Portia On Purpose

03/20/2026

As a social worker and therapist, I was taught to ALWAYS keep the professional part and the personal parts of me separate.

Like other "rules" I have deeply investigated the benefits and blockades of these ideas.

A large part of what make me effective and relatable is QUESTIONING EVERYTHING!

Being a private practice owner has gifted me with the space, ability and authority to :

1) stop masking

(code switching while working in systems that value sameness and submission)

(my own neurodivergence - which has always been interpreted as "defiance", "stubbornness" and "defensiveness)

2) be creative and expressive in my willingness and desire to witness growth and change (in myself and others)

3) take physical and mental health breaks AS NEEEDED not as "approved"

4) improve how and to whom I provide care and concern at a pace that makes sense

5) create policies that affirm PEOPLE not problems

6) learn without limits

03/10/2026

Real Social Workers move with Integrity!

Our degrees don't define it.....they REFINE it.

03/10/2026

Social Workers are educated. I mean really educated.
In order to use the words "social worker" in a professional capacity, a person must earn a degree in social work from a CSWE (Council on Social Work Education) accredited program. In order to earn that degree you must complete all course work and a practicum supervised by a professional outside of the program as well as one inside the program. Both supervisors must agree on the competency and standard of your work, your effort and your intention to practice according to the core values.
To earn a bachelor’s degree in social work you must complete courses in human behavior, theory, policy development, ethics and research, +400 hrs. of supervised practice.
To earn a master's degree in social work you must complete courses in advanced clinical practice (with individuals, families, group and organizations), special populations, advocacy and leadership, cultural studies, analysis, +1000 hours of supervised practice.
To become a LCSW (licensed clinical social worker) you must complete a master's or doctoral program in social work +3000 supervised post-graduate hours in direct clinical practice.
This alone does not guarantee you a social work LICENSE.
At every level you must then take and pass a state sanctioned, nationally approved test from ASWB (Association of Social Work Boards) to be a "licensed social worker".
Next time you see one of us.....TALK TO US WITH YOUR INSIDE VOICE!!!

03/06/2026

People need People.

Every single human being has NEEDED another human being at some point in their lives.

People need People.

03/04/2026

Remember the Dr. Seuss book "Horton Here's a Who"? I absolutely loved that book as a kid and I still read it a couple times a year and watch the animated version as often.

It tells the story of an elephant named Horton who hears someone calling for help. But, the voice is so small, tiny and faint to others that they label Horton as crazy, kidnap him, steal the flower he is guarding (because that is where the voice came from) and dump it in a far, far away land. Horton does not flinch or waiver. He retrieves the lost flower, saving the inhabitants.

He is a diplomat of the highest order. He tells the other animals that just because they cannot hear it or see it doesn't mean the voice is not real. He then tells the voice (now voices) that they must make enough noise to be decisively heard..... AND IT WORKS.

The voices rally every single person in Whoville to make enough noise to be heard, thus saving their own lives. The other animals are humbled by the sound, the recognition and awareness that creatures exist and persist with or without their validation or approval!!!!!

Get where I'm going with this ..... SOCIAL WORK MATTERS because people matter, animals matter, all life matters, the planet matters...

03/03/2026

Social Work is very much political. Those in the profession who do not believe that it is political have shown up in the wrong place at the wrong time. Social Justice benefits everyone and everything, except the ego of the oppressor and those who seek to control instead of collaborate.

Collaboration requires action and affect. Those with a voice to speak, an ear to hear and hands to work must find ways to clear the path to healing, restoration and integration.

I move in abject clarity to this mission. I speak when others can't and when they don't. I speak when it matters. I say what needs to be said, often to the dismay of those who want and need "things to stay the same".

People - not the people you pick- have the right to move through this world without harm (when they are not harming). When they are being harmful to themselves or others, I am the one who will check it.

This is not ego driven. It is justice driven.

03/02/2026

03/01/2026

Grateful to embody my mission through this profound place as a professional helper... PLH MSW est. 2005

01/02/2026

12/28/2025

TOMORROW is the way and forward is the way!!!