Post-Course Interview

Chapter 1: Introduction

On December 1, 2019, the post-course interview occurred in my apartment. My candidate for the interview was a mutual acquaintance. Our contact with my volunteer, whom I met for the second time, was new and cordial. During our initial meeting, my friend introduced me to the volunteer. However, my friend knew him many years ago when they lived in the same neighborhood after he moved from Colombia to the United States at age nine. Since I had only met my volunteer once before the interview, I lacked sufficient understanding of his personal life, which allowed us to maintain a professional relationship. To establish a professional atmosphere for a therapeutic interview, I put up two chairs in the living room of my flat. I ensured that we were the only ones at home to make the volunteer feel at ease. In addition, the apartment was chosen as the interview location so we could converse in a calm and relaxed atmosphere. Before beginning the interview, I advised the volunteer that his identity would be protected. Consequently, we would not use his true identity during the interview. We could only collect and use information pertinent to the conversation for the post-course assignment. He also examined the consent form and signed it.

The interview centered on the volunteer’s overwhelming experience after moving to New York City recently. He admitted that he had certain expectations, but the experience was difficult. Sometimes he feels lonely and depressed. To be effective while working and living in the city, he must navigate and comprehend it. Being forced to live and work in a distant city and facing the need to be independent puts him under great stress. However, he emphasizes the importance of self-love and self-appreciation because it is difficult to remain dependent in a new, large metropolis. Although he stated that he had been overwhelmed by the transition, career, and relationships, he acknowledged that things are improving now that he understands the need for self-love. My volunteer did an outstanding job of being forthright about his new life and how he felt about it, including the feelings of isolation and confinement. In the final video segment that I did not transcribe, the volunteer discussed how he avoided frequently posting on social media due to the personal information such communications convey. He asserts that his self-love is secure and does not post to get attention…