Day in the life of
Clinical Social Worker – Amanda Waldron, LMSW
I’m a Clinical Social Worker with a focus on anxiety, shame & perfectionism, attachment concerns, faith & doubt, and trauma.
I’m in private practice so my days look different, which is a definite perk. I work two fulls days a week and two half days, with Fridays off.
On a typical day, I see about five clients through a mix of in-person and telehealth sessions. I arrive at my office about 30-40 minutes before my first appointment, so I can finish any work from the day before and prep for my sessions. Most sessions are back-to-back with about 10 minutes in between for a snack break or charting. I usually factor in a longer 30-minute break to catch up on any new inquires or client correspondence. Once my last sessions wrap, I can usually be out of my office within 10 minutes.
In sessions, I get to use a variety of techniques, so I may be doing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with one client and Brainspotting with the next client. Most sessions involve an assessment of symptoms and safety checks.
Pros
The pros of being a social worker is that the field is so broad. You can work in schools, the community, or health care. In many states social work also allows you to do mental health counseling. In MI, social workers are likely to get hired over a License Profession Counselor for many jobs, because Social Workers can bill most insurances. In my career, I’ve worked for a domestic violence prevention organization, a community-based intervention program that worked to keep individuals in their homes and out of a psychiatric facility, as a medical social worker, and now own my own private practice. If individuals are interested in going into a counseling field, I always recommend an MSW because it’s so versatile.
The pros of private practice are definitely being able to focus on my niche and the flexibility of the schedule. I love running my own practice and I’m not sure I’d ever go back to work for someone else. It’s nice to be able to have some mornings and afternoons off.
Cons
Sometimes I miss working closely with colleagues. Working for and by yourself can be a bit lonely at times. However, I have been able to connect with four other private practice therapists in the area and we’ve developed a clinical peer group where we can support one another.
Another con would be the pay. Social workers are compensated pretty low compared to other master-level positions. Clinical social workers will often be advocating to make what they are worth.
Clinical social workers will also likely experience burnout at some point in their careers. Due to the nature of the work of trying to help others make changes, social workers can come up against system limitations and their own lack of ability to have control in situations. This work also has a tendency to interact with our own wounds and limiting beliefs. I recommend that social workers stay connected with a therapist for their own mental health’s sake as well.
