1. **Overall Impression of the Interview:**
The interview was emotionally charged, reflecting the deep distress and urgency of the mother’s situation. It was important to create a supportive and empathetic atmosphere to help Susan express her feelings and concerns. I felt a strong need to act quickly to address her worries about her child's safety and well-being.
2. **Understanding the Client:**
I understand Susan as a distressed mother facing an urgent and traumatic situation. Her feelings of fear, anger, betrayal, helplessness, and confusion stem from her husband's unexpected actions. Her deep attachment to her baby and instinctual drive to protect her child were evident, highlighting her vulnerability in this moment.
3. **Characterization of My Role in the Interaction:**
My role was that of an empathetic facilitator and advocate. I was there to listen to Susan, validate her feelings, gather pertinent information, and guide her through the emotional turmoil of the situation while ensuring that her concerns were prioritized in any action taken.
4. **Intervention Skills: Useful and Not Useful:**
Useful skills included active listening, empathy, crisis intervention techniques, and information gathering. These helped build rapport and allowed Susan to feel heard. However, I found that some of my initial ideas about long-term emotional support might not have been as useful in the acute phase of the crisis, where immediate action was needed.
5. **Achievement of Purpose or Goal:**
Yes, I achieved my goal of providing immediate support to Susan and facilitating the next steps toward locating her child. By initiating contact with law enforcement and gathering essential information, I helped set in motion a plan to address her concerns.
6. **Effectiveness:**
I felt that I was effective in my support efforts, as Susan was able to articulate her fears and needs more clearly, leading to a collaborative plan for next steps. The emotional support I offered seemed to help her feel less isolated in her distress.
7. **Areas for Improvement:**
In the future, I can work on being more assertive in guiding the conversation toward practical action steps earlier in the process. Additionally, I should be mindful of time management to ensure that urgent details aren't overlooked while providing emotional support.
8. **Decisions Made with the Client:**
Together with Susan, we decided to focus on immediate actions to locate her baby, utilizing law enforcement and social services, while also considering ongoing emotional support for her through counseling or support groups.
9. **Next Steps:**
- Connect Susan with law enforcement to formally report the abduction and initiate a search for her child.
- Collaborate with social services to provide immediate emotional and logistical support for Susan.
- Recommend support groups or counseling services for her emotional well-being during this stressful time.
- Document the case thoroughly in agency records for follow-up and situation assessment.