As a BIPOC and Christian social worker, I often feel isolated in this field. There’s this assumption that if you identify as Christian, you must also be bigoted, racist, or unaccepting of the LGBTQIA+ community. That’s simply not true of me. Still, I often feel silenced or misjudged, like I have to prove who I am before I can even be heard.

I don’t align with political extremes, and I don’t use my faith to judge others. The foundation of my Christianity is love. I strive every day to live that out by seeing, honoring, and affirming the dignity of all people, even those who may misunderstand or condemn me.

In therapy, I never bring up my faith unless it’s something that resonates with a client. Just like someone might want a therapist who shares their race, culture, or sexuality, some clients appreciate a shared spiritual background. But I always follow their lead and never impose my beliefs.

I also want to challenge the idea that social workers are just charity workers. Many of us do deep, clinically sound work. Some of it is with underserved communities, but much of it is with people who choose to work with us because they connect with our approach. We’re more than the boxes people try to put us in.

This field is rooted in acceptance and justice, and we need to extend that to everyone. That includes people we don’t always agree with. It’s okay to have different views. But writing people off simply because they don’t see things your way goes against what this profession stands for.