The Experience

Sarah Meisinger wrote Stories of Pain, Trauma, and Survival: A Social Worker's Experience Insights from the Field for all the new social workers experiencing the "baptism by fire" as they enter the profession. The book chronicles Meisinger's struggle to find a balance between her own "personal agenda to `save the world one client at a time' and the reality of what occurs" between social worker and client. In response to the need for undergraduate and graduate students to hear about real-life experiences working with traumatized clients, Stories of Pain, Trauma, and Survival is filled with anecdotal examples of social work with individuals and groups in a variety of settings that include nonprofit agencies, child welfare services, and veteran's health care. Each masterfully written story is followed by Meisinger's personal and professional insights on how these experiences have informed her practice. The book is useful for classroom discussions and critical self-assessments and will be helpful to beginning and seasoned social workers alike. The primary thesis of Stories of Pain, Trauma, and Survival is that social workers can be more effective by getting "back to basics" and staying in touch with the core values of the profession. Meisinger notes that, one of the most important services that social workers can provide is to be fully present in "witnessing the pain" of a traumatized client. The self-knowledge and compassion that emerge from this mindfulness make all the difference in working with clients who are overwhelmed by difficult circumstances.