Emily Devita
by Emily Devita
I have just completed my first placement with Sunnybrook for my 2-year Master of Social Work program with the University of Toronto. Through my placement, I am able to more deeply understand the “why” behind theoretical approaches in clinical practice and the social work profession itself. This deepened understanding has helped me foster my passion in an authentic and profound way. It is more clear to me who I want to and can be, and thus, I am able to create a visual that will help in guiding me toward my long-term career goals.
By the end of my placement, I was able to independently meet patients from assessment to discharge, often mediating families and navigating care with the inter-professional team. I made resource guides, attended FTMs, liaised with different professions, and became both a learner and educator. Through this experience, as well as observing my supervisor (who has been fantastic), I’ve developed an understanding of the skills needed in advanced social work interventions. I have grown a sensitivity to the way a good social worker would relieve a patient's emotional suffering.
Counseling has become much more than an exchange of words and instead a clinical art—and with two people —almost like a beautiful dance. Instead of simply instructing or guiding patients, it is the ability to convey the appropriate “feeling” that may profoundly impact a patient, hopefully leading to a road of healing and recovery.
Overall, I have learned a lot about what holding space means for both a patient and a social worker. To put it simply, it is an act of witnessing and of being heard and feeling seen.
I have made abundant progress, and yet, I am still looking forward to further growing into an authentic emotional being who can thoughtfully lend myself to others. Through my time at the stroke unit, I have helped patients befriend unlikely diagnoses, accept the less wanted, and foster a sense of hope. Many patients ask, "Why did this happen to me?" I have been able to meet them at the point of "Why did I survive?" This spiritual and deeply personal journey is a shared experience that has shaped me and fueled me.
To future students, I hope you are open to such experiences and allow vulnerable moments to touch you. While at times anxiety strikes and you remain your biggest critic, the journey of self-exploration is unlike anything taught in classes. I have greatly appreciated this experience and wish the same for others.
Emily Devita is a social work student completing a 2-year master’s degree from the University of Toronto.