Example of self-disclosure in the MSW personal statement
Schools of social work will often ask MSW applicants to identify their motivation for pursuing social work.
Many social workers go into social work because they experienced hardship in their lives.
As professionals, we are often warned not to self-disclose when working with clients. And as Academics, we wouldn’t dream of delving into our personal experiences when writing a paper.
So, when schools of social work ask us about our personal experiences, we might worry about how much self-disclosure is appropriate, and how to answer the question tactfully.
In this article, we’ll talk about what I usually tell MSW applicants when it comes to walking the line between personal and professional experiences.
Your experience is valid
First, if you went into social work because of a personal experience that you went through, that’s completely valid, and yes, you should talk about it in your personal experience if it’s relevant. Social workers who have been through hardships can relate to clients going through the same thing, and that’s a good thing!
What to avoid
That said, when talking about your personal experiences, you want to make sure that you do it in a way that maintains a level of professionalism.
Make sure you are answering the question that is being asked. You want to avoid digressing too much or turning your personal statement into a place to “trauma dump”. If you’re self-disclosing, what you say should be relevant to the reader and the questions that are being asked.
What to do instead
One of the most important things to demonstrate in the personal statement is your ability to think critically. One way you can demonstrate your critical thinking skills is to connect your personal experience to the bigger picture, and your goals as a social worker. This might mean integrating some research, connecting your personal experience to a social problem, and highlighting why your experience will make you a better social worker.
Example:
I recently worked with someone who used self-disclosure really well.
They started by talking about experiencing anxiety and depression shortly after university. They were an international student and they were feeling isolated and lonely. At the time, they struggled to seek help because in their culture, getting help for mental health concerns was highly stigmatized. The applicant talked about the need to find a culturally safe therapist to get support.
They go on to dive deeper and integrate what the research says about mental health outcomes in their culture, and that they want to pursue social work so that they can provide culturally-relevant mental health care to others in the same position.
In summary, when you combine your personal experience with a discussion of the bigger picture and your goals as a social worker, you can create a really well-rounded personal statement that can help you stand out from the crowd!
Write a top notch MSW Personal Statement
Knowing that the personal statement is the most important part of the MSW application, you want to do whatever it takes to write the best personal statement you can. Here are some free resources to help you write a personal statement that stands out
Our Application Advisors specialize in MSW personal statements and are available to help you complete your application. Learn more about our services here.
Happy writing!
Michelle
