Desire To Do Social Work

My inclination towards the field of social work has been growing for as long as I can remember. In hindsight, it began as a child when I realized that it was strange that I did not know who my father was. I began questioning my mother about my father. After some time and with significant hesitation, she told me that my father had been abusive towards her. My mother re-married when I was ten years old and my personal experiences with physical abuse continued. I was old enough to understand that the abuse my mother was subjected to at the hands of her husband was not right. I knew then that I wanted to understand how this can happen and what causes a woman to feel like she can’t leave such a situation.

On a professional level I have also been inspired. While working with adults who were coping with an acquired brain injury, I immediately noticed how adaptable these individuals were to their new situations. Despite the fact that their lives had been dramatically changed and they faced discrimination and bias on a daily basis, they demonstrated resilience in the face of adversity. As a counselor with the Last Post Fund I assist economically disadvantaged families dealing with the loss of a loved one, obtain funding for the funeral costs as well as provide these families with emotional support. Too often in our society, the economically disadvantaged groups are stigmatized and made to feel ashamed when they reach out for support. I am proud to work with an organization that ensures a dignified funeral and burial for the families of war veterans who may not otherwise be able to afford such services. I have also had the opportunity to experience a vastly different culture first hand when I lived in Kenya for three months and volunteer...

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...viduals regardless of gender, race or sexual orientation may come to when they have left a domestic violence situation. I believe physical and environmental surroundings play a large role in the healing process and I would like to create a comfortable space filled with nature where people affected by abuse can recuperate physically, emotionally and spiritually. I would like this centre to provide both in-patient and out-patient services in a variety of areas, such as individual and group therapy, career development and relocation assistance, and workshops that focus on strength, resilience and self-efficacy. I believe social workers have an obligation to work towards understanding, treating and preventing the wide-spread problem of domestic abuse. The end result of these efforts will be healthier individuals, relationships and families.