PROCESS RECORDING EXAMPLE

Session#: 1 MSW Student’s Name: J. Adams Date: 8/10/20

Introduction:
Include who participated in the session, the setting (office, home visit, phone, etc.), general impressions of client’s appearance and
behavior, and purpose for the meeting. Please disguise client name and identifying information.

This is my first office session with X. She indicated on her intake form that she is a white 50-year old woman
who is a single mother of four on a fixed income through disability. X is working on maintaining her sobriety.
She has been referred to our substance use program by Deborah, her caseworker at DCF. Participating in our
program is part of her service plan; successful completion is required in order for custody of her children to be
returned. X appeared eager; she answered questions without hesitating, smiled and looked directly at me.
There were also moments in the interview when she seemed nervous and embarrassed or ashamed and really
upset, evidenced by her breaking eye contact and picking at the hem of her skirt, and becoming distressed.

Student Learning Goals:

Identify 1-2 learning goals for the session, for example, explore affect, ask open-ended questions, intervene using a cognitive
behavioral approach, etc.

My learning goals were to create a safe environment, to focus on asking open-ended questions, and to contain
my own anxiety because this is my first client meeting ever.

Recording of Interview:
Text in gray below is there to guide you as your fill in your process recording. You may delete that information after you know what is
expected in each area. This section should be at least 4 pages.

Self-Reflection/
Student – Client Interaction Dialogue Rationale for Intervention Field instructor’s Observations
(Beginning students should record all (Worker shares their affective and (Supervisor’s comments should be
interactions, verbal and non-verbal. As the cognitive reflections about the client, the constructive and supportive. May include
first year progresses students will become interview, and worker’s use of self. This modeling of different ways to phrase
more selective and develop better recall of the is a place to critique one’s work and questions or intervene.)
interview and key interactions and use of progress in mastering interviewing skills,
words. By the end of the first year and in planned interventions, self-awareness of
second year, the recordings should take less counter-transference feelings,
time and will focus on learning goals like reflections about areas of diversity- i.e.
diagnostic assessments, sitting with or race/ethnicity, class, religion/spirituality,
pursuing affect, beginnings or endings, sexual orientation, etc.) , and
listening skills, etc.) integration of theory with observations.

(Rationale for intervention: includes

application of theory, reasons for
choosing a particular intervention, use
of evidence informed practice.)

J: Hello X, it’s nice to meet you in person. I am trying to be direct but relaxed. I Nice! Being nervous is to be expected at
As I told you over the phone, my name is am feeling very nervous inside. first.
J Adams. I am a Social Work intern and I

Appendix D: Process Recording Outline

will be working with you here at Clear
Point until May.
Client: Okay, have you talked to my case Good observation. Be mindful not to
worker, Deborah? (Had been looking assume without asking her about this
straight at me with an open expression, directly.
now looking down at the threads on the
hem of her skirt.) Now we are both nervous. I wonder This was a good choice in terms of
if being here reminds her of building trust with this client. From your
Deborah which maybe is stirring up response, I see that you are responding
J: I did talk to Deborah briefly, and I am some worry… to dynamics of power in your
happy to share what we talked about, but relationship with her in trying to be
first, I was hoping we could talk about Now that she’s seeing me in person, open, and encourage you to be aware
how it is for you to be here and about I wonder if she is thinking about that this could be something that
your hopes for what we might how much younger I am than her impacts her life in other ways.
accomplish together. and about me being a person of
color… I like how you are noticing your
differences and how that might impact
Client: (making intermittent eye contact) your work together. Let’s discuss more
Okay, I do want you to tell me what in supervision.
Deborah had to say… and aaaah. I need I wanted her to know that I would
to stay clean. That’s the main thing. not hide anything in my This is a fair hypothesis; it is okay to ask
communication with DCF from her; her what she means. In fact, it would be
based on her question, DCF seems helpful to specify what Deborah expects
to loom large. I also wanted her to of X and what impact meeting these
know that her perspective is expectations will have for X and her
important to me. children.

She seems really earnest and a little

jittery. I think she is saying
J: Thank you for sharing that. Staying something here about wanting to That’s a nice intention. You might ask
sober isn’t easy, and I know that most get her kids back. what has helped her sustain her sobriety
people don’t achieve it right away. when she has achieved it in the past to
I’m feeling a similar challenge – I’ve identify her strengths.
Client: Yup. It’s a bear. never been here before and I’m
going to need some help to help
her!!!

I’m trying to show empathy for her

struggle.

J: How long ago did you get discharged I was trying to figure out if she was What did you observe that caused you
from detox? high. She did not seem high. to think that? If she was, you would
need to bring the session to a close and
explain that you are not comfortable
Client: Monday, and I am so proud of about the way the substance she is on is
myself that I have not gotten high. My anxiety began to subside; I impacting her ability to be in the
began to feel more comfortable. conversation.
She appeared to be genuine when
she stated this.

J: That’s great! You are working really We don’t have that much more time Good observation. It takes time to learn
hard. I know that Deborah referred you in our session and I’m feeling some how to balance all of the demands while
to a case manager. How did that meeting pressure to make sure that I am keeping the work of engagement front
go? getting all of the information for the and center. Looking back, where would

Appendix D: Process Recording Outline

 intake. Now I am not following her you go back to pick up the thread of the
in the conversation. conversation?

Client: What meeting?

J: You were supposed to meet to discuss

your next steps, adding additional
supports...

Client: Right, but Deborah never shared As she raised her voice, I became Sometimes the truth is less important
that contact information, I thought they more anxious. Where is the truth, than validating or acknowledging the
were supposed to contact ME! I’ve just should I believe her or Deborah? feelings coming up. Sounds like she
been waiting on it. Now it’s their word feels judged and stressed about how
against mine, and these little incidents… I this may be perceived by providers...
get judged on every little thing! Ugh, to
have everybody suspicious of me all the
time. It makes me nuts! Seems like there’s
never anything I can do right, anything I
can do to fix it! I can’t win!

J: That sounds pretty terrible. I don’t know what to say, I wouldn’t Trust takes time to build, listening
trust me either, I want to reassure empathically as you are doing is a good
her that she can trust me, but I can’t place to start. We can talk about asking
think of anything that would be questions that demonstrate interest and
convincing. will allow you to get to know her. And
this will also help move you to more
Client: Yeah, some days I just give up! This sounds a bit like suicidal trust.
thinking, not sure how to ask
without sounding super intrusive. I
J: So you get to feeling pretty hopeless? need help with this one. It could be, and asking questions in an
empathic way will help you to assess her
depression and possible suicidal thinking
and plan of action if she has one. It
might make sense to ask follow-up
questions, like asking more about this
comment and whether or not this is an
expression she often uses or if she has
any thoughts/plans to hurt herself. Let’s
talk more about this in supervision. You
are doing a nice job of staying with her
feelings.
Client: Yeah, I just start to feel like I’m not
gonna make it, I have let everybody
down. I can’t do all of the things in my
service plan.

J: I’m sorry to have to stop you right here. Not the transition I was hoping for. I We can talk about how to anticipate the
Our time is up. I am really glad that we just didn’t want to go way over the end of a session and how you can begin
had this chance to meet. I’m glad that we time. Time management is not a to close the session at least 5 mins
are working together. Do you want to strength of mine, so I have to be before the session ends to give clients
come back the same time next week? careful. time to transition, especially when you
are talking about emotionally charged
things.

I think she’s mad at me for cutting

her off. How did that make you feel?

Appendix D: Process Recording Outline

Client: Why don’t you call me and I’ll let
you know if I don’t have something else
to do.

J: Deborah also said she gave you an

appointment time and place for your next
meeting with her at DCF. Okay, now again I’m questioning if
she is telling me the truth.
Client: Like on a piece of paper?
My irritation got the better of me, Hmmm. Her reaction seemed to catch
and I’m raising my voice. I sound you off guard. What did it stir up? What
J: Do you have it? Can I see it? angry – not good. I am probably were you hoping to accomplish with this
destroying the trust I was working line of questioning? What sort of stance
on. have you taken up here?

Now I begin to worry that because You are doing a good job of paying
she was getting anxious, she might attention to your feelings and reactions.
Client: (looking in her bag, desperately relapse. I felt sorry for her. She
taking stuff out) Okay… I don’t have seems genuine.
it…oh my god… Oh my god, I am in so
much trouble. I guess I didn’t bother
reading the paper. I’m not gonna get my
kids back, am I?
I felt badly for her and needed to Your empathy and compassion are
ease her feelings about her children. tremendous assets, but be careful not to
J: Anyone could have made this mistake. I put myself in her shoes and assume too much responsibility for
Don’t worry – you can call her and have it remembered all of the times in my behaviors and consequences that are
rescheduled. life when I felt completely beyond your control. It’s doubtful that
overwhelmed; this, coupled with any intervention will be successful if the
stressors in my life, made me feel client isn’t ready or motivated.
Client: No, YOU need to call Deborah, lost.
because she will think that I didn’t go
because I was getting high. Look, I will do I have always had someone for
a drug test right now (she was visibly support, so I can be supportive to
shaken and tears began to stream down her now.
her face).

I’m back on track now.

J: I can see that this is very painful for

you, and I can see that you are worried
about getting your kids back. Let’s do this
instead: let’s call Deborah together and
explain the confusion and if you like, I will
go to the first appointment with you for
support.

Client: Oh god, please call her right now. This is such a hard ending of the This will take time. If you could end this
session, and all I want to do is help differently, what would you do
J: It sounds like you have a lot of worries build trust first... differently?
about working with DCF. My hope is that
we can all work together.

Appendix D: Process Recording Outline

 Client: It hasn’t worked out that way
before. I’ve learned not to trust anyone.
No one understands what it’s like to live
on nothing, to have your kids taken away.

Impressions:
What are your impressions about how you handled the interview? What are your thoughts about your client’s progress? How do you
understand your role?

I think I did ok for the first interview. I was pleased with the way I handled the first part of the session. I think I
tuned in around how disempowered she feels having DCF in her life, and I tried to be transparent about how
we would work together, which I think helped her to feel respected and to know what to expect from me. I
asked open-ended questions more in the beginning. I think I could have talked about confidentiality and the
limits of it. I got caught up in worrying about her being high, because I was totally unprepared for how I might
respond, if she had been; I was worried it would mean I would have to take some kind of action that went
against building the trust and safety I was working towards. I cannot comment on X’s progress because this is
the first session. I am working on establishing rapport and trust first.

I am a little bit confused about my role, and about who my client is, is it fully X or is it DCF? I would like to see
my role as providing some space for X to understand her relationship to her substance use and to come to her
own decision about how to manage it. If I think about what DCF wants, then my role is to help X control her
substance use, so her kids can be safe when they are with her and she can get them back.

Reflection on Social Identity, Policy, Research or Ethics:

Choose one of the following topics to reflect on for this session. Over the course of the semester, please reflect on each of the
topics.
1. How do aspects of social identify impact your work with this client?
2. How might public policies impact your client? What barriers are impacting your client at the community level? How do they affect
your work with the client?
3. Is there a question you have about this client, or your work with the client, that research might help you to address?
4. What ethical dilemmas have arisen in this clinical situation and what questions do you have?

1. I am of a different ethnicity, much younger than she is, not a parent… I wonder how these differences might
impact us as we move forward together. Should I bring up some of these differences and check in with her
about how she might be feeling about it? Should I just avoid bringing them up?
3. I’m interested in learning more about and exploring harm reduction and motivational interviewing, and if
this might be an appropriate approach.

Appendix D: Process Recording Outline

Plan:
What is the plan for future sessions?

In future sessions, I’d like to get clearer on her goals for our work together. I need to go back to what she said
and expand on it more. I also need to be explicit on the limits of confidentiality.

Questions for Supervision:

Which aspects of the interview would you like feedback on? What questions do you have for your field instructor?

How do you build trust when you know there are actions you might have to take that your client would be
upset about?

Given my challenges with managing time, what strategies can I use to make sessions end more smoothly?

Appendix D: Process Recording Outline