In the early years of my social work career, I had a large caseload of individuals from various backgrounds and needs.

Some clients were more challenging to work with than others, but I’d say I got along well with everyone I worked with.

Yet sometimes, I didn’t click with every person I worked with. However, these experiences were easier to navigate when I made the decision to focus on the client’s needs as opposed to my personal feelings towards them.

There were moments, however, where I was uncomfortable working with certain clients. Mainly male clients who disclosed (either in sessions with me or in their intake assessment with another colleague) their history of violence towards women.

I shared my feelings during supervision one day, only for my supervisor to share this with another colleague. Needless to say, this didn’t help matters. I was looking for guidance on working with clients that, based on experiences that had nothing to do with me, I didn’t want to work with due to my own personal values.

These days, I have more control over who I work with, but I want to provide some insights I learned during that time that may be useful. While you don’t have to like a client to do your job as a social worker, it’s harder to do a good job when you actively dislike them.

In your personal life, you’re more likely to go above and beyond for someone you like. It’s harder to do this for someone you don’t like.

In a professional setting, you can’t really get away with this. Sometimes, these relationships improve over time, but when you find yourself not wanting to work with a client, here’s some guidance: