When people hear the words “social work” or “counseling,” they may not know what they mean or what to think of the terms. For decades now, social work and counseling have been misunderstood by people of all ages and backgrounds. Sadly, these perceptions of the work can hold people, especially men, back from getting the help they need.
One of the most common misunderstandings is that social work and mental counseling mean the same thing. That is simply not true. A common consensus between both social workers and counselors is that, although they are similar, social work focuses on a larger community, while counseling is focused on helping individuals who are struggling. As Weymouth Police Community Outreach Clinician, Kelsey Monahan, put it, “Social work embodies the bigger picture,” while “LMHCs (Licensed Mental Health Counselors) are a lot more trained in sitting down and doing one-on-one therapy, which I (a social worker) wouldn’t know how to do.”
It is obvious that the requirements for counseling and social work are different, but what does that entail? What does being a counselor or social worker really mean? To answer this, South Shore Charter Public School’s K-6 adjustment counselor, Tanya Ames, describes counseling as “conversationally working with someone as they confide and express their feelings.” Working with younger kids (from kindergarten to sixth grade) may be different, however, from working with a different age group, like that of high school or older. Elizabeth Clancy, a 9th-grade and transitional guidance counselor here at SHS, describes her goals as being available to students as a “person to cry to.” Clancy works at SHS with a variety of students with a wide range of diagnoses and struggles. While she is unable to diagnose, she commonly works with students with anything from depression to a day-to-day social issue.
To put these in perspective, these diagnoses, though they can lead to very serious and detrimental issues, are often considered “minor.” As a social worker, especially in a larger community like a town, one may have to handle more “serious” diagnoses and the effects those can have on an individual, a family, or an entire community. After being asked for an example of a call she responded to, Monahan recounted a situation where she helped a young man with schizophrenia, who was wielding a knife, from hurting himself, his family, or other members of the Weymouth community. She de-escalated the situation with the help of the police, worked with the man to recognize the severity of the situation, and found the help the man needed.
Obviously, both jobs have their struggles. As Clancy explained, often the things counselors learn will “trigger things in them that they might not want to deal with,” and while dismantling situations, it can be “hard to recognize some of the more toxic behaviors that people in their lives or in their friends’ lives might exhibit.” Even through all this, Clancy described her job as “incredibly rewarding” and fulfilling through thick and thin.
Social work and counseling are by no means easy jobs, but despite the challenges, every year, more and more students seem to be inspired to explore a career or education in psychology or sociology. Mental health and mental well-being have become more of a priority in our society. Especially with political conflict on the rise, people have more often addressed the need they may have for counseling, and therefore, the field has begun to grow substantially.
Asking for help is never easy, but it is always the first step in recovery. Whether it’s social drama, familial issues, or serious ongoing problems, asking for help from a trained professional, such as a counselor, will never hurt. A misconception of social work, as Clancy explained, is “that people who seek out support have something wrong with them.” That is not true and holds people back from getting the help they may need. Regardless of age, gender, race, beliefs, or identity, students should not be afraid of seeking support because the world around them believes something that isn’t true.
If you or someone in your life needs help, don’t be afraid to reach out to your family, a trusted adult, a school or licensed counselor, or a mental health hotline like 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) (teen mental health hotline) or 988 (National suicide and crisis hotline).