Inspiration From the Heart

“Let me get this straight. You’re in your 20s, and you’re going to stand here and tell me how to deal with my kids?”

That was author Dr. Renee White’s harsh introduction to her career in social work. She was investigating a report about child abuse and, fresh out of college, felt wildly unprepared for the life-changing decisions she had to make with scraps of information.

But she didn’t give up. Dr. White spent the next 41 years advocating for the most vulnerable as a social worker, therapist, clinic director, and university professor, speaking up for “care management” instead of “case management.” In this inspiring memoir, she shares her favorite interventions, how she put people over paperwork, how she recovered from career disappointments, and the principles she followed to maintain a balanced life in a high-burnout profession.

Inspiration from the Heart: 40 Years of Compassion in Social Work explores the satisfaction and heartbreak of guiding people through their darkest moments, and shows that even when the world feels heavy, it only takes one person to make a difference.