Process Recording #2 Victoria Schwager Wayne State University SW 4010: Social Work Practice Methods III

Introduction: As I continue my internship at Turning Point in the Support Services department, I continue to work moms of domestic violence group. Unfortunately, we are down to five moms, Nikki and myself. As each session passes the group is expanding in all sorts of ways. They are growing, learning and healing. Since it has been a while since the group has started, I have gotten a change to get to know the clients a little more. In this recording I will document the sessions while concentrating on the interactions within the group, I will state what my gut level feelings were and what the logical interpretation of the client interaction was. The sessions take place each Tuesday night for an hour and a half. The room we meet in is a small conference room at a round table that we all sit at.

CONTENT #2 WHAT DID YOU SEE?

LOGICAL INTERPRETATION LEVEL OF CLIENT INTERACTION FEELINGS #3 Its the middle of group as we I was upset here because of the This was evident to me based are approaching week 5. One loss of a group member. on the way the group had of the moms has left the group begun asking question in due to other circumstances concern of Hind, one of the which had brought the group moms that had left. down to only 5 members. The mothers had concerns about the mom that left but were all assured that she was okay. At the beginning of this I was confused as to why Lisa Since Lisa had not taken a flyer session, everyone had said their hadnt taken a flyer. it was evident that she was not welcomes. Nikki had stated interested in the family fun updates to the group about night or she wasnt able to how we were approaching the attend. middle of the group and spoke of the Family Fun night that was coming up in December. She handed out flyers in which all took a flyer except Lisa. Then we began to work on the Curiosity had struck here The activity allowed for the first activity of the night which because of the activity that was moms to be able to share what was the trauma activity. During about to take place. they felt trauma looked like, this activity Nikki and I had this was clear because of the the mothers tell us what way most of the mothers were trauma looked like and we had able to come up with feeling written it on the white board, words, physical attributes and then as a group we had types of the abuse fast. discussed what we wrote. Most However, it also was evident of the moms were able to that it was a struggle to bring come up with words really fast up those emotions in a timely whereas a few others struggled. manner.

SOCIAL WORKERS GUT-

Next did another activity, on the white board the moms had shared what they thought would go under the categories; safety, trust, esteem, control, and intimacy. As terms, feelings and thoughts went under each category we discussed what that meant in relation to the term we were trying to define. There was some hesitation from the mothers in this activity. Did another activity called the calm stressed activity. The moms had to make a chart saying how they felt when they were calm vs. how they felt when they were stressed. This was an easy activity for the moms as it didnt take them long to do it. After the final activity we wrapped up group with having all the mothers make a selfcare plan. They all struggled with being able to make the plan for themselves.

I was excited to see what the moms would come up with here.

The hesitation from the mothers could be cause of the fact that many of them had lost the feelings of being safe, being able to trust, have selfesteem, having that sense of control, and the feelings of intimacy.

I was intrigued because I was trying to follow along and make a list in my head and had seemed to struggle but they didnt so it made me intrigued as to how often they think about this.

This became clear when the mothers had taken about two minutes to complete this activity. They easily came up with what they felt in each column.

I had felt indifferent here because it had been a long day and activity they were doing was a personal one where I wasnt participating.

It was evident that all the mothers were struggling with the self-care plan because of the way they would constantly just stare at the paper and ponder over what to write.

In the beginning of week 6, we began with going over weekly news and went over names for one last time since the group dynamic had changed due to the loss of a member. As each mom came into the room, I noticed a pattern to where they would sit. The moms that do the activities together mainly sit next to each other.

The diversity in the group became clear and evident here in the way the mothers had made subgroups and had constantly sat next to the people they were comfortable with. The one subgroup that contained Lisa and Karen were both similar in their personalities and the way they raise their children. The diversity between Nikki and myself verses the moms was due to the fact that they all went through the experience we are teaching about, whereas we are teaching about it. Next, we began an activity in I felt overwhelmed here This activity was great for all of which we read 7 different because of the amount of the mothers. It allowed them stories that all went together to information that we covered in to see what the process of make one big story. Each this time frame. divorce and domestic violence mother had a different childs looks like in a childs eyes. This age and had to think about was especially helpful for how a child in that age would Karen since she got to see react to the story. We wrote what it was like for her kids down on the board the abusive since she had the age of her behaviors that took place in daughter. I think the impact of each story as well as the childs this activity had left her leaving feelings. During this activity, the session with a heavy heart. one of the mothers named Karen was really impacted by this since the age she received was the age of one of her daughters. All of the mothers were asked I was fascinated at this point They found they were able to to do a self-exercise that was because it was so easy for the related to the story because the related the story they just did. moms to do this exercise. emotions and the struggles are This wasnt hard for the moms something they are going since they just wrote away. through themselves or see their children going through.

I was happy to begin group this week because I have been enjoying being involved with this group.

Next, we offered up the mothers the opportunity to share their self-exercise. It took a few minutes but in the end everyone had shared their selfexercise. One by one the mothers went around and shared what they had wrote. A group exercise was next in which the group was divided into two. The first group was to discuss the question, what do they learn (in the view of a child) and the second group was to discuss the question, how do they act (behaviors of kids who have witnessed domestic violence.) Both groups excelled in this exercise however group one struggled more than group two. Afterwards, they shared what the groups discussed. When discussing the questions many of the mothers had shared their opinions and their body language had changed from the discomfort of knowing this is what their children go through. As group closed, each mother had participated in the survey and had said their good-byes with heavy hearts.

I was shocked because I wasnt This was an eye opening expecting the moms to share experience for the mothers as their self-exercises. they got to see and understand what it was like for their children when they were going through the process of the divorce and domestic violence. I was interested here because of the way the moms excelled but yet at the same time they seemed to struggle. The obvious discomfort the mothers had was made clear by the way their body language had changed the looks that appeared on their face. For example their faces began to drop and they had all slouched in their seats. This was clear because of the material we were discussing and how they came to the realization that this is what their children are going through.

I was sad that group was ending.

Group had ended on a good note based on the way the mothers left. They all were sad as good bonds and connections had been made.

Assessment: The above process recording was done at my field placement in which I work with a group of mother who all have been effected by domestic violence. This process recording takes place over a few sessions which are held at Turing Point. I have noticed some diversity taking place. Mainly, with the way the group has become clique-like. There are a few moms who tend to stay together. When looking at the group development as a whole, I realized that when the mothers are more hesitant to speak its an avoidance phase of the groups development. It takes the group one step backwards before we can move forward. However, we always do end up getting that push forward and the progress the mothers have made is incredible and Im really glad I got to be there to witness it.