The Critical Social Worker: A Revolutionary Storytelling Podcast

Christian Ace Stettler
  • 4.7 (3)
  • Society & Culture
  • Updated Daily

Welcome to a journey of revolutionary storytelling with Christian Ace Stettler. Dive into unique stories and diverse perspectives to foster critical dialogue, empathy, and understanding. Through storytelling grounded in social work values, we aim to challenge the status quo, ignite transformation, and build a community of change-makers. Join us in exploring social work, justice, and what it means to be truly revolutionary.

  1. Jul 20

    The Whale Spirit Is Watching | Sobriety, Whaling & Iñupiaq Story with Bernice Aviuk Oyagak

    "It's not about hunting a whale. It's about knowing the whale spirit is watching you." Iñupiaq artist, whaler, and PhD student Bernice Aviuk Oyagak joins Professor Ace for a conversation about getting sober, building a family, and doing research that answers to community before academia.Bernice and Ace go back to softball tournaments in Utqiaġvik (Barrow). In Episode 95 they cover her first year of sobriety and why abstinence isn't the same as healing; her PhD in Indigenous Studies and research supporting her community's push from International Whaling Commission oversight toward domestic whaling management; losing her mentors — her whaling captain uncle among them — in the 2018 boating accident she survived; the courthouse wedding where the whole village showed up; raising twin boys, one on the autism spectrum, with her wife Kelly; her mixed-media artwork at Sacred Layers by Aviuk; and whaling as a spiritual reset — the intimate, vulnerable prep work that comes before any reward.The Critical Social Worker is a Revolutionary Social Work production.Revolutionary Social Work: https://revolutionarysocialwork.comSubscribe: https://youtube.com/@thecriticalsocialworker?sub_confirmation=1Contact Professor Ace: Castettler@alaska.eduBernice's art — Sacred Layers by Aviuk: https://www.sacredlayersbyaviuk.comAbout Bernice: https://www.sacredlayersbyaviuk.com/about-2Bernice on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernice-aviuk-oyagak0:00 Intro1:32 Catching up & a Barrow softball reunion4:21 Getting sober: "Never going back"6:27 The PhD grind: comps in Indigenous Studies8:13 Whaling research, by and for Utqiaġvik11:33 Losing her mentors: the 2018 boating accident13:39 Alone in academia, accountable to community14:54 Missing home during spring whaling15:59 Parenting with intention18:41 The wedding the whole village showed up for24:11 IVF, twins & raising Roxy and Stanley27:41 Turning 10: BB guns & Iñupiaq milestones29:53 Turning 40 & taking health seriously32:56 Sacred Layers: painting memory36:42 Many hats, one intention40:24 Self-care: sleep, health & relearning food48:19 The whale spirit is watching53:01 Closing: hope for new leaders© Revolutionary Social Work

  2. Jul 3

    Building a Behavioral Health Program Inside a Jail | Deb Goldfarb

    Can you do genuinely ethical social work inside a jail — or does the setting corrupt the work no matter what? Deb Goldfarb has spent her career living inside that question. A self-described abolitionist, she built a behavioral health program from nothing inside a Boston jail, and she joins Professor Ace to talk honestly about the tension, the compromises, and the moments that make it worth it. In this episode of The Critical Social Worker: A Revolutionary Storytelling Podcast, Deb Goldfarb — clinical social worker, Director of Behavioral Health for Population Health at Boston Medical Center, and part-time faculty at Boston University School of Social Work — traces her path from a pre-med student to homeless outreach, to Harvard Law's Criminal Justice Institute, to years as a therapist inside the state prisons, to building Project Evolve: a voluntary, trauma-focused behavioral health program for pretrial men. We talk about how you earn trust with people who "can smell b******t from 10 miles away," why she hires staff with lived experience of incarceration and recovery, and what cultural responsiveness looks like in practice. Deb makes the case for joy as resistance, explains the therapy dog that changed her whole unit, and lays out the contradiction at the heart of drug policy — that we call addiction a disease and then punish it with jail. She shares the legislative work to stop judges from jailing people over a single relapse, her vision for marrying the healthcare and criminal legal systems, and why change is slow but possible. A hard, hopeful conversation about doing the work at the margins. — — — 🎙️ The Critical Social Worker is hosted by Professor Ace (Christian Stettler), former Professor of Social Work at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. ▶️ Subscribe on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thecriticalsocialworker?sub_confirmation=1 🌐 Revolutionary Social Work: https://revolutionarysocialwork.com 📧 Contact Professor Ace: Castettler@alaska.edu Find Deb Goldfarb: 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debgoldfarb/ 🏥 Boston Medical Center bio: https://www.bmc.org/about-us/directory/doctor/deborah-r-goldfarb-msw-licsw 🎓 Boston University School of Social Work: https://www.bu.edu/ssw/profile/deborah-goldfarb/ 🔗 Project Evolve (BMC + Suffolk County Sheriff's Department): https://www.bmc.org/departments/psychiatry/project-evolve 00:00 Intro 00:50 Theme Song 01:28 Meet Deb Goldfarb: From Pre-Med to Social Work 09:03 Working the Criminal Legal System, From Defense to Prisons 14:33 Building Project Evolve Inside the Jail 17:50 The Therapy Dog & Joy as Resistance 23:38 Earning Trust: "They Can Smell B******t From 10 Miles Away" 28:03 Political Friction & Being the "Trojan Horse" 32:06 What Abolition Actually Asks of Us 33:32 Addiction, Relapse & the Limits of Abstinence 38:38 Empathy and Accountability as Community Practice 41:51 Jailing People for a Relapse: The Legislative Fight 46:21 Bridging Healthcare and the Criminal Legal System 48:55 Lived Experience on the Team, Without Exploiting It 52:06 What Fills the Cup: Finding Joy in the Work #socialwork #criticalsocialwork #revolutionarysocialwork #projectevolve #prisonabolition #harmreduction #criminaljustice #socialworkpodcast #behavioralhealth © UAF Social Work

  3. Jun 19

    The Myth That's Keeping Social Workers Quiet | Dr. Joe Hanley (UK)

    What if everything social workers have been told about how the public sees them is wrong? Dr. Joe Hanley joins Professor Ace from the United Kingdom to challenge the myth, name the politics, and trace the quiet privatization of public service. In this episode of The Critical Social Worker: A Revolutionary Storytelling Podcast, Dr. Joe Hanley — lecturer in social work at the Open University and author of The Social Work Public Perception Myth — shares his path from law, to street-level housing and homelessness work, to academic research that turns the spotlight onto policymakers instead of the people social workers serve. We talk about the state of social work education in the UK, the disparity between paid and unpaid placements, the cost-of-living crisis pushing social work students into food banks, and why so many social workers stay silent on the political conditions shaping their practice. Joe shares his concept of the "public perception myth" — the widely repeated but unevidenced claim that the public dislikes social workers — and traces the cross-Atlantic story of how Teach for America became Teach First in the UK, then expanded into social work, policing, and prisons. We also get into the influence of sports, celebrity, and reality TV on political discourse, and why dissent is not optional for a profession with a history reaching back to Clement Attlee. Dr. Hanley is currently writing a book on the co-opting of public service for private interests. Watch for it. — — — 🎙️ The Critical Social Worker is hosted by Professor Ace (Christian Stettler), Assistant Professor of Social Work at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. ▶️ Subscribe on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thecriticalsocialworker?sub_confirmation=1 🌐 Revolutionary Social Work: https://revolutionarysocialwork.com 📧 Contact Professor Ace: Castettler@alaska.edu Find Dr. Joe Hanley: 🎓 Open University profile: https://profiles.open.ac.uk/joe-hanley 🦋 Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/joehanley.bsky.social 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-hanley-7747a154 📄 The Social Work Public Perception Myth (BASW): https://basw.co.uk/policy-and-practice/resources/social-work-public-perception-myth 📰 Genealogy of Discourse (GAPS): https://gaps.org.uk/the-social-work-public-perception-myth-a-genealogy-of-discourse/ 00:00 Intro 00:35 Theme Song 01:32 Meet Dr. Joe Hanley: From Law to Social Work 06:03 Social Work Education in the UK & the Shift Online 10:25 The Paid vs. Unpaid Placement Crisis 15:07 Politics, Trump, and Social Work's Silence 19:47 The Public Perception Myth 24:13 "Every Social Worker Is an Agitator" — Dissent & Leadership 32:32 Teach for America, Teach First & the Privatization of Public Service 38:56 The Linda McMahon / WWE / Teach for America Connection 45:43 Sports, Celebrity & Political Spectacle 51:01 Public Sentiment, MAGA, and the UK's Own Reckoning 56:29 Closing & Thanks #socialwork #criticalsocialwork #revolutionarysocialwork #socialworkeducation #teachforamerica #teachfirst #socialworkpodcast #criticalpedagogy

  4. Apr 28

    What Horses Teach Us About Healing and Connection

    Four practitioners sit down with Professor Ace to talk about horses — what they teach us, how they heal us, and why being in their presence asks something different of us than the rest of modern life does. Dr. Penny Lloyd is an equine veterinarian of 35 years and the founder of Connection Medicine. She talks about therapeutic partnership — the idea that healing between people and animals can move in both directions — and about coherence, presence, and the simple practice of pausing before approaching an animal. She shares the research that sits underneath this work, including studies on heart rate variability and the brainwave patterns horses naturally hold at rest. Karin O'Mahony owns Hoku Lio Farms in Waimanalo, O'ahu, and brings children from a family homeless shelter to spend time with the horses. She shares the Hawaiian moʻolelo of the Bowl of Light — a practice her farm uses at the pasture gate to set down whatever someone is carrying before they meet the animals. Wendi Crandall Amidon owns Sweet Nectar Forest and Farm in Pa'auilo on Hawai'i Island. A former teacher and longtime animal massage practitioner, she talks about breath, silence, and the experience of caring for a wild horse from Waipi'o Valley. She also describes the practice of painting on the animals with milk-powder paint as part of therapeutic touch work with women healing from trauma. Alicia Stettler, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker and yoga therapist who works with Indigenous communities in Alaska. She speaks about trauma, embodiment, and why the body doesn't always feel safe enough for traditional therapy — and shares the Circle of Self, a seven-element framework she developed for healing within and outside the clinical system. The conversation moves through addiction as a disconnection problem, the Ubuntu philosophy of "I am because we are," what it means for animals to thrive rather than just survive, and what Revolutionary Social Work could look like if the profession stepped outside the cubicle. It closes on the question of what it means to listen to animals — and what we hear when we do. 🐴 Watch the Rescued Hearts film: rescuedheartsfilm.com 📚 Revolutionary Social Work: revolutionarysocialwork.com 🔔 Subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@thecriticalsocialworker?sub_confirmation=1 📩 Contact Professor Ace: Castettler@alaska.edu Guests & Links Dr. Penny Lloyd · Equine Veterinarian · Connection Medicine — connectionmedicine.com Karin O'Mahony · Owner, Hoku Lio Farms (O'ahu) — hokuliofarms.org Wendi Crandall Amidon · Owner, Sweet Nectar Forest and Farm (Hawai'i Island) — @sweetnectarfarm Alicia Stettler, LCSW HeartMath Institute — heartmath.org Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:30 Meet the guests 03:08 The Rescued Hearts film and personal connections to horses 06:06 Why horses calm us: coherence and brainwaves 07:51 Karen's origin story and the work at Hoku Lio Farms 10:01 Wendi on synchronicity, Waipiʻo's wild horses, and yoga on horseback 11:24 Addiction, disconnection, and presence 12:53 Horses as mirrors: non-judgment and authenticity 16:01 Thriving Together workshops: stillness, touch, and movement 20:47 What coherence actually is 22:27 Breath, the body, and trauma 25:30 Revolutionary Social Work: the cubicle vs. the pasture 27:41 The Circle of Self framework 29:22 Surviving vs. thriving 31:08 The dogs-and-humans study 33:53 What animals need to thrive 36:52 Ubuntu, win-win, and the appreciation party 39:23 The Hawaiian Bowl of Light 40:56 Upcoming events and offerings 44:57 Listening to animals: a two-way conversation 53:37 Simple steps to reconnect with nature 55:58 Closing reflections #equinetherapy #horseshealing #revolutionarysocialwork #thecriticalsocialworker #animalassistedtherapy #socialwork #traumahealing #breathwork #connectionmedicine #hawaiianhealing #naturetherapy

  5. Apr 24

    A Social Worker in Tech | Niteesa Brooks, MSSW

    Niteesa Brooks is a Master of Science in Social Work (MSSW) — a degree most social workers don't even know exists — and she's built a career most social work programs won't prepare you for: regulated tech. She's run pharma research programs for Eli Lilly, scaled inside a 400-person FinTech company, and she's launching her own execution advisory and consulting firm (announced publicly for the first time on this episode). In this conversation with host Christian "Ace" Stettler and BSW senior Christie Robinson, Niteesa breaks down: • Why she chose MSSW over MSW and what the Social Enterprise Administration track actually opens up (hint: it's not the clinical path your professors keep pushing)• What macro social work really looks like inside product teams, pharma contracts, and startup chaos• The power dynamics of being the only Black woman social worker in the room — including the moment an engineer told her she had "the power like an oppressor," and how she answered him• Bureaucracy and burnout — why "that's just how we are" is the most dangerous sentence in any organization, and what to do when you hear it• How to take back power at work — the exact steps she walks through when someone feels stuck and voiceless• Intentionality in an oversaturated world — saying no, doing personal inventory, and protecting your attention from algorithms designed to hijack it If you're a social work student wondering whether you have to do therapy, a practitioner drowning in red tape, or a macro-curious social worker eyeing tech, policy, or entrepreneurship — this one's for you.About the Critical Social Worker Podcast:A revolutionary storytelling podcast hosted by Professor Christian "Ace" Stettler at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. We sit with social workers, educators, activists, healers, and troublemakers who are remaking the profession from the inside out.▶ Visit the site: https://revolutionarysocialwork.com▶ Connect with Niteesa Brooks on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/niteesabrooks/Host: Christian "Ace" Stettler, MSW — Professor of Social Work, University of Alaska FairbanksCo-host for this episode: Christie Robinson, BSW candidate 00:00 Welcome & Intro 01:35 Setting the Scene — Hawaii to New Jersey 05:47 Niteesa's Journey: From Social Work to Digital Health Tech 10:50 Launching Her Consulting Firm (First Public Announcement) 16:23 MSW vs. MSSW — The Degree They Don't Tell You About 20:04 Execution Strategy, Bureaucracy, and Why Projects Stall 29:10 Communication, Red Tape, and the Burnout Cycle 32:20 Culture Is Bureaucracy — and It's Killing Your Work 34:33 Power Dynamics Inside Startups and Health Tech 36:45 "You Have the Power Like an Oppressor": A Black Woman Social Worker Answers Back 45:46 Social Work in Tech: How Niteesa Got Into Meta Interviews 51:22 Taking Back Power When You Feel Voiceless at Work 55:33 Intentionality, Saying No, and Surviving an Oversaturated World #SocialWork #SocialWorkInTech #MSSW #CriticalSocialWork #MacroSocialWork © UAF Social Work

  6. Apr 19

    Richard Flyer on Symbiotic Culture and Rebuilding Community | Revolutionary Social Work

    Richard Flyer joins The Critical Social Worker: A Revolutionary Storytelling Podcast hosted by Professor Ace for a conversation about Birthing the Symbiotic Age, symbiotic culture, spirituality, rebuilding community, mutual benefit, love, Indigenous perspectives, and the future of social work in a fragmented world. In Episode 90, Richard Flyer discusses his book Birthing the Symbiotic Age and reflects on his journey from marine biology to spiritual awakening. Together, Richard and Professor Ace explore the dissonance between inner connection and outer fragmentation, the culture of separation, materialism, politics and spirituality, ideological capture in religion, empire mentality, and why personal transformation matters if we want real cultural change. This episode also explores symbiotic culture as an alternative to domination-based systems, the teachings of Jesus in relation to parallel culture, Indigenous perspectives on community development, and the role social workers can play in cultivating relationship, service, trust, belonging, and mutual flourishing. If you are interested in social work, spirituality, community building, cultural renewal, personal transformation, radical social change, mutual aid, Indigenous wisdom, or rebuilding human connection, this conversation is for you. Visit RevolutionarySocialWork.com:https://RevolutionarySocialWork.com Email Professor Ace to connect and collaborate:castettler@alaska.edu Connect with Richard Flyer:https://www.richardflyer.com/ Get Richard Flyer’s book, Birthing the Symbiotic Age:https://www.richardflyer.com/p/buy-the-book The Critical Social Worker: A Revolutionary Storytelling Podcast hosted by Professor Ace features conversations on social work, storytelling, healing, politics, spirituality, education, consciousness, community, and revolutionary thought.Chapters 00:00 Theme Song and Intro 01:25 Introduction to Richard Flyer and His Work 04:16 Richard's Journey: From Marine Biology to Spiritual Awakening 07:09 The Dissonance Between Inner Connection and Outer Fragmentation 09:50 The Role of Community in Building a New Culture 12:27 Listening to the Inner Voice: A Personal Journey 15:06 The Nature of Culture and Our Role in Shaping It 18:38 The Influence of Materialism on Modern Society 21:29 The Intersection of Politics and Spirituality 27:58 The Challenge of Ideological Capture in Religion 34:06 Reforming Systems and the Need for Radical Change 36:19 The Kingdom of Heaven and Symbiotic Culture 37:52 Personal Transformation as a Precursor to Change 39:50 The End of Empire Mentality 42:00 Cultivating the Good as a Strategy for Change 47:55 Indigenous Perspectives and Community Development 58:47 The Role of Social Workers in Building Community #RichardFlyer #BirthingTheSymbioticAge #SocialWork #CommunityBuilding #Spirituality #ProfessorAce #RevolutionarySocialWork © UAF Social Work

  7. Apr 8

    Nature-Based Therapy, Indigenous Wisdom, and Healing in Social Work | Kit Kline | Episode 89

    What would social work look like if nature was not treated as background, but as part of the healing relationship? In Episode 89 of The Critical Social Worker: A Revolutionary Storytelling Podcast, Professor Ace is joined by Kit Kline, founder of Nature Based Therapy, clinical social worker, educator, and trainer. Together they explore the relationship between nature-based therapy, Indigenous knowledge, healing, identity, authenticity, talking circles, trauma recovery, telehealth, community, nutrition, and the struggle to reconnect with what modern systems often disconnect us from. This is a rich conversation about mental health, social work, cultural heritage, grassroots healing, and what it means to practice in ways that are more grounded, relational, and fully human. Connect and collaborate with Professor Ace: Email: castettler@alaska.edu Visit: https://RevolutionarySocialWork.com Connect with Kit Kline: https://www.naturebasedtherapy.com.au/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/kit-kline-a67229b2/ Referenced in this episode: https://templeofthewayoflight.org/ https://www.portageandmainpress.com/Books/P/Potlatch-as-Pedagogy Chapters: 00:00 Opening Theme + Intro 01:25 Introduction to Nature-Based Therapy 03:44 Cultural Heritage and Identity 06:22 Intersection of Indigenous and Western Practices 09:16 The Importance of Talking Circles 12:15 Nature in Social Work 14:47 Bringing Nature into Therapy 17:30 Seasons of Healing and Growth 20:28 Reconnection with Authentic Self 23:06 The Role of Education in Disconnection 29:53 The Struggle for Authenticity 32:49 Challenging Educational Norms 35:50 The Impact of Systems on Mental Health 38:21 Globalization and Identity Crisis 41:16 Nature as a Healing Force 45:25 Innovative Nature-Based Therapy Practices 47:55 Nature-Based Telehealth: Bridging the Gap 51:26 The Role of Nature in Therapy 59:15 Embracing Possibility and Connection 01:00:31 Nature-Based Social Prescribing and Community Engagement 01:02:46 Grassroots Initiatives for Community Connection 01:03:36 Nature and Nutrition: The Connection to Well-Being 01:05:31 The Power of Food in Building Community 01:08:48 The Slow Process of Healing and Growth 01:12:19 Psychedelic Therapy: Nature vs. Controlled Environments 01:16:15 Finding Balance in Healing and Nature 01:20:20 Navigating Ayahuasca Retreats and Recovery 01:25:47 Starting with Self: The Foundation of Change #CriticalSocialWorker #NatureBasedTherapy #SocialWork #MentalHealth #IndigenousKnowledge #Healing #TraumaRecovery #TalkingCircles #Therapy #ProfessorAce

  8. Apr 7

    Abolitionist Social Work and Court-Involved Youth with Maria Guido | Critical Social Worker 88

    Maria Guido joins Professor Ace for a powerful conversation on abolitionist social work, trauma, attachment, therapy, and the realities facing court-involved youth. In Episode 88 of The Critical Social Worker: A Revolutionary Storytelling Podcast, Professor Ace speaks with licensed clinical social worker Maria Guido about developmental trauma, emotional safety, attunement, abolition, love in social work, and the urgent need for systemic change. Together, they explore youth treatment settings, the criminal legal system, boundaries, relationship-building, political awareness, and what it means to practice social work with depth, courage, and humanity. Maria Guido is a licensed clinical social worker and owner of Transformative Bonds, a private practice in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She is EMDR trained and specializes in attachment, developmental trauma, and court-involved youth. She practices from an abolitionist framework and has extensive experience working with children, adolescents, young adults, and families impacted by the court system. Visit: https://RevolutionarySocialWork.com Connect and collaborate: castettler@alaska.edu Chapters 00:00 Opening Theme and Introduction 01:25 Introduction and Background 03:32 Journey into Social Work 09:05 Experiences in Treatment Settings 14:23 Cultural Reflections in Social Work 21:27 The Importance of Love in Social Work 26:45 Understanding Trauma and Attachment 29:53 Building Relationships and Boundaries in Treatment 31:11 Navigating Emotional Safety and Engagement 35:04 The Importance of Attunement in Therapy 39:11 The Role of Personal Experience in Social Work 43:28 The Necessity of Love in Social Work 48:33 Abolitionist Social Work and Its Challenges 01:01:18 Creating Safe Spaces for Dialogue 01:06:52 Understanding Abolition in Social Work 01:13:17 Integrating Abolitionist Principles in Therapy 01:20:13 The Need for Political Change and Awareness 01:25:55 Resources for Abolitionist Social Work #SocialWork #AbolitionistSocialWork #MariaGuido #CourtInvolvedYouth #TraumaInformedCare

See All (91)

4.7
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Welcome to a journey of revolutionary storytelling with Christian Ace Stettler. Dive into unique stories and diverse perspectives to foster critical dialogue, empathy, and understanding. Through storytelling grounded in social work values, we aim to challenge the status quo, ignite transformation, and build a community of change-makers. Join us in exploring social work, justice, and what it means to be truly revolutionary.

Information