Fiona Smith’s journey to becoming a social worker began in a Grade 7 science class. As a middle school teacher, their passion for experiential learning ignited a spark in their students, inspiring Fiona to pursue a new career in social work.
“From my educational experiences I was really attracted to the social and emotional needs of my students and from there I got very, very interested in social work,” Fiona says.
A social worker for more than 12 years, Fiona serves as a clinical therapist for children and adolescents and a clinical practice lead out of the Prime Brook clinic in Sydney. Nova Scotia Health’s Mental Health and Addictions Program operates the clinic.
“In my role as a clinical therapist, I might be providing support for clients who come in with just typical challenges that they’re maybe facing in life, whether that’s related to behaviours, or anxiety or depression,” they say, adding that they also do specific work addressing trauma symptoms and gender affirming care.
“One of my big passions is gender affirming care, so I’m very grateful to be able to provide support in that area for clients and families.”
While no longer in the classroom, Fiona remains a teacher at heart and often leans on that background when working with clients and families.
“I pull a lot of what I have learned from being a teacher and I do get to use that in a lot of my daily work,” Fiona says. “My therapy is different from teaching, but there are definitely educational components to all of the aspects of my job and my role right now.”
What Fiona gets out of seeing clients and families succeed is not dissimilar to what it was like seeing a struggling student improve and is a highlight of the job.
“I get to see people meet their goals; I get see people learn about themselves and find ways to show up for themselves and to really take care of themselves in ways that could be profound,” Fiona adds.
The rise of social media and a faster pace of life is a marked difference from when Fiona worked as a teacher and started in social work, a reality which is undoubtedly putting pressure on youth and families.
Fiona, however, also sees that as an opportunity for clients and families to learn and grow.
“There are definitely challenges in terms of really knowing how to take into account all of those things, but what I find is really helpful is, kind of, recognizing youth and children and families themselves as experts of their lives, learning from them and being able to put all of that together.”
While social work can be a challenging and stressful job, Fiona encourages it for anyone considering it as a career.
“Yes, it’s a lot of work, but the reward of being able to be a part of people’s lives in a way that is providing meaningful support is so worth it,” Fiona adds. “It’s pretty amazing the things that I am able to be around for in people’s lives. So, it’s a hard thing to do, but it is so worthwhile.”
Photo of Fiona Smith.
