Relational Practice: a social work podcast

The Quiet Wound: Understanding Abandonment Trauma

Ever wonder why a delayed text message or a slight shift in tone can send an adult's nervous system into absolute freefall? It's because the body never forgets the quiet

Hurt People Help People

In this episode of Relational Practice: A Social Work Podcast, hosts Dr. Jodie Park and Rose Mackey sit down for a deeply honest conversation with Dr. Adam McCormick, Pro

Fences That Work: Navigating Relationships with the Right Boundaries

Let’s dismantle the most common misconception in social work: that boundaries are about keeping people out. Boundaries aren't about building fortresses; they are about ma

Memory & Trauma: How the Brain Holds What Hurts

Why can trauma make a memory from decades ago feel like it happened yesterday, while wiping other events out entirely? In this episode of Relational Practice: A Socia

The empathy map: navigating cognitive, emotional and compassionate empathy

"We were taught to be empathic. Nobody taught us what to do when it starts to hurt." Think of a client whose story has stayed with you, one you’ve carried home, or that

Aggression: Instrumental vs. Reactive, why the Distinction Matters

Trigger Warning: This episode contains detailed discussions regarding aggression, violence, and antisocial behaviour. We recognize this content may be distressing, so ple

Dissociation: What Is It and Why Does It Matter in Practice?

💡 How confident do you feel responding when a client dissociates mid-session? Dissociation is everywhere in our caseloads, yet so many practitioners feel unsure about wh

Self -harm: Moving Beyond Fear and Stigma

Trigger Warning: This episode contains detailed discussions about self-harm (non-suicidal self-injury). We recognize this content may be distressing. Please prioritize yo

Co-Regulating the Frontline: Why We Need a "Rose" for Every "Jodie"

In this episode of Relational Practice: A Social Work Podcast, Dr. Jodie Park and Rose Mackey go beyond the catch-all term of "stress" to explore the specific psychologic

Relationship First: The Key to Safe DV Disclosure

In this episode of Relational Practice: A Social Work Podcast, Dr. Jodie Park and Rose Mackey are joined by Professor Joanne Spangaro, a distinguished researcher and acad

Permission to be Human: Moving from Blame to Systems Thinking

In this episode of Relational Practice: A Social Work Podcast, Dr. Jodie Park and Rose Mackey tackle the heavy weight of professional fallibility. We often feel that beca

The Mirror and the Rearview: Navigating Reflection and Reflexivity in Social Work

In social work, we are often taught to "reflect" on our practice, but there is a deeper, more transformational layer called reflexivity. In this episode, Jodie and Rose b

The Silent Dialogue: Why What Isn't Said Matters Most

In this episode of Relational Practice: A Social Work Podcast, hosts Dr. Jodie Park and Rose Mackey dive deep into the most essential tool in a practitioner’s toolkit: th

The High Price of Being "Good": Appeasement as a Survival Strategy

In this episode of Relational Practice: A Social Work Podcast, Dr. Jodie Park and Rose Mackey explore a strategy often mistaken for kindness or "being an easy person," bu

Interrupting the Timeline: A Social Work Briefing on Lethality

In this heavy but essential episode of Relational Practice: A Social Work Podcast, Dr. Jodie Park and Rose Mackey confront the "national crisis" of domestic violence and

High Pressure, High Stakes: Peeling Back the Curtain on Birth Family Contact

In this episode of Relational Practice: A Social Work Podcast, hosts Dr. Jodie Park and Rose Mackey dive into the complex world of supervised birth family contact. Moving

Parenting in a Glass House: The difference between Public and Private Parenting

What happens to parenting when the "private" family unit becomes a "public" system? In this episode, Dr. Jodie Park and Rose Mackey explore the "Glass House" of foster ca

The Wound of Connection: Navigating Relational and Complex Trauma

In this episode of Relational Practice: A Social Work Podcast, Dr. Jodie Park and Rose Mackey dive deep into the intricate world of Complex Trauma (C-PTSD). Unlike tradit

Coercive Control: A Social Work Deep Dive

Trigger alert- there is a small amount of swearing in this episode. It is an emotive topic for us! A Critical, Timely Deep Dive for Professionals and the Community

The body really does keep score: Trauma, Regulation and the Nervous System

"Stop asking, 'What is wrong with you?' Start asking, 'What happened to you?' In our new episode of Relational Practice: A Social Work Podcast, Dr. Jodie Park and Ro