Case Presentation Form Assignment DIRECTIONS: Each counseling intern will present a videotape of an individual and/or group counseling
session. The videotaped counseling session needs to show both the counselor and the client. For the presentation, you will prepare a document with copies for each class member. Include ALL of the following 8 items in your write-up: 1. 2. Counseling interns name: Sara McManus Client/Student: Client is a black female in the 10th grade (9th by credits). Her family is lower socioeconomic status and all children attending school are on free/reduced lunch. She is heterosexual, non-religious, and lives at home with her two brothers, step-sister, stepmom, father, and newly born little sister. Her large, extended family is a big part of her life. She does not currently speak to her birth mother. Date session occurred; session number; length of session Tuesday, April 2nd, thirteenth session, 28 minutes, (0:00- 20:00; 19:40-26:00)
3. 4.
Use S.O.A.P. (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan) notes to capture the clients presenting issue. Subjective: The issue as presented by the client is an amalgamation of her grades and what is going on for her at home. The frequent pattern of our sessions together is that we look in on her grades, talk about support and goals, and then gradually transition into what is going on for her at home. Alex has frequently discussed topics like lack of motivation, her moms alcoholism, deaths in her family, self-harm, her relationship with her paternal grandmother, and relationships with boys. Objective: Client usually presents on a scale from downbeat to slightly more upbeat; meaning her mood is always pretty down/mellow. She has expressed a lot of sadness in my office and usually focuses in on the things that are not going too well if given a chance. This week she is a little more positive about her grades and her home. It helps when I start out by talking about something positive that is happening for her at school; this often helps Client talk about her own strengths. Assessment: Client has an SST on the books for May and also had an SST/assessment last year. She did not qualify for services based on testing with the school psych. Her step-mom thinks that her lack of motivation comes from living with her mom who was an alcoholic and supposedly used to do Clients work for her. Client has issues with anxiety and depression that lead her to think about self-harm as a way to control her emotions. She has experienced a great deal of loss in her short life and cannot get a lot of positive attention in her home, being one of the oldest of five children with a newborn in the house. Plan: The client and I meet every other week. I set her up with a tutor who works with her on Biology after school. She goes to her English teachers class on Thursday and Friday during tutorial. We have an SST scheduled for May, but I am not sure what the outcome should be as she does not qualify for services. 6. What multicultural factors influence the client-counselor relationship? How might cultural factors influence the clients presenting concerns? The client is an African-American female. This could be a barrier if she sees me as a part of the system she feels oppressed by. She is one of the oldest children in her family which is something I relate to. The client comes from a family without a great deal of economic stability; there are living at the poverty level. If she feels any shame about this she may withhold certain information. 7. What counseling theories are you using in this session and what evidence do you have to support this? Narrative I focus on her strength stories and I try to help her identify exceptions to the narrative of
failure that she tends to focus on in my office. Person-centered This student experiences unconditional positive regard and acceptance in my office; she can be her genuine self. Solution-focused I use the tools that I have to connect the client with communities at school that support her academic and social needs. I have scheduled her for an SST. 8. List three things that you did well in the session with the client. List three things that you can improve on in your session with the client. Did well: I have a good rapport with this student; she feels unconditional positive regard; I point out the exceptions to her failure story by helping her focus on what she has had to overcome in the last two years instead of her credit-deficient status; I help her identify and reframe strengths of her story so she can build resiliency. Improvement: I sometimes put words in her mouth instead of using the silence; I dont go too deep with the feelings during this session; I need to figure out what I want for the outcome of the SST.
9. Using the ACA Advocacy Competencies, address each of the following questions: Client/Student Level: I have worked to normalize the issues the client struggles with academically, socially, and emotionally. I have helped the client practice speaking with teachers. I have connected the client with a tutor through the National Honors Society. I have communicated with the clients teachers and set-up an SST meeting to be help in May. School/Community Level: I have communicated with the clients teachers and set-up an SST meeting to be help in May. I have called home to talk to parents about students process. Public Arena Level: I have actively communicated concerning data about students of color at school and disconnectedness. I have compiled data around students of color, disconnectedness, and achievement to be presented to BLT or Site Council in June.
