Connie Palmer, LCSW offers a powerful conversation about shame - what it is, how it differs from guilt, and why it can become such a deeply rooted emotional experience.

She distinguishes between the feeling that “I am bad" to "I did something bad,” exploring how shame shapes identity, relationships, self-worth, and mental health. The conversation examines how shame operates beneath the surface, why it can be so difficult to release, and how many people carry toxic shame without even realizing it.

Through reflection, insight, and practical perspective shifts, Dr. Meyers and Connie discuss ways to challenge shame-based thinking, cultivate self-compassion, and begin separating behavior from identity. This episode offers an honest and relatable look at one of the most painful, and most human, emotional experiences we face.

Whether you struggle with self-criticism, perfectionism, people-pleasing, or feeling “not enough,” this conversation invites you to rethink the stories shame tells us and consider what healing might look like.

Connie Palmer, LVSW, is an experienced teacher, presenter, therapist, and school counselor who has spent more than thirty years working with children, youth, and families. She is the owner of Therapeutic Learning Connections which offers social, emotional learning workshops to mental health professionals, community organizations, schools, and workplaces. She is also a Grief Education Consultant for Imagine, a Center for Coping with Loss in Mountainside, NJ which offers grief support groups and grief education. She can be reached at Connie@TLConnections.org.

Social work school teaches theory, ethics, and practice skills - but there are some lessons you only learn once you’re actually in the field.

In this episode, Dr. Meyers sits down with a former BSW student/MSW graduate for an honest conversation about what they wish they had learned in social work school. From burnout and boundary-setting to imposter syndrome, workplace realities, practicum challenges, and navigating the transition from student to professional, this episode keeps it real about the parts of social work education that often go unspoken.

Whether you’re a BSW or MSW student, a new social worker, or someone considering entering the profession, this conversation offers practical insight, validation, and advice we wish we had earlier. Tune in for an authentic, reflective, and empowering discussion about becoming a social worker in the real world.

Anthony Gaetani, LMSW, earned his Bachelor of Social Work from Molloy University and his Master of Social Work from Fordham University. He has experience working with diverse populations across inpatient and outpatient settings and currently works as an inpatient psychiatric social worker supporting individuals experiencing acute psychiatric challenges through comprehensive assessment, interdisciplinary collaboration and linkage to community-based resources that promote long-term stability. He approaches social work as both a profession and a calling, grounded in the belief that every individual deserves dignity, respect and the opportunity to thrive beyond hospitalization.

After more than three years of exploring the inner world of therapists, countertransference, and the emotional realities of helping others, What Would Dr. Meyers Do? is entering a new chapter.

In this special episode, Dr. Meyers reflects on the evolution of the podcast and introduces Between Practice and Purpose - a new collaborative blog created alongside two former BSW students. Together, they explore the messy, meaningful space between professional roles and personal growth: the wins, the struggles, the uncertainty, and the moments of insight that shape who we are both inside and outside of the work we do.
This conversation goes beyond social work and therapy. It’s about reflection, identity, emotional growth, purpose, relationships, and navigating life with honesty and self-awareness. In the episode, Dr. Meyers shares the story behind the blog, why writing felt like the next step, and shares one of the blog posts as an invitation into the conversations to come.
Whether you are a therapist, social worker, student, helper, or simply someone trying to better understand yourself and others, this episode offers a thoughtful look at growth, vulnerability, and what happens between practice and purpose.

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