2 ideas

The first is: I like social work, but I'm beginning to understand the difficulties I've had with liking it. For instance, social workers care about everything, I mean this it the profession that aims to improve not only interpersonal factors (friendships, marriages, bla bla) but also social factors (stop wars, improve legal rights, make the economy more fair). Imagine what being a social worker entails then! You gotta do all that, not make a lot of money, and still go home at night and live the rest of your life. What a dream, right?! I am just kidding, it is a cool profession. However, why don't we adjust it a little bit while we're here. I definitely want to do away with this attitude of not doing interpretations, for example. (Interpretations are the therapist's explanations to the client of realistic causes and understandings of what she is feeling and how she is living; longer explanation to follow in another post). What do social workers often say about this tool/function: we don't use it, we don't need it, our job is to help the person, not interpret to them what is going on. Basically, at least in my experience, we are supposed to help improve the situation without ever getting down to solving the original problem. Labor unions are a good example, what do they accomplish--better wages and rights for workers. Good idea, however standing up for yourself isn't the whole picture. What about improving the economy in such a way that people won't have to be a part of labor unions, we all deserve respect so why not stress that and aim for that change rather than rest at the point we are at now. (I realize this too can be elaborated on forever). My basic point is: let's really do something, let's define how we want to help people and actually do it, be active. Rather than enforce this 'field of caring' that is often helpless because of the forces around it. Change the forces!

Idea 2: I almost totally forgot, now I remember. This is about my earlier message on therapy not being for everyone. Or is it? Or is it not? I think therapy should be an adjunctive practice for some people. You're doing your job and things are great however there is that little part of you that peaks out once in a while and throws off your day. Come to therapy, hopefully we can figure it out, you're not sick and it will only help you!