Academic Practice Interview - Paper Example

I had the opportunity to conduct a sit-down interview with therapist Dorothy Mingo, in line with the internship requirements at Point University. Ms. Mingo owns and runs Triumph Counselling Services, a psychiatric clinic in Atlanta, Georgia. She has thirty years of experience in the fields of therapy and clinical supervision of mental health practitioners. Upon my arrival, I noticed that the environment in and around her office was neat, quiet, and well-lit, which created a relaxing ambiance. The waiting area had comfortable leather seats, but we had the interview in her office where she welcomed me.

What is your job title?

Dorothy Mingo is a therapist as well as a duly licensed clinical social worker in the city of Atlanta.

What licenses/credentials do you currently hold and how long have you been in the profession?

She is a certified Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the state of Georgia with thirty years of practise. She also has a certificate from the Georgia Addiction Counsellor Association in recognition of her skills as a clinical supervisor. She holds a BA in Psychology, BA in Sociology, and a Masters in Social Work. Her impressive list of qualifications, coupled with over thirty years of experience, reaffirmed that Ms. Mingo was the right interviewee for my assignment

What are your job duties and responsibilities?

Ms. Mingo oversees and mentors upcoming social workers to offer the best service to their patients. In a nutshell, she provides clinical supervision to the less-experienced social workers to ensure quality and consistency in service delivery. It is her role as a clinical therapist to ensure that the officers under her supervision conduct themselves with the utmost professionalism. She also has her regular practice where she sees individual clients coping with issues of drug abuse.

As a human service practitioner, describe your typical day.

Her day revolves around holding meetings and seminars with other social workers to supervise their development and discuss critical issues. She oversees their duties and offers mentorship to the most deserving social practitioners.

How much of your day entails working with clients or addressing client related issues?

Her list of activities varies from day to day, and sometimes she has appointments with patients suffering from issues related to drug and substance abuse. Apart from dealing with cases of mental health, she makes time for the supervision of social workers. As we progressed, I concluded that she enjoyed the role of supervising upcoming social workers.

How much of your day consists of completing paperwork and meeting?

She spends a considerable amount of time in meetings and seminars to guide the social workers. Ms. Mingos has a busy schedule with appointments and addressing mental health issues such that she delegates the paperwork.

What would you say is the most important skill to possess as a human service practitioner?

Ms. Mingo was quick to tell me that empathy and the patience to listen to others were important attributes for anyone engaged in the practice. She said, "Everyone likes to feel that what they have to say is important." According to her, listening and empathizing helps the patients to feel comfortable and confident while airing their issues.

What would you suggest I do so that I can develop these skills?

She suggested that I should make a point of attending conferences more regularly to understand the importance of these virtues. She also recommended that I update myself on the Counselling Code of Ethics which outlines these skills in great detail. Magazines like Psychology Today teach readers on how to enhance these skills, and their importance to clinical practitioners. She told me to subscribe for copies to train myself regularly. Reading psychology magazines on a regular basis will expose me to new ideas and stories from other psychology students in the area of sound virtues.

Explain in details some of the specific intervention used with clients.

Ms. Mingo and I talked about some of the often-used intervention techniques in her practice in great detail. She spoke about transference, which is a phenomenon she and her patients encountered numerous times in the process of psychoanalysis. Transference is a form of displacement that addresses deep-seated feelings in an individuals life, mostly emanating from their childhood. During transference, patients express the emotions or impulses they feel towards others both verbally, and via non-verbal cues. She gave me an example of repressed feelings of anger and resentment against ones mother or father, which often surfaced during sessions when her clients displayed anger and hostility. When such feelings are displaced during transference, people are likely to respond in inappropriate ways such as showing animosity. Transference allows patients to redirect their negative emotions and feelings towards another person, mostly the therapist. The patient is mainly unaware of these feelings deep within them since they come out sub-consciously.

The interview progressed as she explained another intervention technique called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The cognitive part deals with the way we think while the behavioral part studies the things we do. This combined approach allows patients to focus on how their beliefs, thoughts, and attitudes affect their behavior while teaching them important coping skills to deal with problems. She told me that she uses this technique quite often, which made me rank it at the top regarding appropriate intervention methods. According to Ms. Mingo, this approach helps clients to find themselves by giving them the chance to think deeply and look at their true self. She never allows her opinions to cloud the judgment, nor influence the thinking patterns of her clients. The way we think and evaluate situations has a direct effect on how we feel and behave. Therefore, clinical therapists use it to help in addressing the cause of the patient's bad habits and behaviors.

The other intervention technique she told me about was motivational therapy. This approach combines CBT strategies and humanistic treatment to deal with cases of substance abuse. This kind of treatment encourages the patient to view their behaviors in a negative light in the period of contemplation. The focus is to create a situation where the patients begin to feel determined to change their destructive behavior. A therapist does not impose the need to improve upon the client but instead allows the urge to come naturally. The therapist supports self-efficacy and displays empathy every step of the way. She told me that the success of the motivational approach relies heavily on the quality of the clinical therapist. It made me understand the importance of her role as a supervisor to upcoming clinical social workers. It is essential to maintain consistently high standards in this psychiatric field to ensure proper service delivery.

Are there any volunteer opportunities with your agency?

I asked Ms. Mingo, and she told me that there were no openings available at that time.