Relational Practice: a social work podcast

💡 How confident do you feel responding when a client dissociates mid-session?Dissociation is everywhere in our caseloads, yet so many practitioners feel unsure about what it actually is, how to assess for it, and how to safely respond in the room. In this episode of Relational Practice: A Social Work Podcast, Dr Jodie Park and Rose Mackey strip away the jargon fog to talk about the gaps between what we see and what we know. We map out the 4 levels of dissociation, dive into the neurobiology of "dissociative collapse" and look at why it's a brilliant survival response. What you’ll learn:🧠 How to use Dan Siegel’s Window of Tolerance to guide your session pacing.❄️ 5 evidence-backed grounding strategies to use in a session.🚸 How to differentiate trauma-related dissociation in children from normal developmental play or sensory shutdowns.🤝 Why shifting from trauma-informed to trauma-and-violence-informed practice is the key to removing systemic shame for clients. As always, your own nervous system matters! Tune in to learn how to cultivate conditions of safety so your clients can find their way back. 🎧 Listen now on your favourite podcast platform, and don't forget to download our ambiguous loss printables over at our website! 👉 relationalpracticeasocialworkpodcast.com.auWe would love to hear from you! Send practice stories, comments and feedback to relationalpractice01@gmail.com Editing by Angus Pinkstone. Music by Hannah Park.

In this episode of Relational Practice: A Social Work Podcast, Dr. Jodie Park and Rose Mackey go beyond the catch-all term of "stress" to explore the specific psychological injuries that social workers sustain on the front lines. We often feel that our exhaustion is a personal failure, but today we reframe it as a predictable biological and ethical response to a high-pressure system.Drawing heavily on the work of Vikki Reynolds, we dismantle the "Just Stressed" myth and look at why burnout is often actually "Ethical Conflict", the pain of being forced to work against our own professional ethics. In this episode, we discuss:The Injury Spectrum: Distinguishing between Vicarious Trauma (a shift in your worldview), Burnout (systemic exhaustion), Compassion Fatigue (nervous system drain), and Spiritual Pain (moral injury).The "Zone of Fabulousness": How to stay connected to your clients without becoming enmeshed in their trauma or disconnected like a "bureaucratic robot".Boundaries as Physical Safety: Why saying "no" and choosing your meeting environment are high-level clinical tools that protect your nervous system.Radical Self-Compassion: Moving away from "performative" self-care (like bubble baths) toward "Ethical Resistance" and collective accountability.Justice-Doing: Finding small, subversive ways to honour client dignity within rigid systems to jumpstart your own resilience. Whether you are feeling the "Sunday Scaries" or struggling with a sense of "Moral Injury," this episode is a call to reach out to your colleagues and start practicing collective care. Show Notes & ResourcesVisit our website: relationalpracticeasocialworkpodcast.com.auConnect with us: Join our community on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.Get in touch: Email your stories to Relationalpractice01@gmail.com.Featured Concepts:Vikki Reynolds: "The Zone of Fabulousness" and "Justice-Doing".Kristin Neff: The framework of Self-Compassion (Common Humanity vs. Isolation).Polyvagal Theory: Understanding "Dorsal Vagal" shutdown and nervous system regulation. Editing by Angus Pinkstone Music by Hannah Park Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review to help us grow our community of relational practitioners!

In this episode of Relational Practice: A Social Work Podcast, Dr. Jodie Park and Rose Mackey tackle the heavy weight of professional fallibility. We often feel that because we work with human lives, we aren’t allowed the luxury of being human ourselves, leading to those 3:00 AM "mistake loops" in our minds. Using the seminal work of Professor Eileen Munro, we dismantle the idea that errors are simply acts of incompetence. Instead, we explore how the high-pressure environments of child protection and social work naturally trigger cognitive biases and mental shortcuts. In this episode, we discuss: The Core Conflict: Balancing fast, intuitive reasoning with slow, logical analytic thinking.Reasoning Traps: How "Confirmation Bias," "Availability Bias," and "The Primacy Effect" can skew our assessments of families.The Systems Approach: Why we need to stop asking "Who messed up?" and start asking "Why did this mistake make sense at the time?".Building Skilled Intuition: Using supervision as a "lab" to socialize our thinking and "de-bias" our practice. Whether you work in child protection, hospitals, schools, mental health, aged care, or any frontline role where human complexity meets high-pressure decision-making, this episode is a reminder that professional integrity isn’t about being perfect. It is about being transparent in your reasoning and brave enough to treat mistakes as an inevitable part of a system built on uncertainty. Show Notes & Resources Visit our new website: relationalpracticeasocialworkpodcast.com.auConnect with us: Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and our new YouTube page.Get in touch: Email your practice stories to Relationalpractice01@gmail.com.Featured Citations:Munro, E. (1999). Common errors of reasoning in child protection work.Munro, E. (2011). The Munro review of child protection: Final report—A child-centred system. Editing by Angus Pinkstone Music by Hannah Park Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review to help us grow our community of relational practitioners!

In this episode of Relational Practice: A Social Work Podcast, hosts Dr. Jodie Park and Rose Mackey dive deep into the most essential tool in a practitioner’s toolkit: the art of truly hearing what isn't being said. They are joined by Ross Judd, an expert in communication and organizational culture, and the author of Listening: A Guide to Building Deeper Connections.For social workers on the front lines, whether in child protection, disability, or crisis intervention, clients often "test the waters" with surface-level complaints before sharing their true stories. Ross introduces his R.E.O.S.T.A.R. process, a powerful framework designed to help practitioners break through these barriers, avoid the common "fix-it" trap, and build radical empathy. Key highlights of this conversation include:The R.E.O.S.T.A.R. Process: A step-by-step guide to recognizing surface comments, empathizing with underlying emotions, and asking powerful questions to uncover core values.The Integrated Values Iceberg: How to remain self-aware of your own biases and values so they don't "block" what a client is trying to communicate, especially in high-stress environments.The Heavy Gift of Listening: A candid discussion on how to stay open and listen deeply to heavy stories without losing yourself in the process. Whether you are navigating high-conflict family dynamics or trying to connect with a defensive client, this episode offers practical strategies to move beyond the paperwork and build life-changing connections. Find Ross’s book at https://rossjudd.com/listening/ Connect with us:Email: Relationalpractice01@gmail.comWeb: https://relationalpracticeasocialworkpodcast.com.au/Socials: Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for more content and practice stories.Support the show: Please subscribe, rate, and review to help us reach more social workers. Music by Hannah ParkEditing by Angus Pinkstone

In this heavy but essential episode of Relational Practice: A Social Work Podcast, Dr. Jodie Park and Rose Mackey confront the "national crisis" of domestic violence and the predictable patterns that lead to intimate partner homicide. Moving beyond media narratives that describe these tragedies as "senseless" or "out of nowhere," this discussion utilizes research from 2024–2026 to map out the "Path to Lethality." We dive deep into criminologist Jane Monckton Smith’s 8-stage homicide timeline, exploring how a relationship moves from "fast-tracked" romance to coercive control, and ultimately to the terminal stage of homicide. The episode also addresses the terrifying surge in filicide, examining why 1 in 4 domestic murder victims in NSW are now children and identifying the "proxy" motives and systemic failures that leave families at risk. Finally, we look at the economics of prevention, discussing the $45 billion annual burden of child maltreatment on the Australian economy and the urgent need to shift funding from crisis response to early, proactive intervention. ⚠️ Trigger WarningToday’s episode involves detailed discussions of domestic violence, intimate partner homicide, and the death of children. This content is deeply distressing, but we believe that understanding the mechanics of this violence is the first step toward stopping it. Support ResourcesIf you or someone you know is affected by the issues discussed, please reach out for support:Australia: Call 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) or Lifeline on 13 11 14.Singapore: Call the National Anti-Violence and Sexual Harassment Helpline (NAVH) at 1800-777-0000 or the AWARE Women's Helpline at 1800-777-5555.USA: Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE (7233).UK: Call the National Domestic Abuse Helpline at 0808 2000 247. Please find the crisis domestic violence support number in your area. Connect with us:Email: Relationalpractice01@gmail.comWeb: https://relationalpracticeasocialworkpodcast.com.au/Socials: Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for more content and practice stories.Support the show: Please subscribe, rate, and review to help us reach more social workers. Music by Hannah Park Editing by Angus Pinkstone

What happens to parenting when the "private" family unit becomes a "public" system? In this episode, Dr. Jodie Park and Rose Mackey explore the "Glass House" of foster care, a space where personal lives are visible to the state and parental autonomy is reshaped by systemic oversight. We’re moving beyond the media debate to discuss what it really means to be a Public Parent. To succeed, foster carers must embrace a hybrid identity that balances the intimacy of private parenting with the weight of public accountability. We break down the core tensions that define the foster care experience:The Surveillance Paradox: Carers are expected to provide a "normal" family life while their every move is monitored by caseworkers and courts.Systemic Transparency: A realistic view of the role means acknowledging that "private" life is no longer private; carers must open their homes, bank statements, and medical records to the state.Shared Authority: We discuss the "Privacy Tug-of-War," where carers have the daily responsibility of a parent but lack the legal authority to make simple decisions—like haircuts or vacations—without system approval.Professionalism vs. Passion: Carers must be both professional caregivers and emotional anchors, loving a child like their own while navigating the reality of being a "temporary placement". How do we make the "Glass House" feel like a home? It starts with clear, grounded expectations that bridge the gap between birth families, carers, and the system.Information as Power: Shared parenting thrives when information flows freely, including the "little things" like a funny comment or a new food the child liked that keep birth parents included.Defining the Role: It is vital to move past binary labels of "saints" or "people doing it for the money" and instead embrace the messy, human reality of public parenting.Prioritizing Dignity: The ultimate goal of a public parent is to ensure the system’s visibility does not strip away the child’s private dignity.Collaborative Decision-Making: We explore how to empower adults to make decisions together, rather than letting the system decide for them. Join us as we discuss how to navigate the boundaries of the system while keeping the heart of parenting private. Connect with us:Email: relationalpractice01@gmail.comSocials: Follow us on Facebook and InstagramSubscribe: Hit follow or subscribe to stay updated on our fortnightly deep dives. Music by Hannah ParkEditing by Angus Pinkstone

Trigger alert- there is a small amount of swearing in this episode. It is an emotive topic for us! A Critical, Timely Deep Dive for Professionals and the Community We understand it’s the Christmas period, and this is a heavy topic. But we also know that for many people navigating high-conflict relationships, the holidays can be the most dangerous and suffocating time of the year. This episode is dedicated to providing timely validation and understanding. Join Dr. Jodie Park and Rose Mackey as they move beyond isolated incidents of physical violence to examine the overarching, strategic pattern of coercive control. Why This Episode is Essential Listening Right Now: The festive season often acts as a catalyst for coercive control. External pressures like financial strain and forced family proximity are frequently weaponized to intensify patterns of domination. For practitioners, this is a critical window for intervention. By framing these holiday stressors as strategic tactics of entrapment, rather than isolated incidents of "stress", we provide a psychological lifeline for clients. Understanding these dynamics is essential for trauma-informed validation and navigating the heightened risks survivors face this time of year.What You Will Learn in This Deep Dive: Defining the Core Harm: We discuss the foundational research of Evan Stark, who defines domestic violence not by the use of force, but by the systematic deprivation of liberty and autonomy. The Blueprint of Domination: Understand the sophisticated, chronic pattern of behaviours, including isolation, micromanagement, economic abuse, and surveillance—tactics that create chronic fear and entrapment. The Psychological Toll: We explore the link between chronic abuse and Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD), and why survivors often feel trapped, using the Hostage Syndrome analogy to explain the impact of learned helplessness. Lethal Risk & Assessment: Coercive control is consistently identified as a precursor in approximately 97% of intimate partner homicides. We detail why the control, not just the physical punch, is the core lethal risk factor. This episode details trauma-informed interventions for social workers, emphasising the need to re-establish a client's autonomy and safely document the pattern of control. 🚨 Need Support? If this episode has raised any issues for you, please reach out to the following services in Australia: Emergency: Always call Triple Zero (000).Lifeline 13 11 141800RESPECT: Confidential counselling and support. Phone: 1800 737 732 (24/7).Men's Referral Service: For men concerned about their own use of violence. Phone: 1300 766 491.13 Yarn 13 92 76 For our international listeners, please contact your local domestic violence or crisis support services.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and our new YouTube page for more content! Send any practice stories, episode suggestions, or anything social work related to relationalpractice01@gmail.com. If you like our podcast, please take a minute to rate, review, and subscribe. This helps others find us and helps us continue to create valuable content. Music by Hannah ParkEditing by Angus Pinkstone

In this critical episode of Relational Practice: A Social Work Podcast, we centre the social work imperative: closing the harmful gap between progressive legal policy and inconsistent judicial practice in family violence matters. We tackle the tension where the legislative shift toward safety meets the judicial default of contact, often at the expense of protective mothers and their children. We have intentionally taken a gendered position on this topic. The Policy Promise: Shifting the Paradigm - We analyse the critical implications of the Australian Family Law Amendment Act 2023 and proposed UK changes, which explicitly mandate child safety as paramount and remove presumptions for equal time. This systemic change reflects an overdue recognition of risk. We review sobering ANROWS research that underscores intimate partner violence as a major risk factor for filicide, demanding a trauma-informed response from all systems. The Practice Problem: The 'Contact at All Costs'- Default across both the public (Child Protection) and private (Family Law) dispute systems, we examine the persistent challenge where judicial officers frequently default to ordering contact (even supervised) with the violent parent, regardless of the documented history of harm. We question the social work ethics and rationale behind this pervasive 'contact at all costs' culture—a practice that often re-traumatizes children and severely undermines the efforts of protective mothers and social workers advocating for safety. The Roadmap to Intervention: Reframing "Best Interests"- Referencing international trends, we argue that the judicial "best interests of the child" principle must be reframed through a trauma-informed lens to mean "safety at all costs" when violence is a factor. We discuss the urgent need for:Systemic Cultural Change: Moving from risk management to genuine protection.Enhanced Tools: Better risk assessment frameworks for judicial decision-makers.Trauma-Informed Training: Essential skill-building for all judicial and legal professionals to understand the dynamics of violence and the experiences of children and protective women. Join us as we advocate for the judicial and systemic reform necessary to ensure that the law’s promise of protection becomes a consistent, trauma-informed reality for children and their families Follow us on Facebook and Instagram and send your comments to relationalpractice01@gmail.com. If you like our podcast, please take a minute to rate, review, and subscribe. This helps others find us and helps us continue to create valuable content. Music by Hannah ParkEditing by Angus Pinkstone

Join Dr. Jodie Park and Rose Mackey for a special Q&A episode where they tackle your most pressing questions about the complex world of social work.In this insightful and essential discussion, Jodie and Rose pull back the curtain on the profession, addressing:The Biggest Misconception: What is the most common misunderstanding about what a social worker actually does?Meaningful Participation: What practical strategies are employed to ensure children have a genuine voice and truly participate in decision-making processes?The Intersection: How do the critical areas of trauma, child protection, and Out-of-Home Care (OOHC) connect and interact in practice?The Systemic Hurdle: What is identified as the single greatest systemic challenge currently facing the social work sector?Professional Growth: An in-depth look at the role and importance of professional social work supervision.Whether you're a student, a seasoned practitioner, or simply curious about the vital work of social workers, this episode offers clear, expert-led answers to illuminate the challenges and dedication within the field.Don’t forget to send your practice stories or podcast topics to relationalpractice01@gmail.com Music by Hannah ParkEditing by Angus Pinkstone

On this episode of Relational Practice: A Social Work Podcast, hosts Dr. Jodie Park and Rose Mackey dive into the profound role social workers play in supporting people through grief and loss. They approach this topic from a holistic, "person-in-environment" perspective, providing a practical and insightful guide for practitioners. Dr. Park and Rose Mackey explore several key grief theories that social workers use to inform their practice:The Kübler-Ross Five Stages of Grief (1969): This theory outlines the stages of denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. The hosts emphasize that these stages are not always a linear progression and that individuals can experience them in any order.The Dual Process Model (1999): This model highlights the natural oscillation between a "loss orientation" (focusing on the grief and emotions related to the loss) and a "restoration orientation" (focusing on rebuilding one's life and adjusting to the changes).The Continuing Bonds Theory (1996): This theory challenges the idea that grieving requires letting go. Instead, it suggests that maintaining a healthy, ongoing connection with the deceased is a natural and healthy part of the grieving process.Disenfranchised Grief (1989): This powerful concept describes grief that isn't openly acknowledged, socially supported, or mourned publicly. The hosts discuss how this can include losses that are not socially sanctioned, like the death of a secret partner or a pet. The episode also highlights the crucial importance of cultural competence in practice. Dr. Park and Rose Mackey stress that social workers must be self-aware of their own biases and respectfully navigate diverse mourning rituals and cultural expressions of grief. They note that unresolved loss can often manifest in complex and challenging behaviours, making grief a foundational vulnerability that social workers frequently address. This episode is a must-listen for anyone in the social work field, offering a blend of theoretical knowledge and practical application. We want to hear from you! Please send us any practice stories, questions, or episode ideas to relationalpractice01@gmail.com or message us via Facebook and Instagram.Also, be sure to check out our new YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@RelationalPractice If you like our podcast, please take a minute to rate, review, and subscribe. This helps others find us and helps us continue to create valuable content.Music by Hannah ParkEditing by Angus Pinkstone

On this episode of Relational Practice, we explore the crucial topic of practitioner resilience. We challenge the myth of the "superhero" social worker and instead, frame resilience as a skill that can be developed. The episode defines resilience not as a personal trait, but as the ability to adapt and grow in the face of adversity, influenced by both personal coping skills and external support systems. We discuss common stressors like high caseloads, bureaucracy, and the emotional toll of vicarious trauma and burnout. You'll hear practical strategies to help you build resilience, including: Mindful self-awareness: Recognizing the early signs of stress. Creating boundaries: Learning to set clear limits between your work and personal life. Building a supportive network: Utilizing peer supervision and mentorship. Engaging in restorative self-care: Differentiating between passive and active self-care as a professional necessity. We hope you'll take away the message that self-care is not selfish, but essential for a sustainable and impactful career. Got a burning question about social work practice? Or maybe you just want to know more about us? Now’s your chance to ask! We're planning a special Q&A episode, and we want to hear what's on your mind. Send your questions our way on Facebook, Instagram, or email us at relationalpractice01@gmail.com. We can't wait to see what you've got! Also, check out our new YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@RelationalPractice Music by Hannah Park Editing by Angus Pinkstone

Have you ever found yourself wondering why some clients adapt to new situations with ease, while others seem to struggle immensely? In this episode, we're diving deep into two fundamental, lifelong processes that shape every individual's development, from childhood through adulthood: temperament and socialization. These aren't just concepts for parents; they're crucial for anyone working with people. We'll start by exploring Thomas and Chess's groundbreaking research on temperament. We'll break down their nine key traits and the three primary temperament types – the "Easy," "Difficult," and "Slow-to-Warm-Up" individual – providing practical examples to help you understand the diverse ways people react to their world. Next, we'll delve into socialization, examining how individuals learn to navigate society. Discover how culture is transmitted and essential social skills are developed through family, peers, education, and media. Finally, we'll connect these powerful concepts, demonstrating why this knowledge is indispensable for social workers, caregivers, and any professional interacting with individuals. You'll learn how to apply this understanding in your practice to foster a "goodness-of-fit" between an individual's unique temperament and their environment, ultimately empowering them to thrive. Don’t forget to send your practice stories or podcast topics to relationalpractice01@gmail.com Also, check out our new YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@RelationalPractice Music by Hannah Park Editing by Angus Pinkstone

Join Dr. Jodie Park and Rose Mackey, private practice social workers in NSW, Australia, as they delve into the critical topic of foster care assessment on this episode of "Relational Practice: A Social Work Podcast".This discussion explores the nuances of assessing foster carers' capacity, differentiating it from parenting capacity assessments. Jodie and Rose will share their insights and practical experiences, examining key areas that should be considered in foster care assessments, including motivation to foster, personal background, household dynamics, parenting capacity, and compliance checks.The episode also highlights the current global and Australian shortage of foster carers, discussing its causes and consequences, such as the increased use of emergency accommodation and residential care for vulnerable children. They'll touch upon the unique motivations of foster carers, and the essential qualities beyond specific skills that contribute to successful caring.Tune in as they consider the impact of carer shortages on children, the potential for approving inappropriate carers, and the critical need for targeted support to prevent burnout and promote carer retention. Don’t forget to send your practice stories or podcast topics to relationalpractice01@gmail.com Music by Hannah ParkEditing by Angus Pinkstone