Running head: INITIAL INTERVIEW 1
Initial Interview
Shannan M. Vester
Liberty University
INITIAL INTERVIEW 2
Initial Interview
Identifying Information
Kaylan Grace is a 25-year-old female who was interviewed on November 2, 2016.
Kaylan’s date of birth is February 22, 1991, and she currently resides at 1675 Newman Drive in
Cordova, Tennessee 38133. Kaylan is single, not in school, and works as an administrative
assistant for a staffing service named Impact Center. Kaylan lists her best contact number as 901-
438-7578 and can also be reached on her work line during the day at 901-336-4246. In the event
of an emergency, Kaylan lists her mother, Joann, as a contact who can be reached at 901-428-
6099.
Reason for Referral
Kaylan was referred to this office by Kensington Church for a consultation. Kaylan is a
potential candidate for an upcoming summer mission’s trip to Columbia. The staff at Kensington
feel that the trip will be challenging and wants to make sure that Kaylan is the best candidate for
the church. They feel that a positive evaluation is essential to preventing harm and ensuring the
safety of everyone on the team in such an unstable environment. Kaylan is being evaluated to
assess if her circumstances and psychological functioning would support their decision to send
her on this trip.
Current Situation and Functioning
Kaylan lives on her own in a two bedroom duplex that she rents in a suburban,
predominately Caucasian neighborhood. A typical work day for Kaylan involves working an
eight-hour shift, going home and doing household chores. On her days off, she is likely at the
gym or enjoying lunch with a friend. She volunteers at church on Sunday and eats dinner every
Sunday evening with her parents. Kaylan helps out a friend three times a week by picking up her
INITIAL INTERVIEW 3
daughter from middle school and watching her until her mother gets home from work at five.
Kaylan loves interacting with this child and enjoys helping out her friend.
Kaylan seems to complete the activities needed for daily living without trouble. She
seems to have very little stress and have an overall happy demeanor. Kaylan attributes her low
levels of stress and positive outlook to her relationship with Jesus, the support of her friends and
family, and her ability to not become overwhelmed by the small things in life. She seems to have
an ability to cope well in most situations and has learned how to effectively handle stressful life
events through her divorce. Kaylan shows a considerable amount of empathy for others in the
way she volunteers her talents and resources to helping others. Her body language and facial
expressions are positive and support her narrative. Overall, she seems to be of good character
and that she has a genuine interest in making a difference in life
When asked about her perceived strengths, Kaylan felt that she was a great listener and
friend that can make anyone feel comfortable in any situation. She also feels like she has strong
problem-solving and organizational skills. Kaylan listed some of her weaknesses as being too
trusting of others and being an overachiever. She admits that she often sets standards for herself
that are too high and is hard on herself when she fails to meet those standards.
Relevant Medical History
Currently, Kaylan is not experiencing any medical issues and is not under the care of any
physician. She does wear contact lenses and mentioned that she has a difficult time seeing
without them. At age 6, Kaylan had Reyes Syndrome as a result of taking baby aspirin and
almost died from it. Despite spending a week in the hospital, she does not have any residual
effects that affect her as an adult. At age 19, Kaylan was treated for an ovarian cyst that required
surgical removal. Both of her parents are in good overall health and are not treated for any
INITIAL INTERVIEW 4
medical problems. Her paternal grandfather died from heart disease and her maternal
grandmother died from breast cancer. Kaylan does not know anything about other family
members to know their medical history.
Psychiatric Treatment History
In the year prior to and following her divorce, Kaylan was under the weekly care of a
counselor. She recognized the unhealthy nature of her marriage and sought counseling to try and
make things better. When that was unsuccessful, Kaylan filed for divorce and stayed in
counseling to heal from the years of abuse. Though she had periods of depressions, she was
never medicated for it. Kaylan stopped going to counseling almost a year ago as a joint decision
between her and her counselor since it was felt that she no longer needed services. When asked
about family history of psychiatric disorders, Kaylan mentioned that she has always known her
mom to have high levels of anxiety and trouble sleeping at night. Though she has never been
officially diagnosed, Kaylan’s mom has been taking medication for these problems on and off for
as long as Kaylan can recall. She also believes that her maternal grandfather died from kidney
failure due to his excessive drinking.
Family History
Kaylan grew up in a middle-class home as an only child. Her parents have been married
for 28 years and were very involved with the youth at church throughout her childhood. The two
have always demonstrated a strong and healthy union to Kaylan and enjoy spending time
together serving others. Memories of childhood were mostly happy for Kaylan and her biggest
complaint was how busy her parents always were with volunteering at church. She has always
had a close relationship with her dad that is still important to her today. While Kaylan is not as
close to her mom, she still believes they have a positive relationship together. When asked about
INITIAL INTERVIEW 5
her childhood, Kaylan recalls how much she loved her grandparents on her dad’s side and how
much she loved going to see them on holidays. Since they both passed in her late teens, holidays
have not been the same for her and are often a time of sadness. Her maternal grandparents
passed away before she was born so she never had a chance to know them. Both sets of
grandparents moved to the United States from Europe in early adulthood and did not keep in
touch with the family they left behind. Even though Kaylan is sure she has other relatives, this is
the only family that she is aware of.
Social and Developmental History
Kaylan grew up around many other children from church and would make friends easily.
She was an honors student throughout high school and participated in several different sports.
She entered into college through a partial scholarship but felt pressured by her parents to plan out
her future before she was ready. Since her parents were active in the church, Kaylan would often
volunteer and is well-known in her community. In her early 20’s, Kaylan got married to an
abusive man that her parents did not approve of. The stress of this marriage influenced her
choice to quit going to college and placed a strain on Kaylan’s relationship with her family.
Although they did not have children together, it took her three years to get away from his abuse
and file for divorce. Though she had social support throughout this time, she always hoped that
God would save her marriage which kept her from leaving sooner. She feels confident that
leaving was the right decision and that God will use her story to help others.
Educational and Occupational History
Kaylan has a high school diploma from Bartlett High School and has taken a few college
courses in her early 20’s at the University of Memphis. Kaylan has not completed her degree and
is not looking to continue her education in the near future. She currently works part-time as an
INITIAL INTERVIEW 6
administrative assistant at a company called Impact Center and has been at this job for two years.
She is in satisfactory standing with her employer. Prior to this job, she worked as a banker at
Trustmark where she was a head teller for three years. Kaylan left her job in banking after her
branch location was permanently closed. She has never been fired from a job, never taken a leave
of absence, and never been injured on a job. Kaylan’s current place of employment has a
program that allows employees to take off for mission’s trips without fear of losing employment
which has influenced her decision to volunteer for this trip.
Cultural Influences
As a Caucasian female in a suburban neighborhood with very little diversity, Kaylan has
had very little cultural exposure. In addition to this, many of her choices and beliefs are
influenced by the church she attends and she has had very little experience with other religions
and beliefs. Kaylan has also had a great deal of influence from her peers who are very similar to
her in background and socioeconomic status. A possible cultural assessment issue that may occur
during the screening is with personal bias on the part of the counselor. Since the counselor is
also a Caucasian woman with a similar background, the potential for assuming the client shares
the same beliefs exists. Caution needs to be taken to avoid this in the assessment process.
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