Intentional Interviewing Reflection

After reading the first three chapters of Intentional Interviewing and Counseling written by Allen E. Ivey, Mary Bradford Ivey and Carlos P. Zalaquett and after attending the first two classes I have learned many new concepts that interest me and force me to question how I would interact with clients. The textbook and in-class discussions have led me to question the level of boundaries I create with individuals, for example, if I would feel comfortable accepting gifts from clients and how I would handle that situation if it occurred. The first two classes have helped me see myself within the social work field more clearly because I have begun to learn the basics of interviewing and counseling. When learning about the attending behaviours I thought about my personal preferences my comfort zones as well as how much eye contact I prefer when having a conversation with a client or even a friend. After attending class and completing the textbook readings, I already notice myself paying closer attention to how I talk to friends and family and the empathetic and attending behaviour I display. The textbook is helpful to read because of the interactive examples and questions after each section. For example, I
In addition, after learning about the common talking and listening errors social workers make has encouraged me to pay attention to how I am interacting with others and what actions I need to stay away from within the field. Before attending university I knew I wanted to become a social worker because I am empathetic towards others and would like to help people for the better. Learning a social workers definition of empathy and how to formulate questions to acknowledge and validate the client’s feelings has helped me understand how to approach others