Introduction
One of the most important steps in the counseling process is the initial engagement. In meeting with a new client for the first time, a therapist is able to gather information and obtain an understanding of the client’s life and his or her story by listening to what the client communicates. Throughout this paper, this writer will discuss details of the case vignette of Hector, a 35-year-old Hispanic male, who was involved in a serious automobile accident 5 months ago.
Issues/Feelings/Behaviors
With Hector’s accident, there are many issues that Hector is addressing. One of the primary issues is that Hector’s leg and hip suffered permanent damage, leaving him with a limp and causing him to have to use a cane. Hector also has limited …show more content…
In the Hispanic culture, males are typically seen as the “breadwinner” and provide for the family. Since Hector is unable to provide for his family at this time due to his injury, this further impacts Hector’s feeling of being useless and feeling like a failure. Angel and Angel (2009) discuss that the idealized traditional Hispanic family view is still that the male partner is to serve as the primary or sole breadwinner, while the wife remains at home (Angel and Angel, 2009). Hector identifies that he is the man in the family, and that he should be strong and support them. Hector also identifies that he doesn’t want his wife to work. Hector may be feeling guilt in that he is not able to be the breadwinner that his Hispanic culture expects him to …show more content…
Hector’s feelings of depression, anger, shame, and isolation would be important themes to process through. Other important issue to address would be Hector’s identity. Since Hector strongly identified with his construction background, he feels that he has no use, and cannot provide for his family any longer. Addressing this would be an important step in helping Hector adjust. The stages of problem management that a therapist working with Hector on would be setting goals, developing alternatives, and moving toward action. In the goal setting stage, this would look like developing goals that Hector has, such as finding motivation to search for a job and working on his anger, and then identifying possible outcomes. Stage three, developing alternatives, would look like identifying possibilities, and exploring what it would take for Hector to get there. Lastly, step four of moving toward action, would be the therapist working with Hector to develop an action plan and how he would make
One of the most important steps in the counseling process is the initial engagement. In meeting with a new client for the first time, a therapist is able to gather information and obtain an understanding of the client’s life and his or her story by listening to what the client communicates. Throughout this paper, this writer will discuss details of the case vignette of Hector, a 35-year-old Hispanic male, who was involved in a serious automobile accident 5 months ago.
Issues/Feelings/Behaviors
With Hector’s accident, there are many issues that Hector is addressing. One of the primary issues is that Hector’s leg and hip suffered permanent damage, leaving him with a limp and causing him to have to use a cane. Hector also has limited …show more content…
In the Hispanic culture, males are typically seen as the “breadwinner” and provide for the family. Since Hector is unable to provide for his family at this time due to his injury, this further impacts Hector’s feeling of being useless and feeling like a failure. Angel and Angel (2009) discuss that the idealized traditional Hispanic family view is still that the male partner is to serve as the primary or sole breadwinner, while the wife remains at home (Angel and Angel, 2009). Hector identifies that he is the man in the family, and that he should be strong and support them. Hector also identifies that he doesn’t want his wife to work. Hector may be feeling guilt in that he is not able to be the breadwinner that his Hispanic culture expects him to …show more content…
Hector’s feelings of depression, anger, shame, and isolation would be important themes to process through. Other important issue to address would be Hector’s identity. Since Hector strongly identified with his construction background, he feels that he has no use, and cannot provide for his family any longer. Addressing this would be an important step in helping Hector adjust. The stages of problem management that a therapist working with Hector on would be setting goals, developing alternatives, and moving toward action. In the goal setting stage, this would look like developing goals that Hector has, such as finding motivation to search for a job and working on his anger, and then identifying possible outcomes. Stage three, developing alternatives, would look like identifying possibilities, and exploring what it would take for Hector to get there. Lastly, step four of moving toward action, would be the therapist working with Hector to develop an action plan and how he would make