This Case Conceptualization Form will be used to develop and strengthen your ability to conceptualize cases.
The Discussions, will be used in parts and will be based on a case study
provided.
FOR THE DISCUSSION FORUM
1. Review the Case Study of Charlotte
2. Based on the Case Study, respond fully and in paragraph form to the
prompts below.
3. Type your full responses in complete sentences and in the expandable
cell within each section. The cell will lengthen as you type.
Counselor Name: Client age:
Client initials: Client race or ethnicity:
# of sessions with the client: unknown Self-identified gender:
Presenting Problem
To understand the presenting problem, describe the client’s past and present. Be
sure to address each of the following elements:
Demographic information
Employment history
Relevant legal problems
History of counseling
Reason for seeking counseling, according to the client
Onset and duration of concern
Frequency and intensity of symptoms
What the client wants to improve
Your discussion of the Presenting Problem should include 2 well-formed
paragraphs.
Family Structure
Clients and their concerns are shaped by their family structure and stage of
development. Be sure to address each of the following elements and their
impact:
Family of origin and role within
Family of choice, if different, and role within
Significant relationships/relationship patterns
Children, marriages, divorces
Current living arrangements
Major losses, traumas
Family mental health history
Family substance abuse history
Family violence or abuse history
Stage of development impacts
Developmental challenges
Your discussion of Family Structure should include 2 well-formed
paragraphs. In response to the prompts above, begin typing here:
Multicultural Considerations
Clients and their concerns are shaped by a multitude of multicultural
considerations and their intersectionality. Be sure to address each of the
following elements that apply and their impact on the person, the problem, and
the counseling relationship:
Race, ethnicity
Religion, spirituality, or faith
Ability limitations, impairments
Sexual, affectional orientation
Cisgender, transgender, or otherwise identified
Age, generation
Socioeconomic status, affluence, homelessness
Military upbringing, involvement, deployment
The criminal justice system, gang culture, drug culture
Immigration status, language preference
Geographic influences, environmental factors
Experiences of oppression or marginalization
Your discussion of Multicultural Considerations should include 2–3 well-formed
paragraphs.
Resource
Charlotte is a 28-year-old single African American female. She states she is heterosexual and was raised in the Christian faith. Charlotte currently resides in her small hometown near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She is currently in counseling at the New Changes Outpatient Behavioral Health Treatment Facility. Charlotte reports seeking treatment for anxiety and depression due to ongoing family-related stressors, lacking self-esteem and motivation. Charlotte has experienced various symptoms over the past 6 months. She is hoping that treatment will help decrease her anxiety and depression symptoms and increase her motivation as well as self-confidence. Charlotte would like to obtain and maintain employment as well as potentially enroll in college.
Charlotte reports sleeping most of the day and eating very little. She states this has worsened over the past 2 weeks. Charlotte reports that her symptoms of anxiety and depression have worsened as well. In session today, she presents as depressed and guarded. Though defensive, she is soft spoken. Today, more so than usual, Charlotte appears disheveled. She casually mentions she has been self-medicating with marijuana. This is the first time she has reported use, and after you inquire further, she admits she has been using since the age of 16. She states it is the only thing that makes her feel better. While she has no history of suicidal behaviors and she denies current suicidal thoughts, she does report experiencing hopelessness in the past and feels she is getting to that point again.
Charlotte reports being classified with a learning disability from an early age and struggled academically throughout high school. Charlotte reports growing up in an upper-middle-class neighborhood. She reports being one of only 20 students of color at the high school she attended and feels she was treated differently as a result. Charlotte reports a history of trauma, stating she was sexually assaulted at a party in high school. She states she was under the influence of alcohol at the time and partly blames herself. Charlotte reports that she has not used alcohol since the assault. Charlotte has not discussed the assault with her previous therapist, family, or friends. She attributes her poor self-image and issues related to self-confidence to the assault and learning disability.
Charlotte talks about stressors related to financial difficulties and is overwhelmed, wondering how she will regain any financial stability and independence. Charlotte is currently unemployed and has been for the past 3 months. She reports a history of working retail and restaurant jobs but has struggled to keep any for very long. Charlotte’s parents have provided financial assistance in the past; however, they feel that, at 28 years old, she should be able to live independently. They also disapprove of her decision to not attend college and blame her for her inability to maintain employment. As a result, they have vowed to no longer provide any means of financial support and state it is time she supported herself. Charlotte is currently between places to live and temporarily staying with friends she met at her last job.
Charlotte reports she always felt a great deal of pressure to succeed from her parents, as they are both college graduates and have careers in the medical field. She states the last time she recalls them being proud of her was the day she graduated high school 10 years ago. Comparatively, Charlotte’s brother is a veterinarian, and she feels she will never measure up to him in her parents’ eyes.
Charlotte has a history of inpatient hospitalization beginning at the age of 24 after she experienced extreme depressive symptoms following a breakup with a boyfriend of 4 years. Charlotte reports that her ex-boyfriend was verbally abusive and called her names such as “stupid” and “lazy.” Charlotte denies self-injurious behavior; she reports experiencing explosive behavior at times and has admitted to destroying property at home such as punching holes in walls following an argument with her parents. She feels she learned this behavior from her father, who is an alcoholic with anger issues. She states her mother takes some kind of medication for depression.
