The Life Review Interview - Essay Example

 The Life Review Interview Being an 85 year old man I can say I have seen and experienced it all. My name is Peresse Bigot and I was named after my late grandfather Perez L. Bigot. I was born and raised in Bainet, Haiti before my family moved to the United States in the year 1945. Having lived such a long life I have come to learn that life is a beautiful thing but it is however not a bed of roses. But even though it has a fair share of ups and downs, it also has many aspects of successes and blessings. I have come to learn that the way one views life determines how happy they will be. To some individuals, life is merciless, cruel and hard. This group of individuals view life as a punishment and have therefore resigned themselves to thinking that there is nothing good that can come out of it. They are the people who most often take pleasure in engaging in criminal activities and injuring others so as to revenge the ill fortune that has befallen them. Some even end up committing suicide in a bid to get away from the injustices of life. On the other hand, there are individuals who view life as a challenge and a path towards innovation and discovery. To them life is a possibility for success and a means to wealth. It doesn’t matter what life throws at them they, keep on going. They tackle life with the mantra “Where there is life, there is hope”. I am glad to say I fall in the latter category. I am proud of various accomplishments like the fact that when I came to the United States I enrolled into high school and eventually graduated and started doing a part time job to sustain myself. I must admit that it wasn’t easy but I was determined to make the most of my life so I took each day as it came with a positive attitude. I eventually went to a truck driving school from where I graduated and received my B license. There are however some things I wish I would have done differently like continuing with my studies and obtaining a college degree. Even though the odds were against me since getting school fees was difficult, I believe I should have set strategic plans and goals, which would have succeeded regardless of the odds I faced. I probably should have taken on an extra job by planning my time wisely. Obtaining a college degree would have ensured that I got a better paying job to support my four children. I however cannot dwell on what should have been so am grateful for the many things I did accomplish. I feel that even though I have not attained my desired education levels, I did my utmost best to take care of my family that remained home in Haiti. I was raised in a firm catholic background and am glad to say I maintained these beliefs and instilled them in my children. They have in turn grown to be God-fearing individuals of whom I am very proud. My kids have been a great blessing in my life and I have and still do my best even at this age to make sure they get the best in life and pass it on to their kids. It is not always the material support that matters but even emotional availability. It gives me pleasure to see my grandchildren turn into responsible and God-fearing individuals just like their parents. I made major contributions to my families both here and in Haiti. During my working days, I assisted with the payment of bills here and in the building of a decent home for the relatives that remained in Bainet, Haiti. In my youth I had fun enrolling in dance classes where I met new people and formed strong friendships, which still exist. I also visited many other small islands in the Caribbean for example, the Bahamas, St Maarten and Jamaica. During those visits I learnt a lot about fellow islanders, their differences and similarities in culture as compared to my home country. I believe it made me a more sociable person as I learnt to get along with various kinds of people whatever their origin. The greatest obstacles that came my way when I first came to America were getting into high school and getting over my lack of education until I received my license for driving trucks so as to ensure a better life for myself and my children. I also had a big problem with my language barrier at the beginning because I could only speak Creole which is the primary language spoken in Haiti. At this age, I am different from my youthful self in that I am wiser and I now know that life is not as hard as it seems it is only that people rush it hence miss what they want to attain. Life should be taken one step at a time and every step should be planned properly before it is taken. All in all I am especially thankful that I have had the chance to live most of my life in a country as wonderful as the United States of America. It is indeed a land of opportunity. I am also thankful that I was and still am a good Christian and that I am still devoted to being there for my family no matter what. I believe life is to be taken simply and is to be enjoyed despite the setbacks. It is my aim to leave this world a better place than I found it and I believe I have done my best throughout the years. A life review interview will be quite useful especially when practicing psychology. I will use this technique to identify how individuals perceive themselves. This is important in order to actualize the issues requiring therapeutic address while offering counseling to an individual (Santrock, 2010). I will be recording my life review interview with my patients since it is difficult to write down their responses while on a one-on-one interview. I will later on review the recording to understand deeply the situation the patient is in. An audio life review will definitely be of use to my practice. Reference Santrock, J. (2010). A topical approach to lifespan development. (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Read More