Case Study

Case Study #2

Janet just completed her fourth divorce. She is in her early 30s. Her personal life is in chaos. She has children by three of her former husbands. Janet has struggled with addiction issues over the years including alcohol and drugs. She came from a very difficult family where her parents were alcoholics and often fought with each other. Janet was sexually abused by her uncle on more than one occasion when he lived with the family during her early teen years. Janet’s problems with drugs and alcohol began as a teenager.

Personal Information

I would gather a mix of information on this client. First, I would ask about family background. Questions would include who she lives with, age of relatives including children, parents, and siblings. This information is needed due to Janet’s apparent difficulty with relationships, and efforts to repair relationships may begin with family. Next I would ask about Janet’s clinical background, including her own perception of the nature of her difficulties. Knowing Janet’s perspective on her problems is important because it serves as a base from where to start. Personal history would be examined including childhood family patterns, past illnesses, religious or spiritual identity, and if she feels comfortable using prayer in the session. This is important information because as a Christian counselor, I plan to utilize prayer, either implicitly or explicitly, depending on client preference. Next, I would ask about her family background,

Discuss the information you want to obtain from the client in the first session. Why do you want this information? Would one of the taxonomy models such as the one offered by Hays or Maslow be appropriate? Be clear in identifying this information such as Family Background or Relationship Background and explain why you would want to know this information.

Personal Biases and Limitations

Every counselor needs to consider personal biases and limitations carefully. If the topic is a...