Mary lives over an hour from the school of social work. She is extremely busy between working part-time, taking classes, going to field work, and being a mother (she has two children) and wife. Mary has found it difficult to exercise and often cuts corners on eating and sleeping in a healthful manner. A typical day for Mary begins with coffee and a donut, and getting her kids ready before she leaves for work or school. Two days a week when her husband can’t do it she is also responsible for seeing the kids off at the school bus. From the time she arrives at work, Mary is extremely busy, often not having time for lunch and just having coffee and eating a candy bar or sandwich quickly. It seems that no matter how diligently she works there is always more to be done. Mary is responsible and feels pressure to maintain that image at work and at home. She often is tense and frequently frustrated when all her expectations and responsibilities are not done to her standards. Whenever she notes a mistake or job she couldn’t get to, she feels a surge of anxiety. She worries that her fellow workers will think she is irresponsible if her performance doesn’t measure up. She knows that she is a hardworking and responsible employee but it is hard to keep that in perspective. She used to enjoy exercise and is aware of its benefits, but hasn’t made it a high priority in her life. By the time she gets home, Mary often feels tired and overwhelmed. She does a few chores around the house or goes shopping for necessities, but somehow she never seems to catch up. Occasionally, she spends time in the evening with family or friends but this is rare, and more often than not she collapses in front of the TV for a little while before bedtime and after doing homework. She feels guilty about how messy her house is, but resents spending her few hours of free time on domestic chores. Mary is beginning to feel more and more over-extended and overwhelmed by her out of control schedule. She is also becoming resentful of her husband, which she knows is not right because he works so hard, but she doesn’t know what she can do to correct this state of affairs.
Please respond to the following questions:
Briefly describe the client’s situation and problem(s) identified.
What method or approach would you utilize to help support this client?
Identify possible goals that you and this client might develop together to address her concerns.
Would it be appropriate to do individual work with this client? Please provide an explanation for your response.
Would it be feasible for this client to engage in groups initially or at a later time? Please provide an explanation for your response.
If groups are feasible, what type of group might best address her concerns and provide support needed?
