The New Social Worker Vol. 20, No. 4, Fall 2013 | Page 9

fortable with who I was as a person and a
social worker.

After what I learned at my first
internship, I decided to take a different
perspective and approach on the work that
I was doing. I decided to relax and be the
social worker that I knew I could be. This
approach helped me tremendously. Not
only did I really begin to enjoy the work I
was doing, but I was better able to perform
my social work duties. I didn’t worry so
much about knowing everything and doing
absolutely everything to perfection. Being
a social worker is not about perfection; it
is about doing no harm to your clients and
joining them on their journey. I see it as a
path that you follow with your client with
many forks and turns in the road. Each
turn and merge leads you to a different
path.

The Importance of an
Apology

Another concept that was significant
for me was the importance of an apology
with your clients. When I got less than desirable feedback from my client in my first
internship, I listened to the client’s concerns
and followed with an apology. I told the client what my true intention was and that it

was not my goal to make my client feel that
way. I then followed with an apology. With
that apology, the client visibly relaxed, and
it was genuine. I realized that while I am a
social worker, I am also human. I will make
mistakes, even with the best intentions.

The Importance of the
Relationship

Finally, the relationship you have with
your field supervisor in your placements
can have a huge influence. In my first
internship, I had a supervisor who really
forced me to look at who I was and why I
decided to get into social work. She challenged me and pushed me to go farther,
but she cautioned me when I went too
far. In those many hours of supervision, I
realized how much of myself is projected
onto my clients. I began to see how my
values and beliefs about life influence how I
practice social work.

In my first internship, I was counseling
perpetrators of domestic violence. It can
be very intimidating to be in a room full
of men and be the only woman. My field
supervisor guided me in modeling correct
behaviors for these men. I began to notice
that they respected me and enjoyed having
me in the group, for not only my perspec-

tive but also for my presence. When I
had a rough night with that group, the
group and I talked about it. We figured out
together what was influencing me the most.
In some ways, it terrified me, because it
was about self-discovery, and those issues
were buried. With my supervisor’s help,
they were brought to the surface to be dealt
with.

In conclusion, field placements are
hard. Not only are they difficult for your
clients, but they are difficult for the intern.
There is so much to learn and so many revelations to be had. Looking back on it now,
when I am only a month away from being
finished with both field placements, I wonder where all the time went and whether I
really learned everything I needed to learn!
Yes, but there is always room for more
growth and learning. Welcome to a lifetime
of learning.
Kelly C. Johnson, MSW, received her degree
from the University of St. Francis. She also has a
Bachelor in Organization Leadership as well as
an Associate in Applied Science in Culinary Arts.
She has counseled victims and perpetrators of
domestic violence and counseled individuals with
substance abuse issues. She spends time with her
husband, Andrew, cooking, baking, and relaxing
with her two English bulldogs and boxer.

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The New Social Worker

Fall 2013

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