19 we asked Alba Torres, a social work student who is a survivor of severe and multiple forms of child abuse and has a history of abandonments how she will manage potential work with the population with whom she identifies: children of abuse. A year after her first exposure to the work, she reflects on how she came through the anticipated experience. What does it take to heal as a clinician in order to do good work with clients?

Dr. Meyers shares her raw, emotional account of uninvited sexual advances from a respected colleague. Even in subtle form, this may be uncomfortable or unwanted - and our social construction of gender shapes what may be considered appropriate or inappropriate and raises question as to what should be tolerated or accepted. Her story sheds light on the nuanced ways in which the target can be disarmed and the challenge of setting boundaries and regaining control.

Happy one year anniversary to WWDMD! Celebrate with us as we reflect on the past year and where we will be heading. So much learning and growing has been done for me, my guests, and the audience. I've had conversations with academicians, clinicicans, students, and a couple of folks outside of the profession.
Some things I've realized? I want to keep going, broaden the range of topics, use my platform to help folks feel validated in their experiences, and share more of myself!

Have you ever been in a collaborative relationship that wasn’t going well? We can all learn from Emily Brierly’s experience with a peer whom she co-lead a social work group. Emily discusses her frustration when finding herself with a different agenda. To complicate matters, the different racial identities created anxiety for Emily as she attempted to manage power dynamics.

Tracey Clingo addresses her client’s anger but gets caught in her own fears of confrontation. Through reflection, self-awareness, and insight around counter transference, Tracey contends with the why’s and how’s of her own emotional reactions. Her ability to process her own and her client’s emotional underpinnings allows her to be armed with the ability to engage in an otherwise frightening situation.

We can understand the impact of sibling abuse on survivors quite well through a psychodynamic lens. When we develop our knowledge of the ways in which the abusive experience affects perceptions of self and others, we can also learn about styles of attachment and the ways in which challenges are manifested in interpersonal relationships. Sibling abuse preys on one’s ability to trust and rely on others; an active desire to please others; defenses are employed to self-protect while also keeping others at a distance. We all crave connection, but for survivors of sibling abuse that desire comes with a huge price.

Many of us contend with challenging aspects of our work that require us to advocate for our needs, or confront a colleague. Usually this presents as quite scary and fearful. As social workers, we have to be able to advocate for ourselves if we are going to be able to advocate for our clients, but we know it’s usually easier to do some things for others rather than ourselves. Three social workers confront their own anxieties about getting their needs met. Through exploring their fears and perceived outcomes of confrontation they find motivation to put their needs into action.