Analysis of Trauma Case - Assignment Example

Trauma case Study: Maryam case Crisis intervention and trauma management have revolutionized the field of counseling. The two elements have also complicated the field of counseling considering the numerous processes and activities that counselors need to undertake when treating traumatize individuals who just experienced crises. Counseling in crisis setup is dynamic and lacks specific approach strategies of techniques. Usually, counselors decide on the relevant strategies after understanding, analyzing and assessing the presenting conditions that necessitate professional intervention. Strategies and approaches that can work in the case of Maryam have to be different from the conventional ones but are products of manipulation of the standard crisis intervention frameworks. It is usually important for counselors to assess presenting conditions as well as history before beginning treatment. Assessment provides a broad view and understanding of clients’ conditions as well as identification of missing but necessary resources for effective counseling. In the case of Maryam, one of the counselor’s assessment issues should be safety. Jackson-Cherry and Erford (2014) remind that effective counseling can only take place in a safe surrounding where all participants feel comfortable and protected. Jackson-Cherry and Erford (2014) recommend that counselors should always prioritize their safety by doing self-assessment. Counselors need to ensure effective emotional control to avert possibility of burnouts and compassion fatigue that may render counseling ineffective. Counselors should ensure that their mental ability is stable to endure counseling if situation prove tougher than initially anticipated. Assessment steps should also include inquiring about history of trauma in the life of Maryam and any attempted efforts towards resolution of the problems faced. Besides the safety of counselors, clients’ safety is also paramount and important responsibility of a counselor. Joiner et al. (2009) emphasize that assessment of client safety needs to involve investigation of mental condition of the given client. General body health of Maryam should also form an important part of assessment that counselor should perform. This ensures conformance to the Maslow’s hierarchy of need that disputes counseling of clients with physical health problems without efforts to relieve such conditions (APA). The condition that Maryam is subject to constitutes a crisis and requires crisis intervention process to restore stability. As defined by Jackson-Cherry and Erford (2014), crisis conditions relate to situations of disequilibrium caused by failure of conventional efforts and strategies to overcome otherwise difficult situations. Maryam has tried to cope up with the accident that preceded the crisis and leading to injury of her passengers, but things are not working as desired after two months of tragedy. Maryam also exhibits symptoms of trauma that contribute to and worsen the disequilibrium experienced. Anxiety, lack of sleep, escalated fear when driving, lack of concentration, missing classes and social withdrawal confirm the trauma and disequilibrium that Maryam faces (Callahan, 2007). Since Maryam is well despite having involved in an accident, physical health checkup cannot be the immediate step towards treatment. From the assessment and critical analysis of the condition, the immediate therapy is to advice Maryam to stop driving for some moments. This will help suppress the fearful feelings that disorient and destabilize everything in her (APA). The counselor can request that one of the siblings of Maryam to be driving her around. Alternatively, and depending on the financial ability, the family of Maryam can recruit a temporary driver as she continues to recover from condition. One of the interventions towards treating Maryam is to gather resources, which in this case may be a driver to be driving the girl. This will help tackle the incessant fear of driving that only work to escalate emotions and worsen depression and trauma. The next intervention is to listen to the client with sympathy as an assurance of interest and willingness to help out of a given problem. Assessment and critical analysis of the conditions and symptoms exhibited by Maryam as presented in the case leads one to diagnose Acute Stress Disorder (ASD) as the contemporary condition causing disequilibrium. The reason for the diagnosis relates to the understanding that Maryam began using alcohol and related substances, experiencing sleeplessness, nausea and anxiety before the actual trauma (Jackson-Cherry & Erford, 2014). Trauma later manifested through inability to concentrate in class, fear to drive on the road, palpitations and suicidal thoughts and intentions. Counseling standards and ethics gives counselors an obligation to decide the kind of people to include in the treatment of clients. The decision to include what kind of people in the treatment is usually appropriate if determined to have the ability to improve quality of treatment. In the case of Maryam, the counselor should inform the family members. Doing so will enable cooperative support from both the counselor and the family, which will enable quicker recovery and stability (Joiner et al., 2009). Informing the family about Maryam’s condition will ensure diligent handling of the client as well as understanding of her behaviors to avoid unnecessary criticisms and isolation. The situation present in the case study is just a normal and expected psychological and counseling challenge that is resolvable through counseling skills gained through training. However, some situations occur that surpass the basic knowledge gained through training and require high innovativeness and creativity. In that case, a counselor one should not fear handling Maryam’s case for it also gives exposure to the real world challenge and prepares a beginning counselor for even more challenging situations (Jaffe & Diamond, 2011) In counseling, resources already gathered at the beginning of the process may never be enough to warrant a successful treatment. It is then possible and advisable that counselors search for any additional resources necessary for resolving or encountering and developing challenges. In the case of Maryam, a counselor can request for colleague support in the form of supervision and probably a driver to be driving the client during the treatment process to enable monitoring of response to treatment (Jackson-Cherry, 2014). For a counselor, personal safety is a priority and essential to achieve effective treatment outcomes. One of the steps towards ensuring self-care is subjecting the client to thorough mental check up to ensure absence of conditions that can lead to aggression and injuries (Callahan, 2007). Another step is to evaluate personal emotions to ensure absence of feelings that lead to excess sympathy and result to compromised treatment process. References American Psychiatric Association. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition., DSM 5. Callahan, J. (2009). Emergency intervention and crisis intervention. In P. M. Kleespies (Ed.) , Behavioral emergencies: An evidence-based resource for evaluating and managing risk of suicide, violence, and victimization (pp. 13-32). American Psychological Association. doi:10.1037/11865-001 Jackson-Cherry, L. & Erford, B. (2014). Crisis Assessment, Intervention, and Prevention. 2nd Ed. Upper Saddle River; NJ: Pearson Education Inc. Jaffe, J., & Diamond, M. O. (2011). Techniques of assessment and treatment. In , Reproductive trauma: Psychotherapy with infertility and pregnancy loss clients (pp. 71-90). American Psychological Association. doi:10.1037/12347-004 Joiner, T. r., Orden, K., Witte, T. K., & Rudd, M. (2009). Crisis intervention. In , The interpersonal theory of suicide: Guidance for working with suicidal clients (pp. 83-107). American Psychological Association. doi:10.1037/11869-003 Read More