BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK
Seminar for New Field Instructors
Group Process Recording
Your student is co-leading a support group for adults in a day treatment program for clients with mental illness. The focus is on family issues that the clients may be experiencing and want to discuss. Several issues are raised during the group including one client talking about abusive relationships and what are some "signs" of an abuser. Another client talked about his new car not working and having to take a cab home. A third client expressed frustration about her housing situation.
Charlie: I know what you mean, like the other day when I was getting into a cab, I just had this strange feeling, and I told the cabbie that I didn't trust him and I didn't want to get into his cab.
Therapist: What about the experience gave you a "vibe"…what is this vibe?
Charlie: Well there was just something about him, it is really funny…he had never heard anything like that before, you know I just didn't trust him, something about him.
Therapist: Hmm, I wonder if there was something about the cabbie?
Charlie (in a defensive tone): I mean, even before he got to me and my niece and nephew, I knew there was something up. He just sped up to us and came to a quick halt, I just didn't trust his driving. I mean, it's much worse in New York City, there the "foreign" cabbies don't care about you at all. They are used to the heat, so they don't even put on their AC.
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Later on another client is discussing her relationship with her mother.
Mary: Well, my mother is very against mixing races. (Looking directly at me) Is it okay that I talk about this?
Therapist: Yes, of course.
Mary: Well, she raised me one way and saying that I shouldn't mix with people with color. I mean, when I dated this one guy who was Portuguese…well he ended up being an ass anyway, he was really controlling. But my mom was really pissed that we were dating. She just thinks that each group should stick to its own race. But I raised my son differently, we have colored friends. I don't even consider it a factor.
Therapist: So it sounds like you are saying that regardless of how your parents raised you, each individual has a certain level of autonomy in which he or she can choose to do things the same or differently.
Mary: Yeah that's right.
Some questions that the student has for supervision:
What I was having a difficult time with was how to discuss "isms" in a way that does not make the person feel defensive. And I feel that this program sends a message to the clients to the effect that we do not talk about race. An example is when Mary felt she had to ask if it was okay to talk about race in the group. I felt like I was spending too much time focusing on trying to say the correct thing, and also being aware of the fact that I was the only person of color in the group. In addition, I was frustrated by not knowing how to have a "difficult" conversation.