Instructor-Led Clarity & Compassion without Burnout: Effective Communication with Boundaries for Social Work Practice

Held October 30, 2025 via Zoom

9 am - 12 pm CST (3 Ethics CEUs)

Social workers regularly navigate complex interpersonal dynamics with clients, colleagues, and systems. The nature of their work demands skills in assessment of personal issues and emotional attunement but also requires professional boundaries. Many experience challenges with compassionate yet clear communication, leading to burnout, ethical dilemmas, and diminished effectiveness. There's a critical need for practical communication frameworks that support both client care and practitioner wellbeing within the unique demands of social work practice. This workshop equips social work students and professionals with concrete communication skills based on Nonviolent Communication principles and boundary-setting frameworks. The 3 hour CEU training provides immediately applicable tools to enhance professional relationships, prevent burnout, and uphold social work values of dignity, integrity, and social justice through more effective communication practices.

Upon concluding this course, fully engaged participants will be able to:

• Apply the four components of Nonviolent Communication to transform challenging professional and personal conversations
• Identify and articulate their own professional boundaries relevant to social work practice
• Utilize specific self-reflection and self-regulation tools to enhance ethical decision-making
• Evaluate and replace communication patterns that perpetuate power imbalances or biases

About the Instructor:

Dr. McClain Sampson, MSW, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at the University of Houston, Graduate College of Social Work. In this capacity, she has led community-engaged initiatives and secured millions in federal funding to support maternal mental health and equity. Dr. Sampson has developed accessible, effective programs for low-income mothers and is known for building strong, mission-aligned partnerships. Drawing from her experience as a value driven leader and coach, she offers CEU events to help social workers lean into their passion to help others without depleting themselves.