Instructor-Led The Unfinished Business of Childhood: Healing the Social Worker's Childhood Wounds

Held October 31, 2025 via Zoom

9 am - 12 pm CST (3 Ethics CEUs)

This course explores how unresolved childhood trauma and adaptive behaviors impact social workers' professional roles, relationships, and well-being. Participants will examine common trauma adaptations, such as over-functioning and people-pleasing, and their connection to challenges like burnout and boundary-setting. The session highlights the tension between attachment and authenticity, fostering self-awareness and professional alignment. Practical strategies for emotional regulation and resilience will equip participants to navigate the demands of their work effectively. Designed for social workers at all levels, this course provides actionable insights to enhance both personal and professional sustainability.

Upon concluding this course, participants will be able to:

• Identify how unresolved childhood trauma and adaptive behaviors manifest in social workers’ professional roles, decision-making, and emotional responses.
• Analyze the connection between common trauma adaptations—such as over-functioning, people-pleasing, and hypervigilance—and professional challenges, including burnout and boundary-setting.
• Examine the tension between attachment and authenticity in professional roles and its impact on personal well-being and client relationships.
• Apply practical strategies for emotional regulation and resilience to enhance professional sustainability and effectiveness in social work practice.
• Reflect on the role of personal identity and systemic inequities in shaping trauma responses, promoting culturally responsive and trauma-informed care.

Adam McCormick, MSSW, PhD, is a Professor of Social Work at St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas, with over two decades of experience working with survivors of trauma. He is the author of LGBTQ Youth in Foster Care and the forthcoming book addressing social work and the unfinished business of childhood, focusing on the impact of childhood trauma on helping professionals. His work emphasizes the importance of self-awareness, resilience, and authentic connection in sustaining professional well-being.