client named Clarita. The authors of Chapters 2 through 17 followed the outline below as they discuss each theory in relation to the case study of Clarita.
1 BackgroundThis section includes historical information related to the development of the theoretical system and the individual(s) responsible for its development.
2 Human Nature: A Developmental Perspective (primary)This section discusses how the theory defines an individual’s developmental process over time.
3 Major ConstructsThis section includes the structural components of the theory.
4 ApplicationsThis section includes the following secondary areas:Overview: An introduction to the five areas that follow.Goals of counseling and psychotherapy: A description of desired client outcomes based on the tenets of the theory.The process of change: The factors within the theory that address what brings about change in the individual.Techniques and interventions: Techniques for implementing the process of change. The chapter authors name and describe five to six specific traditional and current techniques and interventions.Brief intervention strategies: Techniques and interventions for implementing the process of change using a brief approach.Clients with serious mental health issues: A discussion of how the theory applies to counseling clients with mental disorders. The chapter authors delineate and discuss what types of mental disorders can be successfully “treated” using this theoretical approach.
5 Supporting Research and LimitationsThis section includes the following secondary areas:Overview: An introduction to the two areas that follow.Supporting research: Current research studies that form the bases for continued use of this theoretical system.Limitations: A description of the factors that limit the use of this theoretical system with clients and types of presenting problems.
6 The Case of Clarita: ApproachThis section includes a case study writeup consistent with the theory and emphasizes the goals and interventions/techniques that will be used when counseling Clarita. The goals and interventions/techniques should be directly connected to the theory being used for the case study.
THE CASE OF CLARITA
Client Demographics
The client, Clarita, is a 32-year-old Latinx woman. She is the oldest of five children and was raised in a predominantly Latinx neighborhood in Puerto Rico. She attended Catholic schools, and her religion is a very significant part of her life. She is a single parent raising two children, a 6-year-old son and an 8-year-old daughter. She is bilingual, graduated from college with honors, has a degree in education, and for the past 4 years has taught middle school math and science. She and her husband of 5 years divorced 3 years ago. Recently, Clarita was forced to move from Puerto Rico to Florida as a result of a Category 5 hurricane, which devastated the island. Although she jokes about being a “climate refugee,” she believes it is true and is not sure whether she will be able to move back home anytime soon. She receives no financial assistance from her ex-husband, and the only knowledge the children have of their father is through communication with their paternal grandparents.
Presenting Problems
Clarita arrived 15 minutes early for her initial appointment. She related easily and expressed herself well, but her body appeared tense and her voice was strained. She expressed appreciation for getting an early appointment because she felt that she could not have waited much longer. She had been referred to the mental health agency by her physician because of insomnia and frequent unexplained crying spells. During the intake process, Clarita stated that she is depressed, unable to sleep because of reoccurring nightmares, not eating, losing control of her two children, and having difficulty missing and dealing with distant family members, who are now scattered as a result of the hurricane destruction. She said that she has thought about suicide but stops because of the guilt she feels about abandoning her children and the tenets of her religion. She has difficulty concentrating, and this is affecting her teaching. Clarita has been absent frequently from work, and her principal is recommending that she takes a leave of absence, which is causing her great stress because she needs the income to support her children. Luckily, she found a new teaching position to apply for, but if she leaves her teaching position, she would be forced to uproot to yet another place. Clarita is unable to maintain meaningful relationships and, when asked to describe herself, she used terms such as insecure, frightened, distrustful of self and others, lonely, and lacking hope.
Family Background
From information gathered during the intake process, Clarita described her family of origin as very close knit, held together by both cultural and religious values. She was raised to be proud of her Latinx heritage, her language, and her culture’s traditions. She has three younger brothers and one younger sister, all of whom looked to her for advice and support. Education was emphasized in her home, and her academic success was the center of much family pride. She was touted as a model to her siblings and was expected to perform in an exemplary way not only in school but also in other aspects of her life.
Clarita’s parents were self-educated and operated a small business near their home. Because the business demanded a large time commitment from both parents, Clarita often found herself, during adolescence, taking care of both the house and her younger siblings. Most of the family activities centered around their local parish and the activities generated in the community. Clarita’s social life was very much tied to her immediate family and contacts she made at either the Catholic school or the church youth groups. She was encouraged to bring her friends to her home and to date young men within the community. Cultural pride, religion, and the parameters of the local community had an impact on much of her formative development.
Early Adult Years
Clarita’s first true exposure to other cultures came after she left home to attend a university in the U.S. mainland. She had received scholarship offers from three universities, and although her parents wanted her to stay at home and attend the local university, she decided to attend a university located away from Puerto Rico. Her decision caused conflict within her family, and she reported that it placed a good deal of strain on her relationships with both parents. Her sister supported her actions, but her brothers felt that she was abandoning the family.
Clarita was very successful at the university, and it was there that she met and later married the first person she had dated outside of her religion and culture. Mark was a European American engineering student and seemed to have no specific religious affiliation. It was not until their graduation that Clarita introduced Mark to her family and at the same time announced their plans to be married.
Clarita’s family, with the exception of her sister, was very opposed to the marriage and made their opposition known to both Clarita and Mark. And they also faced opposition from his parents. To avoid further confrontations, Clarita and Mark eloped and were married by a justice of the peace in Florida.
After their marriage, they settled in Puerto Rico, secured jobs, and began to build a life together, even though Mark wanted to live near his family in southern Georgia and had a hard time fitting in. It was not until after their first child was born that they tried to improve relationships with both families. By the time their second child was born, Clarita’s family members were much more involved with their children; they were less close to Mark’s family because of the distance, but they still called his parents monthly.
The second child put a strain on the marriage, and within 2 years, Clarita and Mark separated and later divorced. Mark left Puerto Rico and has had no contact with Clarita or his children. Shortly thereafter, the devastation left by the hurricane uprooted Clarita from her home and family. Mark’s parents do continue to have contact with their grandchildren.
Postdivorce Years
It was 3 years after the divorce that Clarita was finally able to discuss the