The Lulls and Lows of Leadership and the Value of Social Work with Rahim Thawer

In this episode, Rahim Thawer (he/him) discusses the lulls and lows of leadership, and his relationship to misery.  He discusses his approach, and that of his mentors, to 'confront the lack' and to challenge the notion of 'always be doing' sense of achievement. He shares his journey with writing and his aims to create new reference points while confronting shifting dynamics as a social worker with lived and marginalized experiences. His goals with producing scholarship are to bring a queer and racialized view to the field of social work, recognizing there is another view to who is in the room and how things can be done. He discusses drivers of change and systemic arguments he explored when reflecting on the painful cycles he has endured and the sustainability of them, such as those towards alcoholism. He and I discuss the valuation of the self, taking care of your future self, and the power of organizational development group and family theories to address distribution of power, group dynamics and identity.

Rahim Thawer (he/him) is a racialized, queer social worker who works as an instructor, psychotherapist, clinical supervisor, consultant, public speaker, podcast host, and writer. He calls Toronto home and currently teaches at The University of Alabama. His approaches to teaching, writing and clinical practice continually explore the intersection of mental health and systemic oppression. He has a particular interest in examining innovation in queer relationships and exploring how anti-racist, queer-affirming psychoanalytic frameworks can support social workers, training therapists, and organizational leaders. Visit LadyAtivan.com to learn how Rahim raises awareness about mental health, substance use, community building, and queer relationships.