Interviews are used frequently in a variety of different professions. To gain insight into customers and the problems they are facing, communication is necessary. In social work, interviews are a vital aspect of the planned change process. By sitting down and talking with clients, the social worker can learn key facts that would otherwise not be readily available in the client's medical record. The purpose of the conversations is to exchange information with the hope of solving the customer's problem and promoting growth. Interviews are also useful for planning strategies or actions to improve the client's quality of life after involvement with the social worker. Therefore, while there may be other ways that social workers can gather information, interviews are the simplest and most effective way to interact with their clients. Being able to self-reflect is a critical skill to possess as a social worker. By being aware of your own thoughts, feelings, attitudes and beliefs, you will increase your ability to help customers and empathize with them. Recording the process is one way a social worker can self-reflect. For me, it really helped me to watch and listen to myself on video and identify where I need to improve. By continually reflecting on myself, it will help me, as well as any social worker, improve my ability to work with clients. The interview process and self-reflection are two aspects of social work that are essential to the work they do. Alton has problems with his landlord, Rena, and is afraid of being evicted because of it. He came to the Community Mental Health Clinic because he wanted Rena to change her behavior and was interested in filing a human rights complaint. After the interview... halfway through the paper... more relaxed around me. I felt comfortable using clarification during the interview and it helped me better understand what Alton was saying. So I fulfilled my purpose in using it because it cleared up any confusion I had about some of Alton's statements. When I was trying to figure out whether Alton would be uncomfortable living outside of his neighborhood, I asked, “So you would like to get an apartment in this neighborhood?” Providing information was a technique I could have done better with, especially in regards to providing information to Alton about Kennebec Behavioral Health. So, even though I used this technique during my interview, I don't think I achieved my goal by providing Alton with the information he needed. A couple of examples from the interview are: “I made a phone call since our last session” and “I have resources and people to contact for accommodation.”