SWAG Awards Series | Ta’lor L. Pinkston: The Heart Advocate & the Medicine of Self-Love

In this milestone 100th episode of the Goddesses of Social Work Podcast, I am honored to welcome Ta’lor L. Pinkston, LSW — widely known as The Heart Advocate. A licensed self-love social worker, creator of Self-Care Matters and Healing Over Everything, and Clinical Practice Program Manager at Healthy Start, Inc. in Pittsburgh, Ta’lor is devoted to helping people choose self-love as a coping skill for mental health and healing.In this deeply moving and liberatory conversation, Ta’lor reminds us that self-love is a practice, not a feeling, and that perfectionism is a learned survival strategy rooted in systems that teach us we are never enough. Together, we talk about:💗 Why self-love is an action — a verb — not a feeling 💗 How perfectionism, internalized judgment, and “staying small” shape our relationships 💗 Seeing diagnoses through a strengths-based and compassionate lens 💗 Ta’lor’s journey from creative writer to social worker to self-love practitioner 💗 How becoming a mother transformed her relationship with herself 💗 The origins of The Heart Advocate and what it means to practice self-love as community careTa’lor’s honesty about shrinking, choosing the wrong relationships, navigating anxiety and prenatal depression, and finally finding her way back to herself is a masterclass in truth-telling. Her story is a reminder that we are born enough — that nothing we do can separate us from worthiness, love, or the possibility of transformation.As we celebrate 100 conversations, 100 stories, and 100 reminders that social work is sacred work, this episode stands as a testament to heart, healing, and legacy.🌟 Connect with The Heart AdvocateFollow Ta’lor and her work here:Instagram: @theheartadvocateFacebook: @theheartadvocateTwitter: @heartadvocate_Self-Care Matters & More: https://theheartadvocate.comIf Ta’lor’s words moved you, inspired you, or invited you deeper into your own self-love practice, share this episode with another social worker who needs it.✨Find more of Renita's offerings here:👉 https://linktr.ee/illuminatedexpressionsInterested in Mastering Your Therapeutic Techniques for Dementia Caregivers?👉 https://gamma.app/docs/Interested-in-Mastering-Your-Therapeutic-Techniques-for-Dementia--7fnyf5ydeq70qd5✨ Goddess of Social Work Earrings – Etsy:👉 https://www.etsy.com/listing/1183285270/goddess-of-social-work-earrings