Supporting emotional resilience within social workers: Practice Tool (2014)

Emotional resilience relates to an individual’s ability to manage environmental difficulties, demands and high pressure. It is the ability to withstand and rebound from disruptive life challenges, emerging strengthened and more resourceful (Walsh, 2008). It is sometimes described as ‘inner strength’ or ‘bouncing back’.

Being resilient does not mean that a person never experiences trauma or distress, nor does it mean that someone does not feel emotional pain or sadness. Rather, it is the process of adapting to these difficult times, learning from experience and developing an increased ability to anticipate and cope with adversity in the future.