Over the years I have helped clients address financial stress, while facing life-threatening illness. I have noticed how unburdening it has been for clients to confide in a social worker who doesn’t have any baggage related to their personal situation. While listening actively and non-judgmentally, I have been able to help patients and their family members address financial issues that have distracted them from focusing on the issues that matter the most at this precious time in their lives. Also, in light of current economic times, I feel it is essential to learn more about Financial Social Work in order to serve my clients more effectively in the present and the future.
Although I am not practicing in the field of end of life care right now, I have been drawn to helping people in another way. I had always volunteered in adult education while working as a social worker and my heart has always gone out to people who are brave enough to continue their education as adults. Gratefully, I have been able to work exclusively as a volunteer in this area over the past year, and it has reinforced my desire to help these resilient individuals succeed. This joyful work leads me to what I want to offer in this brief blog.
I confess, I have math anxiety. While I anticipated helping people with reading, writing, history, etc.. as they prepared for the GED, imagine my surprise when I was asked to help a student with math! Facing my own anxieties about tutoring math allowed me to reflect on my own experience with money. These paths were quite similar: lots of nervous feelings, uncertainty, etc.. However, slowly over time, my anxiety lessened and more peace entered my life. There were two key principles that helped along both paths: my desire to face my fears, and a belief that I was capable of learning more about things I thought I didn’t understand.
Reflecting on my past experience has led me explore how I can use my experiences to inspire, encourage, motivate and educate others. At this point in my life helping women address their math anxiety is particularly rewarding. I’m not a mathematician or a trained teacher, but I can say I’ve seen the biggest bursts of self-confidence come forth when a student masters a mathematical concept. Often this new confidence is accompanied with the exclamation of “I can’t believe I thought that was so hard and that I was so terrible in math?”
Creating opportunities for increased confidence in math is directly linked to financial literacy for my clients. Learning how to use percentages, calculate interest, and determine area has helped my clients feel more confident in their everyday life. Now, when calculating tips at restaurants, determining the sale price of items, and understanding how interest is calculated on mortgages and car loans, they feel the inner confidence of true understanding. This quiet confidence is now part of these women’s lives and no one can take it away from them.
I believe as a social worker that all of us can change and now, having become certified in Financial Social Work, I feel more equipped to inspire, coach, listen empathetically, and advocate for all my clients. Opening up about our fears and anxieties, whether it be math or other issues, is one way to begin our journey to lifting ourselves and our clients up to higher ground.
