CONCEPTUAL DEFINITION AND SPECIFIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INTERVIEW IN THE

THERAPEUTIC ACCOMPANIMENT

Generalities

Among the best-known definitions of interview are those of Sullivan and Pope, in which they
they encompass the following aspects: a conversation and/or interpersonal relationship between two or more
people, with specific objectives, where someone asks for help and another offers it, the
which establishes an explicit difference of roles among the participants. These roles mark a
asymmetric relationship, since one is the expert, the professional, and the other is the one who needs their
help.

The interview is characterized by being a preliminary technique to any type of intervention,

essential in the evaluation process due to the amount of information and knowledge
personal that contributes from the subject in a brief period of time. It develops through a
conversation with a purpose, as it focuses on the subject's demand, on the explanation of their
vulnerability. The information provided by the subject presents from their point of view what is the
personal elaboration of the events for which you are consulting.

Within the practice of Therapeutic Accompaniment, we find ourselves resorting to this

technique on several occasions and with various protagonists: With the treating professional or team
of the case, with the accompanied or future accompanied, their family, institutions, peer group.

Types of interviews

By the degree of structuring

Structured: the interviewer adheres to a pre-established script and generally

standardized when formulating the questions. Within this, there are two
important modalities: the mechanized interview, in which the accompanied person
sit in front of a computer to answer the questions, and the guided questionnaire
by the interviewer, where the interviewee responds to the questioning of the
examiner or answer for himself, being able to ask questions about doubts.
Semi-structured: the interview has a prior script with a certain degree of freedom for
propose questions at the time during the interview.
Free: the AT allows the interviewee to speak based on their own needs,
formulating open-ended questions, of broad spectrum.

For the purpose

Diagnostic interview: These are interviews aimed at establishing a diagnosis.

report about a companion in a specific situation that is being consulted. It usually goes
Accompanied by other evaluation instruments that allow
contrast the information gathered in the interview (medical histories, discharge summaries, reports, etc.).
Consultative interview: the priority objective is to address a question related to
a specific topic. It usually has a focal objective, with a very concrete purpose, in the
que el o los entrevistados no van proseguir con un trabajo clínico posterior. Entrevistas
 therapeutic and advisory: they aim to create a change in a direction
agreed upon by both, interviewer and interviewee (reframing)
Research interview: its objective is to determine based on criteria
previously defined the affiliation or not of a subject to the research itself. Also
to know, to verify, to confirm and to open new pathways for understanding vulnerabilities in
a wide feeling.

Depending on the timing of the process

Initial interview: it is the one that opens the relational process and identifies the object and
objectives of that meeting framing a type of interaction between AT and
accompanied/family.
Supplementary information interviews: those conducted to learn more
data or in a more complete way together with the one being worked on. In this
category includes interviews with the accompanied person's family members and professionals
externals, etc.
Interview about the biography of the accompanied or anamnesis: the evolutionary milestones are explored.
more meanings of the maturation process, it is verified how the development has progressed
early, the progressive autonomy and independence. Generally, a scheme is followed.
arranged by areas of development and organized chronologically.
Feedback interview: In it, the AT provides detailed information about the objectives.
proposed therapies, the possible prognosis and about resources and strategies
therapeutic approaches that are proposed. It requires specific training.
Discharge interview: the objective is to dismiss physically and administratively the accompanied.
close or refer the case.

Depending on the age of the interviewee

Interviewing children and adolescents: it is a broad category, which is generally considered

they are individuals who do not seek help on their own, but rather the request comes from the
adults, parents, teachers... and they are usually involved in the problem and in the
resolution of the same. The cognitive, emotional, and verbal abilities of children and
adolescents force the AT to a very personalized adaptation of each case, superior to the
what is needed for the relationship with adults. The knowledge of the characteristics
evolutionary and professional experience with children is essential for
work with this technique.
Interviews with adults: the situations presented by adults depend, in part, on
the evolutionary genesis of the human being.
Interviews with the elderlyy people with some deterioration: require a
specific training in high-altitude order of the relationship established at altitude of the
language and way of asking, to the goals of change that can be achieved, to the
economic, social, and emotional support that these people have.

Stages of the interview

Pre-interview: AT professionals in their public or private work do not receive a companion.

directly, but there is some other professional who receives the consultation request.
When receiving a companion, at least the reason for the consultation and some are known about them.
another piece of information. Generally and ideally, there should be a professional referral, where
have taken note of the personal data, the reason for the consultation, and make available a
clinical history with the establishment of at least one general therapeutic objective
develop as AT.

Thus, the pre-interview gathers information about:

Accompanied: it is noted who is calling, whether it is the accompanied person themselves or someone else.
his name, his years and contact details for him.
Reason for the consultation.
Referring

INTERVIEW

First phase of mutual knowledge

There are three basic aspects in this first part of the interview: physical contact, social greetings, and
attempts at mutual knowledge. In this phase, greetings and introductions take place.
It advises that a welcoming, warm, and empathetic attitude be taken care of with diligence, just like the
non-verbal communication. The climate of trust will be decisive and will condition the process
from the interview. After the greeting moment, one takes a seat and indicates to the patient what it is.
Open the interview by clarifying its objectives, the time we are going to invest, and the
knowledge that we have of your demand.
Second phase of exploration and identification of the problem

This phase is the body of the interview, in which the client explains their request, formulates a
problem and requests help, so the AT must conduct an analysis of the demands, complaints
and goals. Here the AT tries to listen, observe, and ask appropriately to start developing the
specific therapeutic objectives that should be confirmed or rejected throughout the process
therapeutic in order to subsequently respond to the needs of the accompanied.

The time that elapses from when the companion/family explains what is concerning them until the
Clarify and identify the nature and importance of vulnerability and develop hypotheses.
pertinent is not homogeneous, but generally an interview usually lasts no more than 50 or 60
minutes, so this phase usually lasts about 40 minutes more or less.

The role of the AT in this context is to observe, listen, and experience the behavior of
accompanied, attending to their verbalizations, to non-verbal communication, developing objectives
therapeutics and resources, and trying to reach them progressively as it advances the
therapeutic process. It will also use communication strategies in order to achieve the
objectives.

In this phase, the AT must record what their role is, guiding the accompanied/family in the
development of the interview and to use their knowledge and experience about techniques and skills
communication in order to achieve the objectives it aims for. It is the phase in which an attempt is made
achieve an understanding of vulnerability. Before moving on to the next phase, it is advisable that the AT
make a summary of the problems raised and formulate them briefly to
accompanied/family in order to obtain comprehensive feedback, to clarify the consultation and it is the
starting point to continue the subsequent therapeutic work.

Third phase – farewell

The three basic aspects of this last part of the interview are: framing or work plan,
new appointment and farewell. It is advisable to clarify with the companion/family before saying goodbye.
What will be the working method for the upcoming meetings, schedules, cost
economic, workplace. This final phase is quite different from those accompanied or
relatives to others.

First interview with the Accompanied/family

It is a technique that openly gathers the interviewee's request for help. It does not only seek
accurate and contrasted data on vulnerabilities, but information about how it perceives the
the subject himself is the discomfort for which he consults. This information is on one hand broad and general and
on the other hand specifies and concretizes what makes this technique an indispensable instrument of the
framing.
In the first interview, the therapeutic process is established and originated, or it is aborted.

The purpose of the Therapeutic Companion interviewer is to identify and clarify the demand.
understand the vulnerabilities and feelings of the claimant and simultaneously recognize the
resilient points in him and/or his linkage group, develop the relevant hypotheses about the
consultation to propose resolution strategies and short and long-term therapeutic objectives
or general and specific in addition to an adaptation or health promotion in their quality of life.
But the priority of the AT in the first interview with the future partner is the establishment of
the relationship AT-Accompanied. Objective that revolves around the resources and technical skills of the AT and
fundamentally, about their abilities and skills to establish relationships

Interpersonal. Namely: empathetic capacity, understanding, creativity, common sense (that is,
control of arbitrariness), spontaneity to act outside the planned, intelligence, judgment
adaptation, emotional resources, intuition (which allows distinguishing the important from the
secondary), etc.
For both parties, it is the starting point of the therapeutic relationship, from which they are limited and
guides the demands of the one consulting. The information provided by the interviewee becomes
in the reference focus. Based on this initial information, other new data is organized that
they allow completing the hypotheses and the alternatives for subsequent action. This relationship begins
with a mutual ignorance, so both need strategies for approaching and
knowledge to establish the foundations for an adequate relationship. But about the one who leads the
interview, the responsibility falls on collecting information to achieve knowledge of the future
accompanied and from his environment in a brief period of time.

The initial assessment interview for the start of a Therapeutic Accompaniment is framed
in a caregiving, supportive relationship, what for Álvarez and Hersen means is that on one hand the
involved characters do not act from themselves, but act based on a model of
clinical work, and on the other hand, the idea of the help that is intended to be provided also responds to the attitude
of the examiner in relation to their role, that is, to the theoretical model they have about what it means
to be a therapeutic companion who offers their services.

Bassols and Kvale point out as one of the hallmarks of this technique that it is a
interpersonal relationship that involves reciprocal influence among the individuals involved, and how much
the more significant that relationship is, the more intense the effect it has on the interlocutor. It is a
bidirectional influence also known as immediate feedback, and gives rise to the
controlling the variables of the interview is very difficult. This interpersonal relationship works as
a gestalt, since all aspects of the personal and situational reality of the
participants.

This technique is also characterized by the flexibility that its development acquires, as
The examiner must adapt to the specific characteristics of the interviewee to what happens in the
here and now. It allows you to observe the behavior of the accompanied in real time, however, none
interview exhausts the repertoire of a person's behaviors, rather segments of the emerge
same.

Objectives of the first interview with the accompanied/family

The objectives of the initial interview vary in some way depending on the theoretical model of TA,
but there is an agreement that the following should be taken into account:

Guide the interview to the established objective.

Establish a good rapport (climate of trust).
Perceiving the companion as they are, attending to their verbal and non-verbal behaviors and
to register the degree of coherence between both.

Characteristics of a good interviewer

Being a good interviewer requires attitudinal characteristics, listening skills and

strategies in the management of verbalizations.

Fundamental attitudes of the interviewer

Draw

Empathy is the ability of the AT to understand the accompanied in their concerns.

cognitive and emotional, and be able to convey that understanding to the accompanied person. It is a
round trip in which a receptive-expressive feedback is generated. Bleger called it
instrumental dissociation, a cognitive and emotional mechanism used by the AT as
tool in their evaluation work. This dissociation keeps the professional at a certain level of
internal division. On one hand, the AT shows an attitude of emotional closeness with the
vulnerability of the accompanied, and on the other hand, it remains sufficiently distant cognitively
emotionally in order to allow oneself to think about what one hears and make hypotheses
congruent and valid.
In this attitude, the non-verbal component prevails over the verbal one. This does not mean giving compliments,
offering premature securities or letting compassion take action. The empathy favors the
establecimiento del rapport, da confianza al entrevistado y propicia una interacción relacional
genuine and unique. This empathetic attitude does not interpret, although it does try to capture feelings.
what is behind the words of the one who speaks, does not evaluate, nor judges, but respects the freedom of
otro, y tampoco trata de aconsejar o consolar de forma prematura e indiscriminada.
Being empathetic means: understanding the problems of others, grasping their feelings, putting oneself in their place.
place, trust in your ability to move forward, respect your freedom, respect your intimacy, not
to judge him, to accept him as he is, to accept him as he wants to become and to see the other from oneself, and
not from our needs or problems. Empathy presupposes three basic conditions:
congruence with oneself: living as we think, unconditional positive acceptance of the other and
effort to put ourselves in the place of the other without stopping being ourselves.

Warmth

The polarity between remoteness and emotional distance must be balanced with closeness, which consists of
in an affective approach. It is an attitude of welcome and containment that is transmitted both in the
verbal and non-verbal language. With this warm attitude, acceptance is communicated to the companion.
positivity of the same. It is manifested through physical proximity, posture, gestures,
verbal reinforcements and other behaviors indicative of acceptance. It is an essential quality in
an interviewer.

Competition
The accompanied person must receive messages that reassure them that they have consulted with an expert. The AT
will show when necessary and without boasting about it their experience in this field of
work, their ability to understand the companion and to offer them possibilities for change. The
the AT's competence involves knowing its limitations and referring the accompanied to another professional if
he will consider that he is not sufficiently competent to work with him.

Flexibility and tolerance

The AT must know how to respond to unforeseen situations without losing sight of the objective being pursued.
It has to be flexible to adapt to the diversity of people it works with. Flexibility
and tolerance are essential qualities in the AT, since you have to work with beings
humans; the technique is a means that must be adapted to each individual, it is not an end in itself
same.

Honestdad and professional ethics

The AT must work in coherence with its principles, its values, its theoretical model. This
to act with honesty, sincerity, open and honorable attitude. This entails, for example,
show respect to the companion or family in all idiosyncratic and personal aspects that do not
they become part of the therapeutic assessment. The AT will inform that they work under these
assumptions and that informed consent, confidentiality and protection of the
Information is guaranteed.

Listening skills

There are listening skills that enhance the development of the interview and are proper.
a verbal behavior, such as eye contact that implies a welcoming attitude, to look at
to bring closer and embrace, not to discomfort; the distance between both interlocutors that must bring together the
characteristics of closeness, but without invading personal space and the feeling of privacy… Without
embargo, specifically considering the technique of the initial interview, it is worth highlighting the
following skills within listening:

Let speak: We must not abuse the use of words. According to Colombero, the ability to listen
implica dos acttudes fundamentales: la acttud receptva y la acttud directva.
Active listening: For Alemany, drawing even and active listening are closely intertwined, so that
consider that some terms used by authors who follow this relational model are
different ways to conceptualize this active listening as a process of psychological attention
internal. For Rogers, the benefits of active listening are: the accompanied individual gradually achieves
a feeling of relaxation, his desire to keep talking about himself grows, his
state of tension and fear, one can see the situation from a different perspective, is able to accept
Progressively, moods or previously rejected thoughts allow for clarification.
to oneself, neither deny it nor overvalue it and fosters experiencing "emotional well-being" by being
understood and accepted by another just as one is.

- Low verbal reactivity: The low reactivity of the interviewer or prolonged latency is
understood as the time it takes for the interviewer to respond since the
the interviewee has intervened. Prolonged latency favors verbal expression of the
interviewee. There are confirmed studies that show the greater or lesser verbal production of the
The interviewee largely depends on the greater or lesser reactivity of the interviewer.

Instrumental silences: Silence is often poorly tolerated by interviewers.

novels, living it with tension and as a personal failure. However, there are silences that
they favor the interactional relationship and encourage the interviewee to keep talking. They are called
instrumental silences because they are at the service of reflection and understanding of what is being
talking, they promote deepening the topic or unblocking communication.
Encourages listening and maintains the presence of the interviewer and closeness with them.
interviewee.

Communication skills: strategies in managing verbalizations

evaluator/AT is the person responsible for managing their own verbalizations and
of the companion. The conduct of the interviewer conditions that of the interviewee, the
verbal and non-verbal conduct of each explicitly indicates different responses in the other. Both
they mutually feed back into each other in a progressive feedback process. That's why the
the interviewer has the responsibility to properly manage the verbalizations.
It has been confirmed that the duration of the interviewer's speech, interruptions and
The types of interventions modify the verbal discourse of the interviewee. The
Verbalizations serve two fundamental functions: to ask and to inform.

Strategies to make explicit or maintain communication with the patient

The information requested by the examiner must be in accordance with the objective that brings them together.
to both.
a) The specular technique: It has also been called echo. It is considered one of the most
they facilitate continuing to maintain a conversation. It has important non-verbal components, but
verbally it is expressed with a phrase similar to that said by the interviewee or a repetition of their
last sentence. This allows the interviewee to focus and orient themselves on the topic that is
trying. It can also be a simple nod, a grimace of consent or a
confirmatory blinking. Álvarez refers to this type of non-induced techniques due to
that the interviewer's verbalizations are neutral, that they do not compromise, simply
they indicate to the person that we are listening

b) Give the floor: The most common verbal support technique is based on phrases spoken without haste.
and with interest. For example: 'Please continue.'

c) Confirmatory comments: They serve to encourage the person being supported to continue their discourse.
also called "express approval". These comments are generally verbal, but the
Non-verbal gestures can go in the same direction. For example: "Indeed, you are right, I also..."
I believe that sleep problems are related to the lack of daily routines.

d) Communication feedback: It is one of the techniques that helps communication the most.
accompanied. There are several forms of feedback. In informative feedback (the
It is about repeating what the patient has said to ensure that we have understood.
Good. For example: 'If I understood correctly, they were telling me that things got complicated with the accident.'
another person checks if the information is being received correctly and if not
tene oportunidad de corregirla. La retroalimentación del comportamiento se da cuando le
we tell the other the reactions that their words or behavior produce. For example: "when you talk
"With that tone of voice, your son gets blocked."
This form of feedback is very important and the one that helps the most to understand the reaction that
produces in others the behavior of the accompanied, at least to know the reaction of the people
what is important to him. Feedback on people's reactions does not prejudge the
another one, nor assigns determined feelings or intentions, it only exposes the reactions
emotional and behavioral responses that certain people have towards their behavior. For
For feedback to be effective, it must have the following characteristics: more descriptive than
valued, specific and not general, taking into account the needs of the other, refers to
behaviors that can be changed are contrasted by the one who receives it and occur in the
timely and as soon as possible.

e) Signaling: Through signaling, the interviewer aims to highlight a problem.

of the companion that he himself has verbalized without being aware of it. It allows focusing
those aspects of greatest interest and understand what is happening to him.

f) The interpretation: It is a technique whose objective is to establish causes and consequences of the
narrated facts. Sometimes it tends to go beyond the merely manifest, but the relationship
The causal relationship we establish must be understood by the subject so that it allows them to continue.
going deeper into these aspects. For example: "I believe I understand that you are concerned about something that...
he did years ago and what he may feel guilty about.

g) Parachute landing: The participant becomes aware that the companion is not posing a
a topic that is necessary to address, and at a certain moment he does so unexpectedly and
directly in a way that the accompanied one has to face it inevitably. Strategy outcome
Note why it is a negative or aversive intervention.

Strategies in the way of asking questions

Open-ended questions. It is advisable to start the interview with this type of questions. They allow
that the companion or family express themselves in their own words, at their own pace
Closed questions. They are usually answered with monosyllables. They are formulated to confirm.
the information, to specify an aspect of the problem or to obtain a specific data.
Return the question. This prompts the interviewee to keep talking, it returns to him.
You can find the answer and trust him as a person capable of investigating.
in what happens to him.
Facilitating questions. They are questions that do not create ambiguity, that facilitate a
response in one direction. Ex: "What do you do when you get nervous?" They allow talking.
about the subject from himself and without feeling bad or directly answering a question.
Clarifying questions. It has also been referred to as probing technique. It involves
ask with gestures or with words how the patient understands, specifically, what it is about
What is being said. For example: 'What does it mean for you...?' It is a neutral way of requesting.
information that shows interest and does not prejudge.
Questions with headings.
Guided questions. They are also called questions with induced responses.

Confrontation questions. Besides being inductive and guided, they confront the accompanied with the
problem that is being posed. It is wise to be cautious when formulating them, especially in the first one.
interview. They are generally stated to answer yes or no. For example: "so, does the child sleep with"
You guys. Every night?

Some patients need a verbal intervention at certain times different from the
exposed

Pressure techniques such as direct confrontation or tempo pressure can be techniques

to be used at some point or in specific cases. These techniques must be used for the benefit
of the interviewee. The technique of direct confrontation aims to make the interviewee become aware of
interviewed about the contradictions between what they are saying and their non-verbal behavior, or between the
what he said at one moment in the interview and what he says at another. They are difficult situations to
handle and require great experience. A respectful yet assertive demeanor from the interviewer
it is essential in these cases.

Another technique is to remember limits: pressure of time. The time limit is usually difficult to handle.
by some people. It is about observing how an individual works under the pressure of time.
How to organize the remaining information and confront the time limit. Lastly, it is to focus.
the problem/symptom review. When the interviewee does not focus on the issues
The psychologist will try to ask questions that focus on what is of interest to know.
It is advisable that in the first interview, the verbalizations of the AT follow the following guidelines:

It is advised to use communication-facilitating techniques.

It is advisable to start with open questions.
Questions should go from general to specific. One must progressively focus.
in the inquiry problem
Es deseable que se enuncien preguntas no inductvas
The verbal aspects, such as intensity, tone of voice, reactiveness in responses,
interruptions should be avoided to promote communication.
Active listening promotes communication
Letting others speak and not interrupting are the basic golden rules.