Recently I’ve been thinking a lot about how to present myself online, who my target audience is and what I have to offer. It occurred to me that posting a positionality statement might help people understand me a little better. I also considered how to do it in a way that wouldn’t disrupt the therapeutic frame if people I work with in that context read it. With all of this in mind this post will explore my professional trajectory with limited information about my social positions.
I grew up mostly in Allentown and attended a predominantly white high school. After high school I got an associate’s degree in business administration from Borough of Manhattan Community College. While attending school I also worked in recruitment for financial institutions. So, I was learning about financial theory while the financial job market shifted to focus on credit default swaps and foreclosures exploded. Looking at that led me to believe my work was increasing human suffering. I was interested in sociology and anthropology but couldn’t figure out how to make a career from them. My dad suggested social work. When I read a little bit about it as a career guided by the value of service, I thought it might be an ethical way of working. I obtained a Bachelor of Social Work degree from Cedar Crest College in 2013 and Master of Social Work degree from Widener University in 2023. During the 10 years between degrees most of my time was spent working with youth and families navigating challenges while raising my own family.
Right now, I am a PhD student at Widener University’s Center for Social Work Education, studying the manifestations and impacts of epistemic injustice in social work practice. I am also adjunct faculty teaching graduate social work students at Marywood University. I decided to pursue a PhD because I was interested in research to influence policy in efforts to make systems more just. However, I’m quickly realizing that there is no ethical way to make enough money and the knowledge hierarchies in academia are so entrenched that I might not be able to change policies. I persist because this work energizes me. My curiosity drives me to want to understand all aspects of the human condition. I recently started a small therapy practice where I hope to offer a little light and healing. It is the culmination of my temperament, personal and professional experiences that lead me to be interested in liberation on personal and societal levels. I believe that every person is distinctly responsible for moving toward liberation. For now, my roles are being with people while they heal; guiding the next generation of social workers as they navigates futures we can’t see yet; and studying social work as an institution with potential to be part of the movement toward liberation.
Please reach out if you want to work together!
