NASW Texas Member Spotlight - May 2025

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Member Since:

2017

Why did you join NASW?

I joined NASW for the professional developing, networking opportunities, to get involved in advocacy and contribute to their commitment to social justice, keeping up to date with ethical standards, and to continue to grow as a social worker throughout my career.

What company or organization do you work at right now? If you’re retired, where did you last work?

Lifestance Health as a Mental Health Therapist

How has your career benefited from being a member?

My career has greatly benefited from being a member through the networking with other social workers and the wealth of resources for continuing education, including workshops, conferences, and online courses. As a social worker, being a part of NASW ensures access to up-to-date information, tools, and best practices in the field.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to enter social work?

Develop strong empathy but set healthy boundaries: Social work requires empathy and understanding but it's also important to maintain healthy emotional boundaries when facing clients with trauma an hardships.  Stay curious and never stop learning: social work is a dynamic field that requires continual learning, be open to gaining knowledge not only from academic sources but also form the people around you, your colleagues, and the communities you serve.

What do you love most about social work?

I love that I get to make a direct impact on peoples lives and see first hand how my efforts can lead to a positive change. Social work allows you to connect with people on a deeper, human level. It's about building relationships and understanding people's lived experiences. It's a profession where your ability to empathize and provide a nonjudgmental space is both powerful and needed.

What’s a project you’re working on right now? Why is it meaningful to you?

My current project is acting as Houston Branch Chair for the NASW Texas Chapter. I am actively working on building a stronger sense of community in my own region. This is meaningful to me because it involves collaboration with a wide range of professionals in the social work field that brings a sense of camaraderie and contributes to collective efforts to create change.

List any professional awards you have received:

Social Work award for Excellence in Leadership 2019 from GCSW

Share a fun fact about yourself!

I love gardening and raising chickens as a way to relax to ground to nature.

Anything else?

Mother of 5

Do you want to be next month's NASW-TX Member Spotlight? Fill out the Submission Form now!