social work reflective essay examples

• Employer Profiles

Workforce Insights

• Careers Zone
• Community Care Inform Adults
• Community Care Inform Children
• Mental Capacity Masterclass
• Community Care Live
• E-newsletters
• Choose Social Work
• Social work leaders
• Write for Community Care
• The Social Work Community
• Email sign up

Top tips on reflective writing for social work students

Many students are verbally very reflective, but struggle to explore this in writing. this guide suggests a variety of tips you can offer them.

Reflection is an essential part of social work practice, for students, experienced practitioners and everyone in between. Supporting students on social work placement to develop their skills in reflection is one of the most important tasks for practice educators and supervisors. Reflecting allows us to consider different perspectives, consider why something is happening, and learn from our experiences.

Reflective writing

Since academic assessment is predominantly about written work and reflective practice is so important to social work, it seems obvious that assessment in social work education will focus on reflective writing. Many students, and indeed social workers undertaking post-qualifying qualifications, find this difficult. They may well be very reflective in their practice, but often struggle to explore this in writing.

However, as Brown and Rutter (2015) point out, “it is not what you think or do but the way you articulate it [in writing] that is graded.” So, like it or not, practitioners need to develop their skills in reflective writing.

Jennifer Moon has written extensively on reflective writing for many years (for example, 1999, 2004). She argues there are many benefits to reflective writing:

• It forces us to give time to reflection.
• It helps to slow down the thought process and so helps us to sift material.
• It makes us organise and clarify thoughts as we seek to structure the writing.
• It gives us control over the material we reflect on, as we choose what to include and what not to include.
• It helps us to recognise whether we really understand something, since we have to try to explain it in words.
• It records the moment – enabling us to step back and reflect further at a later stage.

Students will need to do some sort of reflective writing around their placement, usually in the form of a practice-based assignment. It can also be useful to ask them to keep a reflective journal. Some students are keen to develop their skills in writing reflectively. It isn’t unusual to work with a student who is verbally very reflective, but who struggles to write this up in any meaningful way. In this situation, there are various ‘tips’ you can offer students:

• Most students will have a smartphone with the ability to voice record. Suggest they record their thoughts about a case – if you don’t object they could even record a short part of supervision (so long as no service users’ names or personal details are shared). They can then play this back to themselves when they are starting their writing.
• Ask the student to bring their ongoing reflective notes/ journal entries to supervision for discussion.
• Share the “highlighter pens” top tip. Many students can do this on their computer – generally I use actual highlighter pens as I don’t like reading too much on screen. The advice is to read through the writing and “highlight” all the sentences which are descriptive in yellow, then highlight reflection in pink, discussion of theory in blue and so on. A good piece of reflective writing will be multi-coloured. If you find that there are “chunks” of colour, such as two yellow paragraphs followed by a pink paragraph, then it is likely that the themes are not well synthesised in the writing. This approach can be really useful for editing too – if the student tends to go way over the word count, then they can see more clearly where to edit the work (cutting down the yellow, for example).

Brown, K and Rutter, L (2015) Critical Thinking and Professional Judgement for Social Work Sage: Learning Matters

Moon, J (1999) Learning Journals: A Handbook for Academics, Students and Professional Development Kogan Page

Moon, J (2004) A Handbook of Reflective and Experiential Learning: Theory and Practice Routledge Falmer

practice educators

More from Community Care

Related articles:, comments are closed., job of the week, children’s home support worker opportunities, featured jobs.

Community Care Inform

Latest stories

Most social workers experiencing deteriorating mental health due to work, finds survey

Social Work England’s performance improved last year, finds regulator’s watchdog

Finley Boden: professionals should have protected baby murdered by his parents, review finds

Regulator calls for consistency of support for NQSWs as DfE develops children’s early career framework

You might have missed

The networking platform for social workers

The latest job opportunities within the social work sector

The largest free to attend event for the social work sector

The online learning and practice resource for social workers

Connect with us

• Social work leadership

More information

• Accessibility
• Advertise with us
• Terms & conditions

• The Open University
• Guest user / Sign out
• Study with The Open University

My OpenLearn Profile

Personalise your OpenLearn profile, save your favourite content and get recognition for your learning

About this free course

Become an ou student, download this course, share this free course.

Start this free course now. Just create an account and sign in. Enrol and complete the course for a free statement of participation or digital badge if available.

Reflective writing

You have now considered reflection as a way of thinking and learning. Now you will move on to think about reflective writing. Many of the expectations of reflective writing will be very similar to the kinds of writing you may already be used to, such as the requirement to acknowledge your sources by using references and using clear language that is easily understood by your reader. There are also, however, important differences which you will also need to think about, should you go on to study for the social work degree.

This is a photograph of someone writing in a notebook.

The questions may not require an ‘essay’ answer and may therefore need a different approach and structure from the conventional one of introduction, main paragraphs and conclusion.

While most professional writing (e.g. reports, records) are written in the third person, reflective writing requires that you write about your own experience and consequently the use of the first person (‘I’) is actually encouraged.

While you are still expected to use your reading or ‘theory’, this will need to be linked to your discussion of your own experiences and also what you have learned from these experiences.

If you already have experience of writing in higher education, reflective writing may feel odd at first. One social work student who was already a graduate commented that while her experience was that academic writing ‘is looking at writing in the third person’, reflective writing is about something different:

Well, you write that to your Auntie Jane, you don’t write it for a course, I’ve never written it for a course ... In this course you are going to be asked to write about yourself big style. You have got to be king. You have got to be in the centre.

Although reflective writing is not exactly like writing a letter to ‘Auntie Jane’ or a personal blog, this student was picking up correctly that reflective writing has something in common with writing a diary or journal (or blog) and that most academic writing does not encourage you to write about yourself and your own experiences.

Activity 13 Reflective writing

Spend 15 minutes writing as freely as you can about your thoughts on your learning so far. This writing is only for you to see, so don’t worry too much about how you organise your ideas or even about your language (words used, sentence construction, spelling, grammar, punctuation etc.). Just write from your own thoughts.

After writing for about 15 minutes, put your writing away somewhere safe.

Later, perhaps the next day, come back and re-read your writing. Note down your answers to the following questions:

• Did you enjoy writing in this way, or did it feel difficult?
• Did you feel able to forget about traditional expectations of ‘good’ writing and just let your thoughts flow?

Some people find this type of writing hugely enjoyable, as a way to put their feelings and thoughts on paper and even to develop creative ideas. For others this is an awkward, challenging and artificial task, particularly for people who would not commonly talk about themselves reflectively, never mind commit their thoughts about themselves to paper in this way. Some people also feel very inhibited by the thought of someone reading and judging their writing, which can get in the way of expressing themselves. Free writing can be a good way to overcome feeling anxious about expressing yourself. Free writing also has a lot in common with reflective writing, as the focus is on you, the writer, your thoughts and experiences as told in the first person. If you found this activity difficult in any way you might like to keep practising this free writing exercise. Remember, you can pick any topic, based on work or personal experiences and you can jot these down on paper, phone or computer or perhaps by using voice recording software.

• Reflection can enhance social work practice.
• Reflection involves drawing together your experiences, study and feelings to help you evaluate practice and think about intervention and outcomes.
• Supervision plays an important role in supporting reflection.

Self-Reflection in Social Work Essay

Introduction, biases, triggers, and countertransference, vicarious trauma and burnout, plan for self care.

Clients in the social sector exhibit different behaviors due to histories of trauma they experience at different stages in their lives. Therefore, social work professionals are expected to offer maximum support to clients suffering from trauma. They are supposed to be keen while exploring clients’ histories of mental health and behavioral concerns. Further, these professionals are expected to converse with patients about causative agents for their trauma and the resultant behaviors they exhibit. Some of the behaviors are attributed to injustices and acts of violence they have faced in their past. However, some situations pose challenges for social workers, unlike the vast community. It becomes barely easy for social workers to handle individuals with a history of trauma from abuse. Thus, these experiences have gradually become a question of public interest that develop emotional tolls on social workers. This paper will illustrate a critical self-reflection that will identify my potential for bias, vicarious trauma risks, and self-care plans.

Biases are an area in the social work profession that is complex to manage. Codes of ethics in social work are mandated to investigate bias between clients and workers. Bias can arise due to differences in personal values. Clients’ different personal values become a drawback for service delivery by social workers (Schnyder et al., 2016). Therefore, it is usually difficult for me to consult with other professionals because codes of ethics call for client confidentiality to make decisions that comply with the law. Triggers and countertransference are problems I face in practice when dealing with clients with trauma histories. Countertransference occurs when the client under treatment triggers problems of defiance to services. Thus, I feel the defiance like the client’s parent would have felt.

Employees and practitioners in the social sector are less immune to their trauma. Individuals’ history of trauma is significant to be stimulated by traumas they undergo in their work practice. For instance, many social workers with histories of sexual assault tend to experience vicarious trauma when they are presented with clients who need counseling on sexual assault (van der Feltz-Cornelis et al., 2019). Often, social workers experience vicarious trauma and burnout through experiencing nightmares that result from the client’s history. These professionals also tend to have increased trauma symptoms like anxiety and flashbacks. They are often unwilling to support clients since they feel overwhelmed, exhausted, or burned out (Pearlman & McKay, 2008). Social workers tend to find difficulties in getting interested in their work. As a result, they end up developing anger issues with their clients. Therefore, social workers experiencing vicarious trauma and burnout are likely to make invalid assumptions about clients’ behavior because they project their desires and histories to the client.

I might be more vulnerable to vicarious trauma and burnout due to my childhood history of abuse by classmates. Many clients who come for counseling have a similar history of abuses that triggered what I faced as a child. Listening and giving counseling to these clients affect my productivity level at work. I easily get angry and bored giving counseling to clients at the moment when I recall trauma during my childhood. Thus, my vulnerability is developed due to constant nightmares in my social work practice.

Burnout is a common challenge that professionals face in social work provision. However, this problem is subject to human measure and control. Preventing burnout among social workers enhances their emotional and physical health (Pearlman & McKay, 2008). Thus, numerous ways can prevent burnout. These preventive ways include eating well, personal organization, staying social, and leading an active life (Pearlman & McKay, 2008). Staying social ensures that social workers who experience burnout find someone they can share their experience to relieve emotional pent-ups. Staying active among social workers prevents burnout by giving them time to do workouts and exercises. Regular exercise is significant to stabilize moods after being exhausted and reduce anxiety. Further, it will help to prevent nightmares by creating a restful sleep for social workers with busy schedules.

Individuals who experience burnout due to their experience in the social work profession should maintain a healthy diet. Eating well is significant in preventing burnout among social workers as it recommends for nutritious diet (Pearlman & McKay, 2008). A healthy diet increases energy and eliminates anxiety and fatigue experienced by social workers. The organization is key in reducing stress for any social worker. Having an organized task load helps to eliminate the aspect of stress levels for social workers who have busy workspaces. Thus, adherence to these preventive ways helps to reduce burnout among social work professionals.

In general, social workers encounter clients who share their personal trauma history in their field of practice. The mental health of social workers becomes at risk as they listen to clients’ traumatic and vicarious histories. For this reason, social workers face hard times handling clients with similar trauma histories. Most social workers get confined to ethical codes of conduct, resulting in client-worker problems. For instance, countertransference triggers tend to transfer the client’s defiance to the therapist. Further, social workers experience vicarious trauma and burnout in different ways that affect their emotional health. Professionals in the social work provision and students have nightmares after listening to their clients’ histories. They also feel tired and exhausted at work. Thus, many professionals in social work would likely make inappropriate assumptions that dismiss the reasons behind clients’ behavior. Fortunately, social workers have a haven because preventive ways have been formulated to prevent burnout. For instance, social workers can prevent burnout by eating well, enhancing personal organization, staying social, and leading an active life.

Pearlman, L., & McKay, L (2008). Understanding and addressing vicarious trauma . Headington Institute.

Schnyder, U., Bryant, R. A., Ehlers, A., Foa, E. B., Hasan, A., Mwiti, G., Kristensen, C. H., Neuner, F., Oe, M., Yule, W. (2016). Culture-sensitive psychotraumatology. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 7, 31179.

van der Feltz-Cornelis, C. M., Potters, E. C., van Dam, A., Koorndijk, R. P. M., Elfeddali, I., & van Eck van der Sluijs, J. F. (2019). Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) in outpatients with anxiety and depressive disorders and their association with psychiatric and somatic comorbidity and revictimization. Cross-sectional observational study. Journal of Affective Disorders, 246, 458-464.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2023, November 13). Self-Reflection in Social Work. https://ivypanda.com/essays/self-reflection-in-social-work/

"Self-Reflection in Social Work." IvyPanda , 13 Nov. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/self-reflection-in-social-work/.

IvyPanda . (2023) 'Self-Reflection in Social Work'. 13 November.

IvyPanda . 2023. "Self-Reflection in Social Work." November 13, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/self-reflection-in-social-work/.

1. IvyPanda . "Self-Reflection in Social Work." November 13, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/self-reflection-in-social-work/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Self-Reflection in Social Work." November 13, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/self-reflection-in-social-work/.

• Concept of Countertransference in Medicine
• Countertransference analysis: “Enough Said”
• White Memorial Hospital: Countertransference and Limitations
• Vicarious Liability
• Justifications of the Vicarious Liability
• Therapists Vicarious Trauma
• Marriage and Family Counselling
• Vicarious Liability of Parents for Their Children
• Doctrine of Vicarious Liability
• Psychiatric Nurses' Interactions with Patients
• The Issue of Homelessness in New York City
• Well-Being and Development in Modern Society
• Confronting Complexity in Society
• The Social Work Profession in Georgia
• Population’s Impact on Migration

Home — Essay Samples — Life — Social Work — Social Work Internship Experience: A Reflection

Social Work Internship Experience: a Reflection

• Categories: Internship Social Work

About this sample

Words: 729 |

Published: Sep 5, 2023

Words: 729 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

Table of contents

Entering the field, lessons in empathy, challenges and growth, the power of collaboration, a personal transformation.

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Prof. Kifaru

Verified writer

• Expert in: Life

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

3 pages / 1335 words

3 pages / 1366 words

4 pages / 1930 words

2 pages / 790 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Social Work

Social work is a profession dedicated to enhancing the well-being and quality of life of individuals, families, and communities. It combines elements of psychology, sociology, and social justice to address the complex challenges [...]

Social functioning is a pivotal concept in the field of social work, encompassing a wide range of factors that contribute to an individual's ability to interact, communicate, and engage effectively within their social [...]

Human development theories provide valuable frameworks for understanding the psychological, cognitive, and social growth that individuals undergo from infancy through adulthood. These theories are essential for comprehending [...]

Social work is a profession dedicated to improving the well-being of individuals, families, and communities. This essay delves into the definition of social work and its practice in various contexts. It explores the fundamental [...]

Jane Addams, coming from a wealthy, politically active family, personified all the ideals of the Progressive Era by working with social reform movements such as the settlement house movement, workers’ rights, children’s rights, [...]

Social workers will come across ethical dilemmas on a regular basis. Ethical dilemmas may include inappropriate nature in the workplace, or having to make a decision that may go against protocols but be morally the right thing [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free