Video Tape Evaluation - Case Study Example

Evaluation of Casework Skills Critical Review of the Interview Session Interviewer: [Please print here] [Please Mention] Interviewee: [Place interviewee name here, if permitted] Session No.:1 Introduction - Context Setting: The evaluation of this casework is based on the interview conducted by me with a female student of the second year, BCW program of the university. The interviewee expressed emotional stress at home owing to overwork; high expectations from the family; and, difficulty in balancing work at home, with her studies in the University, as a full time enrolment. The objective of the interview was to empathize, and recognize, the causes of interviewee's emotional stress, and jointly evolve appropriate short and long term responses to overcome the stated problems. The session also provided me an opportunity to hone my interviewing skills, and conscientiously work upon the peer feedback received by me on an earlier interview session. Brief Summary of Session Content: Interviewee expresses above concerns Discussions highlight cultural norms in the family requiring woman folks to share major responsibilities for domestic chores. As a 'good girl,' she is expected to meet the domestic demands of the family without complaining. She is also required to excel in studies in the university course. Interviewee does not find an outlet at home to share her emotional concerns; nor, is she aware of any outside counseling service to assist her Attempt to identify types of decisions in the short term Intended Goals: Short-term: identify study options as part time enrolment in the university, and discuss the repercussions thereof Long-term: sensitize the family towards interviewee's emotional stresses, and evolve suitable adaptation and coping strategies Feedback from Earlier Interview Session: I recognized that I had a tendency to rush through the questions during interview. I did not allow much time for reflection, and summarizing the discussions. At times, I did not ask more probing questions, even when such opportunities were present. I therefore decided to use this session to practice reflective listening, and "stay with the interviewee" than "getting ahead of her." I also wished to practice empathic response, and make concerted efforts to understand the interviewee's propositions. I also studied the tools presented in the video training material, "Building on Strength" which provided practical techniques in effective counseling for community based family workers (Armstrong, 1994). In particular, I decided to use Genograms and family maps to identify the immediate and extended family members, their interdependencies, and interconnectedness (Maidment, 2004). I subscribe to Adlerian Family Therapy (Bitter, 1997), which assumes that both parents and children often become locked in repetitive, negative interactions based on mistaken goals. I also believe that the climate of relationships that exist between members in a family exerts tremendous influence in one's belief, thinking and responses (Sherman & Dinkmeyer, 1987). I found this paradigm useful in the context of current counseling session. I also find great merit in adapting to the Adler's theory, that each person must be viewed as an individual from a holistic perspective (1938). I feel it is important to understand the whole person in a social context, than understanding different aspects of one's life or personality. In this regard, I applied the Genogram tool to the current counseling assignment. Demonstrated Positive Counseling Behaviors: Reflective Listening: I tried to reflect upon the interviewee's feelings through empathic response during the interactions. A strong feeling that emerged from discussions was that the interviewee has been subject to unfair quantum of work at home. Despite three younger siblings, incidentally all brothers, the mantle of domestic chores directly fell upon her. The interviewee was also expected to perform equally well in her full time University study. She had to carry these out to prove that she is a 'good girl.' I encouraged the interviewee to share her frustrations deploying the principles of active listening with interjectory phrases, "Umm, I understand," "So you are saying that you have no one at home with whom you can confide". I included several open ended questions like, "What does a good girl mean to you How do you feel your family would interpret a good girl to be" Some principles of reflective listening that I practiced during the session are: Empathy, expressing my understanding and feeling for what the interviewee was experiencing Support, through statements such as, "yes that's positive," "sure, we can seek help of" Respect, through statements, such as, "That's great. You are so good at time management" Partnership, through expressions such as, "here is an opportunity. We can work together on this." "Do you know what steps you need to take if you want to change your study load Here and Now: I used the 'here and now' strategy to bring focus to current discussions and in-depth appreciation of the interviewee's emotional state. For instance, I said, "I am hearing that you feel under pressure in trying to cope with full time study, house work, helping your mother with shopping." I also asked, "Did you seek any counseling help in the University or outside" I used pinpointed questions to remain focused, such as, "What do you know about part time enrolment options in the University" How do you feel about your brothers not adequately supporting you in domestic chores" "What are you willing to do about this" By focusing on current discussions, I was able to address her problems with more clarity and exploring alternatives. Partnering to explore alternatives: I used interview attending skills to good effect, with focus on verbal and non-verbal communications. I showed genuine concern to explore possible alternatives available to the interviewee, using questions such as: "What would you like to change What would you like to see happening in the near future What are your priorities in life" I also helped her to set goals, at least in the short term. "So you want to switch over to part time enrolment in the University Have you discussed this option at home Do you know the study load for part time enrolment Will you find out from the University the options available and discuss with me in the next meeting" Genogram: Genogram was a handy tool which got the interviewee totally immersed and excited in this exercise. The family tree helped in establishing interconnectedness, and the stories that flowed gave me a fair understanding of the family's cultural norms. The interviewee was reconciling to excessive workload at home to keep peace in the family. She was willing to sacrifice her own needs for family's happiness. Through genogram, I was able to establish the family context. Areas of Counseling Needing Improvement: In an attempt to reframe the interviewee's thoughts, I kept focusing on active listening. After reviewing the tape, it became evident to me, that I should become more comfortable in dealing with negative emotions, and exploring them in order to get to the more significant themes at hand. For instance, when the interviewee stated, "I got one pass grade; and my mother is not happy about that;" I should have probed this with further questions like: "What gives you this impression Did you share with your mother, how the workload demands at home is impacting your studies Can we explore the alternatives, in the short term, and long term I also encountered some resistance from the interviewee in sharing her concern. For instance, she said, "I am exhausted to talk to you about it." I should have been more alert, and engaged her with greater optimism. I could have used motivational statements like: sure, "if you try, you can make the difference"; "though it is of acute concern; together, we can do something about this." I could perhaps use more phrases like, "uh-huh", "really," "tell me more" to keep the conversation lively and interesting (Steven, 2008). Plans for Further Counseling with this Interviewee: For the short term, I would like to discuss the option of interviewee enrolling as a part time student in the University, and weigh the repercussions. For the long term a group counseling therapy with the family could help. I would encourage the family to view the problem in a larger social perspective. I would also want to collaborate with the family, and empower them to identify solution areas, and work upon them. Conclusion: The framework elucidated by Maidment and the techniques developed by Armstrong in 'Building on Strengths' referred above, have provided sound foundations for assessment and analysis to take up this counseling assignment. Together with Adler's theory for family therapy, I should succeed with the current counseling assignment. References: Adler, A., 1938. Social interest: A challenge to mankind. London: Faber & Faber. Armstrong, D., 1994. Video, Building on Strengths: A Systems Focused Training Resource for Community Based Family Workers, Family Support Services Association of NSW, Sydney. Bitter, James R., 2008. Theory and Practice of Family Therapy and Counseling. Wadsworth: Cengage Learning Maidment, J. & Egan, R., 2004. Practice Skills in Social Work & Welfare: More Than Just Common Sense. Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin. Sherman, R., & Dinkmeyer, D. eds., 1987. Systems of family therapy: An Adlerian integration. New York: Brunner/Mazel Steven, Jan C, 2008. Learning the Basic Skills of Counseling Techniques. Available at: http://www.basic-counseling-skills.com/counseling-techniques.html Read More