Directions: Using Hepworth Chapter 5 as a reference, read the posted case scenarios in this module. Write a one- to two-sentence response to each of the 10 scenarios. Your responses are to be quotes of what you would actually say to convey empathy and authenticity to the clients’ situations. Submit these typed responses with each response numbered to provide the reader with a link to the original scenario.
Write responses you might say to each client in a word document, carefully labeled with each case number and client name. Be sure to write higher level empathy responses which convey authentic interest in helping the client with their presenting concern.
Cindy is a 14 y.o. female whose step father kicked her out of the house last night. Her mother did not stick up for her when he accused Cindy of stealing cash. She describes to you, a crisis hotline worker, how she spent the night at a friend’s house. It has been 12 hours and she has not heard from either her mother or her step-father.
Rachel is a 30 y.o. female whose spouse has has died during deployment in Afghanistan. The funeral was a month ago and she describes to you how she is experiencing difficulty with her temper at work and at home, lashing out over ordinary things. She has difficulty sleeping and has a diminished appetite. You are the social worker at the VA hospital, you facilitate a bereavement group and are screening Lori for potential participation in the group.
Robert is a 16 y.o. LGBT client who is has not come out to his family or friends. Friends are teasing about his lack of dating experience with the opposite sex, as many of them are dating and becoming sexually active. His parents have expressed agreement with religious beliefs that do not tolerate homosexuality. He states in an early session with you that he does not wish to make his sexual orientation known to your family or friends at this time.
Andrea is a 20 y.o. college student who just found out her roommate and her recent ex- significant other have started dating each other. She tells you that she suspect they began their relationship while she was still with the ex. Andrea is not attending classes, not staying in her dorm room, and is not telling her parents about this disruption in her life. She is now seeing you at the college counseling center after her resident assistant’s suggestion she find some help.
Michael is a 30 y.o. who has been referred for counseling by the employee assistance program at his job due to coming to work with alcohol on his breath and displaying erratic behavior with customers. He is certain that this referral is unnecessary despite being told he could lose your job if he did not correct his behavior. You are conducting his intake as a counselor for the employee assistance program.
Carl is a 10 y.o. who has been bullied by other students on the bus to school. The mistreatment ranged from verbal teasing to items taken from his backpack and tripping him when he attempts to get off of the bus. His teacher alerts you, the school social worker, to the fact that almost every day as he arrives at school he needs to sit in the nurse’s office until he feels ready to go to his classroom.
Carol is a 28 y.o. whose spouse has been yelling and shouting at her when the spouse drinks too much alcohol (every Friday and Saturday night for the last 5 months). Her parents have histories of alcohol abuse which negatively impacted her childhood and adulthood. You are a crisis hotline worker, and she calls asking for information about Al-Anon meetings in the area as attending Al-Anon meetings in college was helpful to her.
Calvin is a 70 y.o. widower whose adult children live in another state. He has recently had health problems keeping him from being able to travel to visit them. Their visits and calls to him are less frequent than he would prefer. You are a medical social worker at a health clinic where Calvin goes for his medical care. His physician noticed a change in his affect and suggested that he talk with you. He explains his recent history to you in this brief meeting.
Anna is a 30 y.o. in a same-sex relationship with a partner who has recently come out to their family. When she visit with her partner’s family, she is not included in family photos or discussions. Her partner often minimizes your concerns when she discusses the family issue openly. Anna is seeking support from you, a social worker at the community center where her LGBT service group meets each month.
Taylor is a 14 y.o. high school student referred for counseling for cutting (self injury). Her parents yelled at her when they found out and threatened to send her to boarding school if she doesn’t stop with “the dramatics”. You are a social worker at her high school and meet with her after she was found ditching class and isolating herself in a library study room.
