Week 4 Discussion 2
A 13 year old female (we will call her Eve) has come to me in crisis. Eve was just rescued from her “owner” of 10 years. She doesn’t remember her family, the only life she knows is that of doing what her “dad” tells her to do which involves “dates” with several men a day for as long as she can remember. She has no family support (it was discovered that her mother sold her to the man when she was 3 years old), she’s scared because she doesn’t want to get into trouble by her “dad,” and she doesn’t know what to do with the kindness she has been shown. She appears more scared of what will happen if her “dad” finds her, than concern about her health (badly beaten, scarred, cut, and emotionally stunted) or seeing anything good of her “rescue.” She is screaming, throwing things, striking out at people in the safe house, and completely inconsolable.
I do have a benefit in this situation as I already have some preliminary reports that I can go over about Eve. I have police reports and the reports of the volunteers who rescued her about her living conditions, and some undercover information about how long she’s been there and how she got there. I do not know her real name, she only guesses that she is 13 years old because that is what she has been told, and I do not know her family history.
I would greet her and ask her if she would like to sit down. It’s up to her on whether she wants to sit in a chair, on the floor, or stand. I would then introduce myself to her and ask her if she knows why I am there. Going from her responses (both verbally and peripherally), I would discuss different things that she was able to do. I would explain the situation with her “dad,” and then gauge her response to rescue. Discussion programs, options, and other services available to help her acclimate and possibly recover would be done in the first session. Answers to her questions would also follow and the session would not end until she was calm and at least marginally receptive to the idea that I was there to help. I would discuss different therapies that she might want to look into, and let her know that she was not alone. I would discuss with her what to expect from some of her options, and ask her what direction she saw herself going. I would apply an empathetic but firm hold on the direction of the counseling. All of these steps coincide with Conner’s eight elements
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Hi Erica
Nice post! Very interesting topic. I like how you start your session by monitoring her body language and tone (McCarthy, & Archer, 2013). Gauging if she is open and ready for a therapeutic relationship is depending on these. What type of therapy would you use to treat your client based on the information you have? Do you feel that you would try to build a therapeutic relationship with her or give her her treatment options? I believe it is important to share your perception on what has happened but not until the client and I have talked about her view of her situation. I would like to know what she thinks and what she would like to see happen from this point on. I like that you tell her that she is not alone. Support of any kind is a start to showing her techniques to build a foundation for support is essential to her progression (McCarthy et al., 2013). Assisting her with basic life necessities such as shelter, food, and stability will go a long way in building trust. Reference |
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