Emily George LCSW, MS.Ed. of NYC on Life, Lessons & Legacy

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Emily George LCSW, MS.Ed.. Check out our conversation below.

Emily, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What is a normal day like for you right now?
Having worked in schools for so many years, it took me a while to adjust to the independence of working for myself. These days, I get to make my own hours and figure out how to fit work around being a mom and time for self-care. My mornings start with my kiddos—getting everyone ready for school, making breakfast & school lunch, and heading out the door.
Once my “work day” starts, no two days look the same. Some days are packed with clinical supervision sessions, meetings, and/or back-to-back classes, while other days have a little more breathing room. I’ve learned to appreciate both.
Working for yourself is a learned discipline. There is always something to do- to promote your business, to prepare for workshops, to find resources for my clients, to handle business finances, and more. I could work around the clock. Trying to set boundaries and ensure time for self-care has been a challenge. I have found that as I get older, I need to move my body daily or else it hurts. So exercise is non-negotiable for me—I’ve been boxing for the past three years, and it’s the best stress release as well as a full-body workout. Living in New York City, I love that I can walk everywhere, soaking in the energy. I also make space for connection and fun. I thrive being in community, so time with friends and colleagues fills my cup, especially since I work from home most days. Evenings are spent with my family: after school activities, homework, cooking dinner, and catching up on each other’s days.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hello! I am Emily George, LCSW, MS.Ed. I’m a youth- and school-focused social worker, educator, and consultant with over twenty years of experience in schools—first as a classroom teacher and later as a School Social Worker. My work is rooted in a holistic, client-centered, and strengths-based approach, guided by a culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and healing-centered lens. With graduate degrees in both Education and Social Work, I’m passionate about bridging these worlds to support the mental health and well-being of youth and their families.
After thirteen years as a School Social Worker, I stepped away to build a practice dedicated to “support those who support”—educators, social workers, counselors, school staff, and other youth-serving professionals. I also returned to teaching as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at NYU’s Silver School of Social Work, where I teach Clinical Practice to MSW students and direct the Child and Family Therapy Post-Masters program.
Beyond the classroom, I facilitate the Faboo Listserv NYC (connecting over 1,000 school social workers and counselors), host youth-focused workshops, and co-lead Retreat, Remix, and Revive—an annual retreat we created to offer school-based mental health providers a space for rest, learning, and growth. It’s been a dream come true, and I’m thrilled that we’re now entering our third year!

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
Letting go of perfectionism has been one of the most liberating things I’ve done for myself. For so long, I focused so much on how flawlessly I showed up — as a social worker, a teacher, a parent, a friend. Newsflash: Thriving for perfection is not only exhausting but impossible. These days, I try to meet myself with the same compassion I offer my clients, students, and my two daughters. I remind myself that growth is messy, mistakes are part of the process, and “good enough” is actually more than enough. Releasing perfectionism has created space for joy, creativity, and rest — and, even more importantly, it has opened the door to self-acceptance and living as my most authentic self.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
When I left my role as School Social Worker at Girls Prep LES (GP4EVA!), a dear colleague and friend gave me a sign that reads, “You are enough.” She told me she saw me, my work, and all that I do. She noticed how flustered I became when I thought I wasn’t doing enough—always searching for more resources, sharing more referrals, conducting more assessments. Her words brought me back to my humanity and reminded me that self-care and self-love are not optional; they are essential. (Thanks, TD!)
That sign now sits next to my desk, a daily reminder that I am enough. I say it to myself in the present, and I say it to my younger self—the inner child who so badly wanted to be seen and heard, whose coping skills were hypervigilance and perfectionism. These days, when I feel overwhelmed by my work or by the state of the world, I take a breath and remind myself: I am enough. And I let that message reach my inner child too—because she is enough, just as she is. (And she always has been.)

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Where are smart people getting it totally wrong today?
Nuance. The world feels so divided right now—many people are digging their heels into what they believe is “right” without considering others’ experiences, without examining their own biases, and without putting the greater good ahead of their individual comfort or privilege. Many cling to power without acknowledging those who are oppressed or marginalized. And don’t do the work to understand their positionality and its impact.
As a social worker, I live in the nuance; I teach my students and supervisees to do the same. We are called to engage in social and political action that ensures equitable access to resources, services, and opportunities that meet basic human needs and promote social justice. We advocate for policies that expand choice and opportunity, particularly for vulnerable and marginalized groups. We stress the importance of cultural humility and diversity, and work to protect the rights and dignity of all—while actively working to prevent and eliminate oppression, exploitation, and discrimination in all forms.
For me, social work is not just a job; it’s a mindset. It’s how I walk in my truth. Imagine a world where we all learned to live in the nuance—where we could hold complexity, lead with curiosity and empathy, lean into discomfort, and co-create a future that is truly equitable and just.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
Throughout my life, I’ve been deeply curious about people and how their experiences shape their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. As a teenager, I had many volunteer opportunities, one of the most formative being with Midnight Run (midnightrun.org), which has been serving unhoused New Yorkers since 1984. On a cold winter night, I joined my father and other volunteers to pack trucks with food and clothing and deliver them to unhoused individuals at known encampments throughout Manhattan. While handing out hot meals and supplies, we also had the chance to connect and listen. I will never forget a conversation with a man who told a fifteen-year-old me that he sometimes chose to sleep on the street in winter—or even get arrested for a night—because it felt safer than staying in a shelter. That moment was a turning point for me. It forced me to confront my own privilege and planted a seed that would ultimately lead me to pursue a career in Social Work.
Today, as stated earlier, I insist that Social Work is not just a job—it is a mindset. It is how we walk in this world. We view people within the context of their environments through a multi-systemic, strengths-based, and culturally responsive lens. We lead with empathy, advocate for equity, and work to preserve the dignity and worth of every human being. I like to think that Social Work found me as much as I found it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.emilygeorge.org
• Instagram: @emg.sw.ed
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-george-lcsw-ms-ed-a4b4ab88/
• Other: https://www.retreatremixrevive.org