Finding My Path in Social Work

If you had told me a few years ago that I'd be doing fieldwork at a therapy practice, sitting in on sessions with clients ranging from 8 to 80 years old, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. But here I am, spending my senior fieldwork at Ignite Psychotherapy, and it’s been nothing short of incredible.

When I first started at Ignite, I wasn’t sure what to expect. My supervisor, Kelly Lindenbaum, works with kids, teens, adults, and couples so I’ve had the chance to observe a little bit of everything. But one of the coolest parts? Kelly has a therapy dog named Rooster. He’s a total sweetheart, and we’re working on bringing him into places like the Kenosha Public Library and local schools, especially during finals week, to help students de-stress.

I’ve learned so much about social work, but also about myself. One of the biggest lessons? Managing my empathy. I feel everything deeply, which can be both a strength and a challenge. I’m working on not taking on the emotions of every client I interact with—because let’s be real, that would get exhausting.

Setting emotional boundaries and practicing self-care has been a big focus for me, and I’m slowly getting better at it.

If you’re in the placement phase and feeling uncertain—trust me, that’s totally normal! I got into social work because I wanted to honor a late therapist of mine, Aarika, who quite literally saved my life multiple times. I knew I wanted to be like her, which led me to a clinical setting. But that path might not be right for everyone, and that’s okay!

The best thing you can do? Be open to new experiences.

Try something outside of your comfort zone. Take risks. Social work is such a broad field, and there are so many ways to make an impact. Wherever you end up, just know you’re making a difference.

BY KIERSTEN PERYER