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Graduation Date

2026

Document Type

Portfolio

Degree

Master of Social Work (MSW)

Degree Name

Social Work

School or Department

Social Work

Abstract

This portfolio reflects my professional and personal growth over the past three years of the University of Montana!s (UM!s) Online Master of Social Work (MSW) Program and showcases my understanding of advanced social work competencies (University of Montana School of Social Work, n.d.). My background includes yoga facilitation and preschool education, where I developed a strong appreciation for early childhood development and mindfulness. I never imagined how this path would lead me into clinical work in eating disorder recovery, adolescent therapy, and somatic-based interventions, which focus on the connection between the mind and body. My MSW coursework and practicum experiences have taught me how to slow down, listen with intention, and develop clinical skills such as the use of open-ended questions, affirmations, reflections, and summaries (OARS) through motivational interviewing. As an MSW student, motivational interviewing has been important to me as a foundational skillset to offer an evidence-based approach that helps clients strengthen their own motivation for change, which aligns closely with social work values of nonjudgment and empowerment (Bischof et al., 2021).

My main professional goal as a social worker is to expand access to care, focusing on individuals and families who might otherwise not have access to trauma-informed services for their overall well-being. Alongside micro-level work with individuals and group therapy practice, going through UM’s Online MSW Program has also allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of how systemic oppression impacts clients’ experiences and access to care. Through my coursework and two practicums in community-based organizations in southwest Montana, I also began to recognize how addressing macro-level inequities is deeply connected to effective micro-level practice. My Generalist Year practicum was as a milieu therapist, providing clinical services to individuals and support for eating disorder recovery in a group therapy setting. My Specialization Year practicum was as a crisis counselor, working with adolescents at a teen mentorship non-profit organization. Together, these placements allowed me to engage in both direct clinical practice and understand the broader organizational and community-level considerations that shape client care. Because of this MSW program and my practicum experiences, I now have the growing skills and abilities to pursue a career as an integrated psychotherapist.

In this paper, I will reflect on my learning across these experiences using the Five Elements of Advanced Integrated Practice outlined by Finn and Molloy (2021), and will also connect my growth to the competencies established by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE, 2022) and the University of Montana School of Social Work (n.d.).

Keywords

social work, eating disorders, relational, rooted, teen mentorship

Embodied, Relational, and Rooted: A Social Work Portfolio

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