Barbara D'Souza

I have worked in every SW type of position during my 34-year career. Throughout my career I have made a commitment to Diversity and Inclusion. I also believe in a world view of inclusivity, acceptance, and appreciation. My career has focused on the social work values of social justice, unconditional appreciation for all individuals, compassion, empathy, and strict adherence to the Social Work Code of Ethics and Conduct. One of the most important skills I learned as I encountered resistance of various individuals to respect of the Civil Rights of all the individuals they served, was diplomacy. In addition, I have strived to meet the needs of clients using their strengths and creative solutions.

I have a client-centered approach. I work with many different populations. I typicall like to start with a strength-based assessment. Then I need know the challenges the client faces. Once I have gathered all that information, I like to learn more about the clients goals and ambitions.

From there, I develop a treatment plan and begin providing services.

I assign homework. The homework is dependent on what transpired in the session before and is aimed at helping the client work on their own between sessions. This offers an opportunity to practice skills discussed in sessions.