Behind the Human Curtain Blog

fingers typing on a computer keyboard.

fingers typing on a computer keyboard.

As social workers, therapists and other human service professionals, we support people as they proceed in a path of healing. We have the honor of seeing people reveal the parts of themselves that they have kept hidden behind their “curtain.”

Our blog addresses client needs and situations that you may encounter in your work. The goal is to provide information that you can use in practice and to inspire you to learn even more.

To read the posts, click on the blog post title or on the titles in the left vertical column.

Continuing Education: Appropriate Boundaries for Mental Health Professionals
5/24/23
By Poorna Sudha Goli, MSW Student
5 Pillars of Trauma-Informed Care
5/24/23
By Poorna Sudha Goli, MSW Student
What do we Mean When we Say ‘Trauma-Informed Care’? (Long Version)
12/23/22
Written by Alexis Farugia, MSW
What do we Mean When we Say Trauma-Informed Care?
12/23/22
Written by Alexis Farugia, MSW
An Overview of Why Social Work Terms and Definitions Change
7/11/22
Written by Alexis Farugia, MSW
Anti-Racism in Supervision and Management: An Organizational and Systems Approach
6/22/22
Written by Danielle Hamner, MSW
4 questions you should ask your staff today to increase confidence and give them the cognitive edge to generate creative solutions
1/31/22
One of the key principles of Solution-Focused approaches is “Do more of what’s working.” This focus can have a dynamic effect on the confidence and effectiveness of our staff and their outcomes with clients. From this position we can assist in developing their strengths and clinical skills.
The Wonder of Breath and the Simplicity of Noticing it
11/17/21
Breathing exercises are commonly recommended for managing stress or anxiety and they deserve elevation for their potential and accessibility: no cost, available to all 24/7.
Preventing Additional Trauma for Juvenile Justice Youth through Effective Communication and Rapport Building
2/5/23
Everyone has a goal and service plan that is in theory, based on the anticipated success of the youth. However, is it possible that the youth is receiving mixed messages and overexposure within a huge and sometimes confusing system?
Becoming an Indispensable Supervisor: A dynamic way to develop an adaptive learning mindset at work
1/27/22
Guest author: Dan Lawson, LMHC, CASAC
Trauma-Informed Organizational Change Manual
5/16/19
In January 2019, the UB School of Social Work Institute on Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care (ITTIC) released its free Trauma-Informed Organizational Change Manual, designed to help organizations and systems plan for, implement and sustain trauma-informed culture change.
Certificate vs. Certification: what is the difference?
9/2/20
We are often asked for clarification on the difference between Certificate Program vs. Certification. Knowing the difference, what to consider when searching for programs, and what is available, can help professionals determine their learning path.
If You’re Hungry, We Feed You: Food Gnomes TEDxBuffalo video
8/8/22
“We only have one question: Are you hungry? If the answer is yes, then we feed you.” - Matthew L. Schwartz
3 Ways to Transform Your Experience of Supervision
8/13/19
Clinical work can be incredibly difficult and fraught with multi-layered problems. It is for these reasons that supervision is a must for all of us, should we desire to develop our practice and enhance the clinical skills of our staff.
7 simple (yet powerful) ways to stand out in the crowd and get more clients!
5/16/19
If you are holding off on your marketing efforts because you feel you haven’t found that “MAGICAL” thing that will get you noticed, here’s a secret you should know… “Magic” comes in many forms!
Men and Trauma: 5 Dynamic, Solution-Focused Questions to Use in Therapy
3/30/20
“I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become.” – Karl Jung
CEU Requirements for New York Licensed Social Workers
5/2/23
Clarification for New York LMSWs, LCSWs, and LCSW-Rs regarding the new requirement to have approved continuing education hours to renew your license registration.
When Veterans and Their Families Come for Help: What Service Providers Need to Know
8/18/22
Many veterans say that the military has forever changed them, especially if deployed to areas of combat or conflict.
Got Barriers? Improving Access to Mental Health Care for Children and Adolescents
2/6/23
If it were not for social work interventions I had as a child, my life trajectory may have been completely different.
Improving the System for Our Loved Ones: A Mother’s View of Addiction and Services
9/9/19
The day before Christmas, I received a phone call from my oldest son asking me to pick him up on a downtown corner in a risky neighborhood.
Hoarding: the complex slide into clutter blindness
8/15/22
Hoarding is a personal and/or professional issue for many of us. Some have a gift for viewing it compassionately. For others, especially when confronted by family members who are hoarding, it can create revulsion, horror, anger and great sadness for their lack of quality of life.
Perfectionism: stalker, hunter, destroyer
12/12/22
Perfectionism, with its burden of dysfunction, guilt and shame, is not always just a client issue. As therapists, supervisors and other human service professionals, we need to be self-aware if this stalker lives within our own mind and body.
EMDR- rapid healing of “small t” and “big T” trauma
2/6/23
The beginning of the end… I recently received a new, unexpected diagnosis when I went to a skilled EMDR therapist for help with chronic pain: Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD- DSM-IV definition and PTSD DSM-5 definition)
Dueling Disorders: The Battle Inside
2/5/23
Rather than dual disorders, I think a better term to bring home the power of this comorbid brain and body chaos is “Dueling Disorders.”
Trauma-Informed Medical Care? Not at my doctor’s office
2/6/23
Yep, this topic is one of my passions: trauma-informed medical care, trauma-informed systems of medical-care, and the problem of its frequent absence in health-care settings.