Social Work Spotlight

Yasmine Loupis
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  • Social Sciences
  • Updated Semimonthly

This podcast features interviews with social workers in Sydney, Australia, showcasing diverse areas of practice, social work stories, successes, and challenges, and providing information on media and other resources that can be accessed to help inform and educate people who are curious about the profession or wanting a career change.

  1. 4d ago

    Season 3 Episode 1: Seena

    In this episode I speak with Seena, an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker based in Brisbane who has worked in the human services sector for over 15 years. Seena is a first-generation Gujarati woman born and raised in England but now living in Australia, and she brings an appreciation of how culture, identity, relationships, and lived experience shape people’s stories. Her practice spans mental health, trauma, domestic and family violence, relationships, parenting, and men’s behaviour change. Grounded in dignity, cultural humility, and trauma-informed practice, Seena is passionate about walking alongside people with both compassion and accountability and creating environments where people feel heard, respected, and empowered as the experts of their own lives. Links to resources mentioned in this week’s episode: ‘Invitations to Responsibility’ by Alan Jenkins - https://archive.org/details/invitationstores00jenk Our Watch - https://www.ourwatch.org.au/ No To Violence - https://ntv.org.au/about-us/ ANROWS (Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety) - https://www.anrows.org.au/ Institute of Non-Violence - https://ionv.com.au/ Safe & Together Institute - https://safeandtogetherinstitute.com/ Blue Knot Foundation - https://blueknot.org.au/ Emerging Minds - https://emergingminds.com.au/ Suggested reading: Judith Herman: Trauma and Recovery (1992) Bessel Van der Kolk: The Body Keeps the Score (2014) Janina Fisher: Healing the Fragmented Selves of Trauma Survivors (2017) Peter Levine: Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma (1997) Alan Jenkins (1990): Invitations to Responsibility: The Therapeutic Engagement of Men who are Violent and Abusive (https://archive.org/details/invitationstores00jenk)  Evan Stark (2023): Coercive Control: How Men Entrap Women in Personal Life.  Michael Flood (2018): Engaging Men and Boys in Violence Prevention. Michael Flood (2025): Understanding Men's Lives: Pain, Privilege, Difference This episode's transcript can be viewed here:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lvPGFrLhwztTY7eze3mjo_fRIqn84VUtkLIySfp01PY/edit?usp=sharing Thanks to Kevin Macleod of incompetech.com for our theme music.

    Season 3 Episode 1: Seena

  2. Oct 9

    International Episode 30: Dainora (Lithuania)

    In this episode I speak with Dainora, a social worker from Lithuania, working as a Supported Decision-Making Specialist at the Agency for the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and as a Marketing Manager at the Psychosocial Activity Centre “Nauja pradžia”, while also pursuing a master’s degree. Her work in supported decision-making focuses on empowering people with disabilities to make their own decisions, strengthen their independence, and have their voices heard.  Links to resources mentioned in this week’s episode: Agency for the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (ANTA) - https://anta.lrv.lt/lt/ Psychosocial Activity Center “Nauja Pradžia (New Start)” - https://www.facebook.com/p/Nauja-prad%C5%BEia-psichosocialin%C4%97s-veiklos-centras-61560334597170/ United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Article 12 (Equal recognition before the law) - https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities/article-12-equal-recognition-before-the-law.html European Disability Forum - https://www.edf-feph.org/ “My Rights - My Voice” board game - https://pertvarka.lt/naujas-budas-kalbeti-apie-teises-ir-pasirinkimus-d-jurgaitytes-sukurtas-zaidimas-mano-teises-mano-balsas/ This episode's transcript can be viewed here:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1W-5dq8jG8fYiZ5I8U2CkmOoIvb7Odg-yhGLIQyP13t4/edit?usp=sharing

    International Episode 30: Dainora (Lithuania)

  3. Sep 25

    International Episode 29: Eymen (Türkiye)

    In this episode I speak with Dr Eymen Ekmen, an academic in Türkiye who completed his PhD in 2026, and whose research primarily focuses on migration, refugee studies, and Syrian refugees in Türkiye. Eymen places great emphasis on working with diverse cultures and conducting fieldwork in participants' native languages, and he himself speaks Arabic, English, Turkish, and Serbo-Croatian. Links to resources mentioned in this week’s episode: Istanbul Arel University’s Social Work Department - https://arel.edu.tr/en/faculty-of-health-sciences-social-work/ Eymen’s Google Scholar page - https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=_4wrMQoAAAAJ&hl=fr This episode's transcript can be viewed here:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GtU6RDI94YmQ81tKkV7NNfA5DXh5LVT8gCi-bK9n5R0/edit?usp=sharing Thanks to Kevin Macleod of incompetech.com for our theme music.

    International Episode 29: Eymen (Türkiye)

  4. Sep 11

    International Episode 28: Vesna (North Macedonia)

    In this episode I speak with Vesna from North Macedonia, with more than 20 years of professional experience beginning with volunteering in civil society organisations supporting people at social risk, where she discovered her passion for this profession. Throughout her career, she has worked with different groups, currently focusing on early childhood care, while also actively involved in international projects, non-formal education, and professional training as a lecturer and educator.  Links to resources mentioned in this week’s episode: The Streets Smart Model - https://streetsmarts.blogs.auckland.ac.nz/home/thestreetsmartsmodel/ Mellow Parenting program - https://www.mellowparenting.org/ eTwinning projects - https://school-education.ec.europa.eu/en/etwinning/projects Erasmus+ program - https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/ “Life Story Work: A Practical Guide To Helping Children Understand Their Past” (the English book related to Vesna’s approach when writing her own book) -  https://dokumen.pub/life-story-work-a-practical-guide-to-helping-children-understand-their-past-9781905664023.html Professor Ranko Rajovic’s work - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxbskgKBLFs Nikola Tesla Learning Centre Learning System - https://ntclearning.com/ This episode's transcript can be viewed here:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wY4d2-IBCVeDtIivj514o8IPI3l9VsOk_89hl-hH2TA/edit?usp=sharing Thanks to Kevin Macleod of incompetech.com for our theme music.

    International Episode 28: Vesna (North Macedonia)

  5. Aug 28

    International Episode 27: Gülcan (Türkiye)

    In this episode I speak with Gülcan, a social worker from Türkiye, currently living in Serbia. Gülcan has worked in migration and refugee support, child protection, and emergency and crisis settings, with field experience in humanitarian responses during the COVID-19 period, the Syrian refugee crisis, and the 2023 earthquake response in Türkiye. She has also worked with vulnerable children and women living in camps and other protection settings in both Türkiye and Serbia. Links to resources mentioned in this week’s episode: Gülcan’s LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gülcan-güzel-171739196/ Sphere Standards training, especially for humanitarian and emergency response work - https://spherestandards.org/online-courses/ UNICEF’s online learning platform *Agora* (free and certified online courses, including training on child protection, migration, and emergency response) - https://agora.unicef.org/ European Solidarity Corps European Union humanitarian volunteering program - https://youth.europa.eu/solidarity/young-people/volunteering-humanitarian-aid_en “The Swimmers” film, based on the true story of two Syrian sisters and their journey from war and displacement to finding a safe life in Europe - https://youtu.be/ObN4krVV20Y?si=YU5bMInrUMMMie_j This episode's transcript can be viewed here:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KjPSYnopk5ApjKDNYn2YvGi09NLnGlfy_eB2bVHpe_E/edit?usp=sharing Thanks to Kevin Macleod of incompetech.com for our theme music.

    International Episode 27: Gülcan (Türkiye)

  6. Aug 15

    International Episode 26: Elizabeth (Romania)

    In this episode I speak with Elizabeth, a first-year PhD student at the University of Bucharest and early career practitioner. Elizabeth has participated in several exchange programs under the Erasmus+ framework, broadening her perspective on social work practices and international collaboration. She has worked in diverse roles supporting older adults and children with autism, allowing her to develop a diverse set of skills and a deeper understanding of different vulnerable populations. Elizabeth is particularly interested in initiatives that promote innovation, inclusion, community development, and evidence-based practice within the social services sector. Links to resources mentioned in this week’s episode: Elizabeth’s YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@elizabethfarca%C8%99  Elizabeth’s WordPress page - https://elizabethfarcas.wordpress.com/  https://ro.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-farcas-1909aa225  Elizabeth’s TikTok account - http://tiktok.com/@elizabethfarcas  Elizabeth’s Pinterest page - https://ro.pinterest.com/elizabethfarcas/_profile/  The Romanian Ministry of Labor, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity - https://mmuncii.gov.ro/ Bucharest’s social services agency - https://www.dgas.ro/  Romania’s National Agency for Payments and Social Inspection - https://www.mmanpis.ro/  Romania’s National Authority for the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities - https://anpd.gov.ro/web/  This episode's transcript can be viewed here:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BURBqURLK8nHM_EaemK7_quQaogNVJaUaBs72vIzs0M/edit?usp=sharing Thanks to Kevin Macleod of incompetech.com for our theme music.

    International Episode 26: Elizabeth (Romania)

  7. Aug 1

    International Episode 25: Sophia (Germany)

    In this episode I speak with Sophia, a social worker, sexologist, and relationship counsellor from Germany. She has worked in child protection and youth services in both Germany and Australia, including child and family welfare services, therapeutic residential crisis care for children and young people, and specialised crisis support for girls who have experienced sexual violence and abuse. Sophia has worked as a lecturer in sexology, and is the founder of Sexology Hub, where she offers sexuality and relationship counselling, individual coaching, as well as educational programs, workshops, and professional training for diverse audiences. Links to resources mentioned in this week’s episode: Trauma-informed work and recovery Sanctuary Institute - https://www.thesanctuaryinstitute.org/ Creating Sanctuary by Sandra Bloom - https://sandrabloom.com/book/creating-sanctuary-toward-the-evolution-of-sane-societies/ Trauma and Recovery by Judith Herman - https://openlibrary.org/books/OL1563764M/Trauma_and_Recovery The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk - https://www.besselvanderkolk.com/resources/the-body-keeps-the-score Practical resources and research on sexual violence RAINN - https://rainn.org/ Caste-based discriminination International Dalit Solidarity Network - https://idsn.org/ International Cooperation Work Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire - https://fsi-ebcao.princeton.edu/sites/g/files/toruqf1411/files/media/freire.pdf Decolonizing Methodologies by Linda Tuhiwai Smith - https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/decolonizing-methodologies-9781786998125/ Social Work Crisis in Berlin AG Weiße Fahnen, DBSH Berlin, GEW BERLIN "Die Berliner Jugendhilfe befindet sich im Kollaps" | GEW - Berlin - https://www.gew-berlin.de/presse/detailseite/ag-weisse-fahnen-dbsh-berlin-gew-berlin-die-berliner-jugendhilfe-befindet-sich-im-kollaps Sexuality and relationship counselling/therapy A Clinician's Guide to Systemic Sex Therapy by Gerald Weeks et al. - https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781315817392/clinician-guide-systemic-sex-therapy-gerald-weeks-katherine-hertlein-nancy-gambescia Principles and Practice of Sex Therapy by Hall & Binik - https://www.guilford.com/books/Principles-and-Practice-of-Sex-Therapy/Hall-Binik/9781462543397 Personal / Professional Resources Sophia’s open-access publication on Problematic Porn Consumption among Men: Males’ Lived Experience with Self-Perceived Pornography Addiction: A Qualitative Study of Problematic Porn Use - https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/2/1497 Sophia’s website - https://sexologyhub.com/ This episode's transcript can be viewed here:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vmORcM52JnAuYjakfttLbPmLQHqEH2JH5fOPG8AmOC8/edit?usp=sharing Thanks to Kevin Macleod of incompetech.com for our theme music.

    International Episode 25: Sophia (Germany)

  8. Jul 18

    International Episode 24: Theo (Greece)

    In this episode I speak with Theo in Greece, with experience in refugee settings and now supporting people with disabilities. Theo is passionate and motivated to work with people in need, believing strongly in the power of community, working next to people and for the people. Links to resources mentioned in this week’s episode: Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) - https://pecs.com/picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs/ This episode's transcript can be viewed here:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bFHrk9IdTg26k0HiGobKdEJqyffptQQQ9ZRaQ37OgPE/edit?usp=sharing Thanks to Kevin Macleod of incompetech.com for our theme music.

    International Episode 24: Theo (Greece)
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About

This podcast features interviews with social workers in Sydney, Australia, showcasing diverse areas of practice, social work stories, successes, and challenges, and providing information on media and other resources that can be accessed to help inform and educate people who are curious about the profession or wanting a career change.

Information

  • Creator
    Yasmine Loupis
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    174
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Yasmine Loupis
  • Show Website
    Social Work Spotlight

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