Evaluation of interview techniquesA. Your Interview: I interviewed Ms. Pike for three periods of thirty minutes each, in order to gather initial information and then use that knowledge to develop additional questions for subsequent interviews. The third interview was primarily a wrap-up session where we discussed how she could apply what we discussed and reiterated that I was happy to have had the opportunity to meet her and learn her story. I used contemplative listening, which I remained silent to listen to. carefully and didn't focus on what I was going to say next. Ms. Pike is African American and may rely more on nonverbal communication and less on verbal elaborations to explain something or get a point across (Sue & Sue, 2008). Therefore, I consciously observed my nonverbal leaks and microaggressions to ensure that our cross-cultural therapeutic process was not plagued by repressive behaviors on my part. I also used listening responses by clarifying, paraphrasing, reflecting, and summarizing to encourage the client's elaboration, help her focus on the content of her message, encourage her to express herself, become aware of her feelings, and review the progress she is making in counseling. I effectively used open-ended questions to elicit information and facts from the client in order to find their strengths and deficits that we may encounter in the therapeutic process. I integrated descriptive accounts of his previous and current life situations, clinical disorders and potential diagnosis, overall level of functioning including strengths and adaptive functioning, cultural factors, and challenging behaviors when outlining appropriate goals for improve his current circumstances.B. Criticize yourself: I really enjoyed interviewing Mrs. Pike and… halfway through the assignment… and the semester. Luckily, my degree also incorporated interviewing techniques for devising behavioral intervention plans and other assessment tools, so I wasn't entirely naive about the process. I improved my ability to sit quietly and not think too much about the process, to complete goals instead of listening carefully to his problems. It's difficult to sit silently with a stranger, but I've found that I feel more comfortable staying silent to make sure he's finished with his thought process and not interfering in the conversation. I am improving my ability to also give non-verbal cues to let the client know I am listening without being intrusive with my sometimes exuberant personality style. I know and recognize that I must adapt to the customer's behavior to foster a comfortable environment and allow the customer to drive the pace of the conversation.