What Would Dr. Meyers Do?

Most of us are aware of the stereotypes associated with the child welfare system and the realities of this system's limitations. Two BSW graduates discuss their experiences navigating the demonstrated lack of professionalism, engagement failures, and interventions that contradicted the social work values they were learning in the classroom. Contending with a punitive approach to family managem...

Sibling aggression and abuse are the most common forms of family violence yet these impacting and traumatic experiences are still not being wholly addressed through policy, advocacy, and systemic change. There is hope! Learn about an Initiative (SAARA) that is breaking ground in the realm of sibling abuse awareness and change. If you have experienced sibling abuse this episode is sure to resonate...

Dr. Meyers discusses the state of, and fear of vulnerability in a way that most anyone can relate. She makes the case that allowing oneself to be vulnerable is imperative to growth. Social workers also must experience vulnerability to develop professionally and also to be aligned with clients.

Are you in co-parenting distress? Do you work with someone who has major conflict with their partner around parenting choices. Separation and divorce create complications for children. Brook Olsen, a high-conflict divorce expert talks about processes to help navigate stressful and destructive communication and cultivate a healthier environment for the children involved.

Adolescence is hard! We know that first hand. The pressures of this time of development impact parents and their desire to protect or punish youth as an effort to influence behavior. Adolescents struggle with impulse control, the need for immediate gratification and experimentation as a means towards growth. How does this impact social media use - and how does social media use and other peer and s...

What can we all learn about ourselves and how to get what we need from hearing from those who are struggling to get what they deserve and are entitled to receive? Many of us struggle with asking for what we need. What happens when you aren’t getting what you need from someone in a work position that is charged with providing that service to you? Although field supervisors are contractually obligat...

A survivor of sibling sexual abuse shares her experience with her abusive brother and the family dynamics that shaped this relationship. She also shares the progress made in her intimate relationships as well as with her family members.

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 s...

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 clini...

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 disarme...

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...

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 situat...

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 oth...

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 c...

A gay clinician and parent deeply reflects on his experience with oppressive heteronormativity and the challenges faced along his way to parenthood. Dr. Mohan Vinjumari takes us through his roles as educator, social worker, researcher, and therapy client that have helped him make sense of his shame and identity as a gay man and consider his approach to raising a child who will have to contend with...

This episode is sure to extend its relevance beyond the profession of clinical work. We can all learn from the social workers in episode 14 who are back to talk about how they developed their ability to sit with silence and convey empathy with confidence. They talk about how their own need to be helpful and their own difficulty being alone with their thoughts impacts their ability to sit silently...

Sibling abuse indicates a form of child neglect because in order for it to occur and persist, there is a lack of effective parental intervention. Since sibling abuse is a product of a dysfunctional family environment, it is important to understand the experience from a family systems lens. What dynamics contribute to the existence and perpetuation of sibling abuse? How does the way parents relate...

Silas Kelly, Social Worker and podcast host shares his childhood experience of abandonment, neglect and then rescue through foster care. He shares his path towards healing, stability, gratitude, and ultimately a calling to the profession of social work.

An elder client financially exploited by a neighbor. Reminiscent and supportive counseling amazingly improves her dementia. Then she expresses romantic love for her clinician. Dr. Meyers and her guest discuss various forms of demonstrated love from clients and how to manage it.

Celeste Viciere is here to explain the process of healing the inner child She discusses the importance of becoming aware of how our early childhood experiences, emotions and neds are played out in adulthood and how we can develop new patterns of being. "Shifting" is a challenging process that Celeste has worked on herself. Her straight-forward understanding, explanation and tools may jus...

How we physically present ourselves does leave room for judgment. Does our appearance send the message we want regarding how we would like to be perceived? Can we control how we are perceived? Attire and physical being are compared to earning respect as Molloy University students reveal their own personal styles and the impact that has had on them, and others.

Dr. Meyers is in conversation with Anne, who shared her personal story of sibling abuse in episode #38. Now, Anne shares how, through her work with a client who was a survivor, Anne came to her own realizations of her childhood sibling relationship. The work between client and therapist became significantly healing for both. Anne was able to validate and identify her client’s experience as abusive...

Working with clients who have been traumatized requires understanding of trauma-informed practices, psychodynamics, and neuroscience - and requires self-care. How do we know when to help the client process their trauma or recognize they may not be ready? Dr. Daria Hansen shares the strategies she applies to her clients, her students, and herself.