Career and Self-Care Plan
My Philosophy:
As a new advanced practitioner, I am going out into the workforce with the mindset of Gandhi. “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” I want to go into every new adventure with the philosophy of being a compassionate, empathetic, and meaningful human being. I meet new people, clients, and peers, where they are and with an understanding that every single person is doing the best that they can, with what they have.
Self-Care:
Self-care is something that I have struggled with throughout my time in college, and my entire adult life in general if I am being honest. The faculty here at SAU in the School of Social Work have taught me how to take care of myself because if I am not taken care of, I will not be able to help others. I plan to and have been practicing some proven mindfulness techniques including meditation, journaling, and spending time in nature. I spend one day out of every weekend doing something out in nature that helps me recharge my emotional battery and allows me to reflect on the previous week. I kayak, swim, fish, hike, and practice gratitude for the many blessings in my life that many others do not have. This has allowed me to lessen my stress, and process through the anxiety I have suffered for many years. I plan to continue practicing these techniques in my future, wherever it leads, to ensure I am able to give my clients the best version of myself and help them with their needs.
Career Plans:
One Year – In the next year, I plan to earn my LMSW licensure and start a job that allows me to work with school-aged children in a therapeutic way. I have already taken an LMSW prep course that has given me the skills I need to be successful when taking my LMSW exam. I have also been offered several amazing opportunities working with children as a potential job.
Five Years – Within five years, I plan to have attained my LCSW in the state of Georgia. I want to be working with school-aged children providing trauma-informed therapy and helping them process and work through their trauma to become successful young adults. I plan to continue the work I do in my free time with those experiencing homelessness, providing a compassionate ear to listen, and supplies to keep them safe and meet their basic needs. I hope to also be giving back to the field of social work by becoming a field instructor for SAU. I had the two best field instructors I could have ever imagined that gave me their wisdom and helped shape me into the practitioner I am today.
Ten Years – Within ten years, I plan to be in a job I love, providing therapy to abused and neglected children of all socioeconomic backgrounds. I want to be able to work with low-income clients, that might not have the opportunity to work with a therapist in other situations. I want to be certified in EMDR and use this to help clients move through and beyond their traumas, and give lightness back into their darkest moments. I plan to also be a mentor for a local social work program, teaching therapeutic modalities to the budding practitioners SAU and UTC are shaping.
