Laura Parker Case Study Sample
Brief Description of Client
Laura Parker is a forty-five year old female who lives in Lacey, WA. She is single and a mother to a grown son. Laura is a recovering drug addict; she has been clean now for eight months. She has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, anxiety, and experiences constant auditory hallucinations. These auditory hallucinations tell her to do cruel things to herself and others. A majority of the acts she is being told to do by the voices are illegal. When the voices are overpowering, Laura cannot say no to them. Laura has minimal job experience, and upon high school completion she went straight to college with the goal to become a lawyer. She worked sporadically while she went to community college, however, when she went …show more content…
to a University she stopped working. Laura stopped working to allow herself time to focus on her studies. Laura does not have a degree, however, she has gone to a community college and a University. Laura attended Portland Community college followed by Portland State University (PSU). While attending PSU Laura had her first schizophrenic episode. In this episode, she ran out of her class screaming, and has never gone back. Laura now expresses interest in wanting to go into counseling for Drug and Alcohol addiction.
Identification of Issues/Problems
Laura began blackout drinking at the age of eight to escape the emotional, sexual, and physical abuse she was enduring from her step father.
Laura wants to show her family that she has changed, lead by example for her son, and manage her symptoms of anxiety and schizophrenia. Laura wants to manage her symptoms for herself, her family, and her future career. However, Laura is frightened that she is going to fail. Frightened that she is going to return to her old habits. She is terrified that her schizophrenia and anxiety is going to control her, and that she will be exposing other people to her diagnoses. Laura states, “I just want to be normal.” Laura has also expressed wanting to reconnect with her …show more content…
family.
Laura has two siblings, one brother and one sister, neither of which she has contact with currently, though she would like to. Her brother is younger by six years, her sister is older than her by eight years.
Rationale for Choice of Theories
Theory One- Adlerian Therapy
The initial theory that my client could benefit from would be Adlerian theory. The client has had a significant amount of trauma before the age of ten. Analyzing the client’s early life more closely could give better clues as to what led her to become addicted to drugs and alcohol at an early age. By analyzing what led to the addiction originally the counselor can address what feelings led to these problem behaviors. By addressing what caused the problem behavior the therapist and client can explore what they could do to help move forward and cope with the trauma that happened as a child. Her childhood trauma is at the root of her problem behavior and in turn her diagnoses of anxiety, schizophrenia and auditory hallucinations.
Alfred Adler emphasized that the individual's current interpretations of early childhood events continue to influence their current behavior (Corey, 2017). This psychodynamic approach to therapy proposes that Laura’s reasoning for turning to drugs and alcohol was due to the experiences she had as a child. According to Adlerian theory our past is important in shaping us, but it is not as important as where we are aiming to go (Corey, 2017) The way that Laura interpreted these events as a child caused her to drink, do drugs, and ultimately land herself in jail several times. When she was being abused as a child, she states that she did not want to live, and that there was no hope for her. These feelings of inferiority led her to drink and later begin drugs. Her drinking also allowed her to escape the horrors as a child. The meanings she associated with the experiences at the time caused Laura to create a downward spiral (Corey, 2017). The things individuals do, they do so with a goal in mind (Corey, 2017). When Laura drank she did so with the intent of escaping. When she began drugs she began with the intention of ending her life. It was from that point that she became addicted to the feeling the drugs gave her, and her ability to escape her reality. Laura fictionally finalizes becoming a drug and alcohol counselor. Laura uses this as motivation to obtain her goal. Striving for superiority is at the center of Adlerian theory, and striving for superiority means that the individual moves towards a perceived positive position in relation to where they are currently (Corey, 2017). Laura shows her strive for superiority by making strides to become a counselor and help individuals undergoing addiction as she had.
Laura viewed her mother and sister as contributing factors in why she was sexually and physically abused.
It was not the abuse itself that lead to her drinking, but the faulty thinking that the drinking would withdraw her from the situation (Corey, 2017) The three life tasks include, social task, love-marriage task, and the occupation task (Corey, 2017). Laura has never been married and states that she never desires to be married. She does however desire to find and maintain friendships within her family and the community. This desire would fulfill the social task. Laura is currently seeing a Vocational Rehabilitation counselor to work towards her intended occupational goal. When Laura obtains this goal it is perceived that she will have fulfilled the occupational task where she feels as though she is making a difference in the community. Impairment to any of the life tasks is an indicator of a psychological disorder. This could mean that Laura’s Schizophrenia, anxiety and auditory hallucinations could be contributing factors to her lack of the love-marriage task. Laura is struggling in two out of the three life tasks, and states that she has no desire to fulfill the love marriage task. Adler states that often when individuals seek therapy, it is “because they are struggling unsuccessfully to meet one or more of these life tasks.” (Corey, 2017, p. 101). Adler poses the question what an individual would do if they were well. The client would state that she would have her
family back in her life and she would be in her counseling career. Laura states that she would not be in the position she was in if she did not have her schizophrenia, anxiety and auditory hallucinations. Her family would be in her life and she would have already finished school and probably be a lawyer at this point. Instead she is seeking vocational Rehabilitation services after recovering from drugs and learning to cope with her disorders.
Phase 1: Establish the relationship.
Therapeutic progress is possible when the therapist and client are clear on what the ends goals are (Corey, 2017). Laura has been clear from the first session that she has three primary goals; minimizing the symptoms of her schizophrenia, anxiety and auditory hallucinations, reestablish a relationship with her mother, sister, and brother, and to work towards becoming a counselor. To be successful in the counseling process the client needs to be able to identify that their issues are significant and be willing to examine these issues and change the behavior if they are serious about obtaining their goal (Corey, 2017). The client recognizes her problems as significant barriers to her accomplishing her perceived goals. The counselor would like to explore these goals with Laura and collaborate on a plan to suppress her symptoms and obtain her goals. The counselor recognizes that the client is more important than the problems perceived and makes sure to build rapport with the client before addressing problems. The therapist would like to address the client’s strengths before addressing her problems. It is imperative that the client knows and understands their strengths to be able to confront their problems and reach goals.
Phase 2: Assessing the individual’s psychological dynamics.
The second phase focuses on understanding the individual’s lifestyle more thoroughly (Corey, 2017). During the subjective interview, the client states, “If I did not have schizophrenia, anxiety and auditory hallucinations, I would still have my family in my life, I would be able to go outside and be around people. I would be able to be normal.” The counselor continues to ask questions and empathize with the client to be able to help Laura more fully tell her life story.
In the objective interview, the therapist learned several things about Laura and the way she perceives her life. According to Laura, the problems in her life began when she was being sexual and physically abused as a child, and from there she drank and did drugs. After drinking and doing drugs for many years, she had her first schizophrenic break in her university classroom. Shortly after, she was diagnosed as having schizophrenia, anxiety, and auditory hallucinations. Laura chose to come to therapy at this time because she would like to get her life back on track. She would like to reconnect with her family and show her son that doing drugs is not a good way to live. Laura has been clean now for eight months. Laura’s current coping mechanism for her diagnosed symptoms is to lock herself away at home so that she does not expose the community to her mental disorders.
Laura Parker is a forty-five year old female who lives in Lacey, WA. She is single and a mother to a grown son. Laura is a recovering drug addict; she has been clean now for eight months. She has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, anxiety, and experiences constant auditory hallucinations. These auditory hallucinations tell her to do cruel things to herself and others. A majority of the acts she is being told to do by the voices are illegal. When the voices are overpowering, Laura cannot say no to them. Laura has minimal job experience, and upon high school completion she went straight to college with the goal to become a lawyer. She worked sporadically while she went to community college, however, when she went …show more content…
to a University she stopped working. Laura stopped working to allow herself time to focus on her studies. Laura does not have a degree, however, she has gone to a community college and a University. Laura attended Portland Community college followed by Portland State University (PSU). While attending PSU Laura had her first schizophrenic episode. In this episode, she ran out of her class screaming, and has never gone back. Laura now expresses interest in wanting to go into counseling for Drug and Alcohol addiction.
Identification of Issues/Problems
Laura began blackout drinking at the age of eight to escape the emotional, sexual, and physical abuse she was enduring from her step father.
Laura wants to show her family that she has changed, lead by example for her son, and manage her symptoms of anxiety and schizophrenia. Laura wants to manage her symptoms for herself, her family, and her future career. However, Laura is frightened that she is going to fail. Frightened that she is going to return to her old habits. She is terrified that her schizophrenia and anxiety is going to control her, and that she will be exposing other people to her diagnoses. Laura states, “I just want to be normal.” Laura has also expressed wanting to reconnect with her …show more content…
family.
Laura has two siblings, one brother and one sister, neither of which she has contact with currently, though she would like to. Her brother is younger by six years, her sister is older than her by eight years.
Rationale for Choice of Theories
Theory One- Adlerian Therapy
The initial theory that my client could benefit from would be Adlerian theory. The client has had a significant amount of trauma before the age of ten. Analyzing the client’s early life more closely could give better clues as to what led her to become addicted to drugs and alcohol at an early age. By analyzing what led to the addiction originally the counselor can address what feelings led to these problem behaviors. By addressing what caused the problem behavior the therapist and client can explore what they could do to help move forward and cope with the trauma that happened as a child. Her childhood trauma is at the root of her problem behavior and in turn her diagnoses of anxiety, schizophrenia and auditory hallucinations.
Alfred Adler emphasized that the individual's current interpretations of early childhood events continue to influence their current behavior (Corey, 2017). This psychodynamic approach to therapy proposes that Laura’s reasoning for turning to drugs and alcohol was due to the experiences she had as a child. According to Adlerian theory our past is important in shaping us, but it is not as important as where we are aiming to go (Corey, 2017) The way that Laura interpreted these events as a child caused her to drink, do drugs, and ultimately land herself in jail several times. When she was being abused as a child, she states that she did not want to live, and that there was no hope for her. These feelings of inferiority led her to drink and later begin drugs. Her drinking also allowed her to escape the horrors as a child. The meanings she associated with the experiences at the time caused Laura to create a downward spiral (Corey, 2017). The things individuals do, they do so with a goal in mind (Corey, 2017). When Laura drank she did so with the intent of escaping. When she began drugs she began with the intention of ending her life. It was from that point that she became addicted to the feeling the drugs gave her, and her ability to escape her reality. Laura fictionally finalizes becoming a drug and alcohol counselor. Laura uses this as motivation to obtain her goal. Striving for superiority is at the center of Adlerian theory, and striving for superiority means that the individual moves towards a perceived positive position in relation to where they are currently (Corey, 2017). Laura shows her strive for superiority by making strides to become a counselor and help individuals undergoing addiction as she had.
Laura viewed her mother and sister as contributing factors in why she was sexually and physically abused.
It was not the abuse itself that lead to her drinking, but the faulty thinking that the drinking would withdraw her from the situation (Corey, 2017) The three life tasks include, social task, love-marriage task, and the occupation task (Corey, 2017). Laura has never been married and states that she never desires to be married. She does however desire to find and maintain friendships within her family and the community. This desire would fulfill the social task. Laura is currently seeing a Vocational Rehabilitation counselor to work towards her intended occupational goal. When Laura obtains this goal it is perceived that she will have fulfilled the occupational task where she feels as though she is making a difference in the community. Impairment to any of the life tasks is an indicator of a psychological disorder. This could mean that Laura’s Schizophrenia, anxiety and auditory hallucinations could be contributing factors to her lack of the love-marriage task. Laura is struggling in two out of the three life tasks, and states that she has no desire to fulfill the love marriage task. Adler states that often when individuals seek therapy, it is “because they are struggling unsuccessfully to meet one or more of these life tasks.” (Corey, 2017, p. 101). Adler poses the question what an individual would do if they were well. The client would state that she would have her
family back in her life and she would be in her counseling career. Laura states that she would not be in the position she was in if she did not have her schizophrenia, anxiety and auditory hallucinations. Her family would be in her life and she would have already finished school and probably be a lawyer at this point. Instead she is seeking vocational Rehabilitation services after recovering from drugs and learning to cope with her disorders.
Phase 1: Establish the relationship.
Therapeutic progress is possible when the therapist and client are clear on what the ends goals are (Corey, 2017). Laura has been clear from the first session that she has three primary goals; minimizing the symptoms of her schizophrenia, anxiety and auditory hallucinations, reestablish a relationship with her mother, sister, and brother, and to work towards becoming a counselor. To be successful in the counseling process the client needs to be able to identify that their issues are significant and be willing to examine these issues and change the behavior if they are serious about obtaining their goal (Corey, 2017). The client recognizes her problems as significant barriers to her accomplishing her perceived goals. The counselor would like to explore these goals with Laura and collaborate on a plan to suppress her symptoms and obtain her goals. The counselor recognizes that the client is more important than the problems perceived and makes sure to build rapport with the client before addressing problems. The therapist would like to address the client’s strengths before addressing her problems. It is imperative that the client knows and understands their strengths to be able to confront their problems and reach goals.
Phase 2: Assessing the individual’s psychological dynamics.
The second phase focuses on understanding the individual’s lifestyle more thoroughly (Corey, 2017). During the subjective interview, the client states, “If I did not have schizophrenia, anxiety and auditory hallucinations, I would still have my family in my life, I would be able to go outside and be around people. I would be able to be normal.” The counselor continues to ask questions and empathize with the client to be able to help Laura more fully tell her life story.
In the objective interview, the therapist learned several things about Laura and the way she perceives her life. According to Laura, the problems in her life began when she was being sexual and physically abused as a child, and from there she drank and did drugs. After drinking and doing drugs for many years, she had her first schizophrenic break in her university classroom. Shortly after, she was diagnosed as having schizophrenia, anxiety, and auditory hallucinations. Laura chose to come to therapy at this time because she would like to get her life back on track. She would like to reconnect with her family and show her son that doing drugs is not a good way to live. Laura has been clean now for eight months. Laura’s current coping mechanism for her diagnosed symptoms is to lock herself away at home so that she does not expose the community to her mental disorders.