Essay On Self Reflection In Social Work

1200 Words3 Pages

Self-Reflection The field of social work is one that requires much self-reflection on the part of the worker. In doing so, it helps the worker better understand his or her own emotions and the thought processes that these emotions come from. The goal of this paper is to provide my own self-reflection, relating it to my own emotional intelligence in the domains of relationships, tolerance, flexibility, self-management, and emotional awareness, and my future plans and goals in Widener University’s MSW program. Emotional Intelligence Emotional intelligence can best be defined as being able to regulate one’s own emotions, while at the same being able to identify and empathize with the emotions of others (Morrison, 2007). This is an important skill to have within the realm of social work practice because as social workers, we are working with people on all levels, micro, mezzo, and macro, who are usually experiencing some of the most emotional times of their life. As those emotional buffers for our clients, we need to be able to regulate …show more content…

For me, self-management has always been rather easy, as I am fiercely independent and would rather be left alone to manage myself than work under someone else. However, the toughest part of this particular domain for me is accepting my own failures or mistakes. While I loved learning to be more independent when it comes to school and working when I started my BSW, I also think I became harder on myself when I did not get the right grade, or the right field placement. One of the things I think I need to work own most, is finding a balance between taking responsibility for my actions and behaviors and being too hard on myself for those actions and behaviors. This, like my flexibility, comes back to emotional intelligence relating to my own self-control surrounding my own disruptive emotions, as I can work through my under-achievements without clouding my own thinking, and continue on towards my goals (Goleman,

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