Assignment task:
You are a licensed mental health counselor working in a private practice setting. During the initial counseling session, Barbara, a 35-year-old divorced female, mother of two children aged 10 and 12, says she has come for services because "I am in a rut and cannot find a way out. I feel hopeless and I am not sure what to do with my life."
Your client says the feelings of hopelessness began 6 months ago and the session with you is her first attempt at counseling. She is currently unemployed but previously worked from home doing billing for a major insurance carrier. The client appears tearful and expresses that she has felt like a failure since moving back in with her mother a year ago. The client reports feeling sad and anxious since her divorce from her husband 3 years ago. "He left me for a younger woman. I don't know how I will make it without a spouse." She feels sad, empty, and lonely most days, disclosing, "I wake up feeling sad. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed something."
Your client reports her appetite has increased; she snacks throughout the day and has gained 15 pounds in the past 3 months. Your client reports that for the past 6 months she has been sleeping a couple of hours more than usual Your client reports that she used to create jewelry for fun and to supplement her income. However, she stopped making craft jewelry and closed her online shop about 4 months ago because of fatigue and an inability to concentrate. "After dealing with the kids, I just want to eat and go to bed."
Please offer your own comprehensive diagnostic assessment for the client in the case study. Include any behavioral, emotional, psychological, social and cognitive risk factors/symptomatology and duration. Also, include protective/strength factors in the case study.
Provide a comprehensive diagnosis based on the information documented in your assessment.
Differential diagnosis is the process of weighing the probability of one disorder versus that of other disorders possibly accounting for a client's illness. For this case study, what other diagnoses did you consider and why did you rule them out to provide the comprehensive diagnosis above?
Using the client's risk and protective factors, identify three main goals of a treatment plan including the best practice approach or evidence-based treatment for this client.
Discuss the sociocultural issues that influence your assessment and treatment of this case.