A Social Worker with her own history of sexual abuse and intimate partner violence has empathy for her clients based on her identification with them, and openly navigates her own triggered feelings from working with those whom she shares similar experiences.
Mara, a seasoned client is back for a second round of questions about all things therapy. She probes to learn more about what therapists really think but don't say or let on to their clients.
Soon to be graduates of Molloy University’s social work program grapple with “what am I going to do with my life?”. Societal pressures of success combust with their personal expectations. As Dr. Meyers normalizes their fears, they are offered new ways of thinking about a grand plan.
We continue the sibling abuse series learning how to assess for the occurrence of sibling abuse - as it is happening during childhood/adolescence AND how to uncover if someone as an adult has had this experience in their past. Could you or someone you know be a victim or survivor of sibling abuse? Have you always considered it as only sibling rivalry? Let's find out how to confirm this.
We are curious, baffled, and sometimes turned off by those whom don't fit societal norms. Meet Hannah Fons, an exemplary human being who happens to be trans. Her openness about her experience as a trans-person offers us the ability to learn about our perceptions without judging ourselves .
Bianca Shaw, a community-based social worker, supports and empowers the leadership of parents impacted by the family policing system through narrative stories. She works to heal those affected by the child welfare system, systemic racism and poverty. Bianca talks about how she “shows up” in her work and develops trust with those who initially question her intentions, addressing what separates us, and what brings us together.
Mara, a seasoned client, talks about her experiences in therapy: what she found challenging, and unsettling about how her therapists worked with her and conducted themselves. Included is a discussion about “breaking up” with your therapist. And don’t miss Mara’s rapid fire questions for Dr. Meyers.
Sibling abuse exists within the family environment due to certain stressors and its perpetuation is affected by caregiver mismanagement. Learn how to detect sibling abuse and how to protect children from its occurrence, as well as mitigate the impact on survivors.
Learn about working from a Holistic lens; and what happens when a clinician doesn’t believe in medication even when it may benefit the client?
What happens when trauma meets trauma? My guest talks about her traumatic past as a victim of severe child abuse and how her resilience and limitations play out in her own work with children of abuse.
Confronting others is often feared and not always pleasant, but it is imperative towards getting our needs met. Dr. Meyers offers an empowering outlook to be able to confront others with success.
A social worker shares her traumatic upbringing and her perseverance. She and Dr. Meyers explore her pull to the helping profession as a result of impactful life experiences including multiple losses and family secrets. Her own history reveals potential challenges for her work.
Understand the long-lasting emotionally traumatic repercussions for the victim/survivor of childhood and adolescent sibling abuse.
It really does take a village. How did two social workers capitalize on their resources to serve themselves and those they serve? We all need to be nourished. Your greatest resource begins with you; putting yourself out there and building community to get the fuel you need.
Why is it so challenging to convey empathy and to sit with silence? These seemingly simple offerings to others come weighted with our own discomforts. Learn the value of these experiences and gain insight into your own challenges.
As we strive to help others, we must also contend with our own fears, concerns, and anxieties. Dr. Meyers talks with social work students about how perfectionism and a rigid sense of right and wrong must be restructured so that mistakes are not perceived as failures.
When is it time to end therapy? And whose decision is it? Is the client resistant to the work or has your work been successful? Dr. Meyers challenges her listeners to consider whose need is really being tended to, when the therapist feels the client should stay in treatment.
In the first of a series on Sibling Abuse, Dr. Meyers outlines what exactly sibling abuse is, and what it looks like. Although sibling abuse still remains under the radar, it is the most common form of family violence and extremely damaging. Dr. Meyers’ research on emotional and physical sibling abuse revealed its traumatic impact.
Born and raised in Slovakia with a history of abuse, foster care, gangs, and drugs, Social Worker Tomas and Dr. Meyers explore how his traumatic past and subsequent abandonment issues play out in his work with the homeless population. Does this shared connection help or hinder the clinician-client relationship?
Simple gestures from clients may have significant meaning. Dr. Meyers and Molloy University social work students talk about the symbolic meaning of gifts from clients; and, their dis/comfort with self-disclosure.
Petrina Williams, MSW discusses her traumatic upbringing inclusive of abuse and abandonment. Together we explore how this effects her ability to connect with clients.
In the classroom, Dr. Meyers finds herself the subject of students’ desires to know more about her. This is a learning opportunity as clients often demonstrate interest in the personal lives of their therapists. Dr. Meyers delves into the curiosities of her students and faces her own discomfort and reactions.
What happens when a clinician feels closely connected to her client? Petrina Williams’ attraction to her abusive, mentally ill client is rooted in a shared vulnerability.
Therapists regularly process their work with clients in supervision. Dr. Meyers reveals her experience participating in a supervision group that felt very much like therapy and compelled her to gain some uncomfortable insights.
We all want to be seen for who we are. What happens when our clients’ perceptions of us don’t match who we truly are, or how we want to be perceived? Join three Molloy University social work students as they grapple with this discomfort.
Social Worker Amanda Sanchez talks about her own intergenerational mental health issues and how she has worked intentionally to overcome her trauma and resounding anxiety. Her resilience and insight allow her to heal, and work well with children.
Sometimes, a therapist can identify closely with her client, sharing similar life experiences. This can make it challenging to maintain objectivity. Dr. Meyers openly reveals her emotions and thoughts as this occurred with her client.
Molloy University Social Work student and Veteran Petrina Williams shares her fear of entering an internship working with Veterans. Although she identifies with the population, she questions her ability to be empathic.
Have you ever wondered what clinicians and social workers are REALLY thinking and feeling as they help others navigate their lives? This podcast is all about learning: about the dynamics of a clinical case; the emotional journey of the clinician; and YOU. My guests and I will talk about our challenges, questions, and anxieties about the work as well as our own personal histories as we strive to understand others and ourselves. I want to offer you the opportunity to be that fly on the wall - and ...
