Case Study
Patient Demographic: Name: Tabitha Clinical Issues: Family conflict and pregnancy Diagnostic Category: V-codes Provisional Diagnosis: Z71.9 Other Counseling or Consultation Age: 16 Sex Assigned at Birth: Female Gender and Sexual Orientation: Female, Heterosexual Ethnicity: Latina Marital Status: Not Married Modality: Individual Therapy Location of Therapy : School  
Mental Status Exam: The client appears healthy but tired and distracted. She is dressed in loose-fitting clothing and sits with her hands between her knees. Eye contact is minimal. Speech volume is low. She is reluctant to talk at first and denies having a problem. Thought processes are logical, and her thoughts are appropriate to the discussion. The client's estimated level of intelligence is within average range. She appears to have difficulty maintaining concentration and occasionally asks you to repeat your questions. The client denies suicidal ideation but states that she has been considering abortion. She has not acted on anything but is feeling very overwhelmed and desperate.
Presenting Problem: First session You are a school counselor in an urban school setting. The client is a 16-year-old student who is reluctant to see you. The session begins with a discussion of the teacher's concerns and your role as a school therapist. After some gentle probing and reassurance, the client is able to open up more and discuss her difficult relationship with her father. She identifies feeling overwhelmed and frustrated by his expectations, which leads to frequent arguments between them. She appears tired and has trouble sleeping at home because her parents constantly argue. She suggests that her parents "are the ones who need therapy, not me." She briefly describes the arguments that she claims her parents get into regularly. "They are always going at it, unless thay are at church. Then they act like everything is perfect."    When you ask about her friends and activities, she tells you she is involved in her church youth group and has an on-again/off-again boyfriend. You ask the client, "Can you tell me more about your relationship with your boyfriend? How long have you been together?" She says that they have been seeing each other for about a year, and she thought he was 'the one', but they had a "big fight" last week and have not talked since. You ask what she means by 'the one'. She looks down at the floor and starts to bite her fingernails. You see a tear fall down her cheek. She says, "I don't know what to do." You continue the session by providing a safe space for her to express and explore her feelings about her relationship with her boyfriend. She takes a deep breath and tells you that there is something she has not told anyone and she is scared that if she says it out loud that "it will make it too real." You tell her to take her time and that you are here to listen without judgment. She tells you that she missed her last menstrual period, and several "in-home" tests confirm that she is pregnant. She has not told her boyfriend and is scared to tell her parents because she is afraid they will disown her, so she has decided to keep the pregnancy a secret.    While you are tempted to try to talk the client into telling her parents and boyfriend about her pregnancy, you recognize that it is important to respect her autonomy and allow her to make the best decision for herself. You provide her with accurate information about the options available to her and encourage her to explore the pros and cons of each option. You share that having a support system and someone to talk to during this time can be helpful. She nods her head and tells you that she knows that her parents will find out about the baby eventually, whether she tells them or not, but she is anxious about how they will react to the news. You listen and provide empathetic reflections to help her gain insight into her feelings. You then focus on helping the client develop effective coping strategies for managing her stress and anxiety about the situation. You let the client know that she can come back to see you at any time if she feels overwhelmed or needs additional support. The session concludes with an understanding of what to expect in future sessions, including exploring possible solutions for dealing with her parents and boyfriend, as well as developing healthy coping skills for managing her emotions.  Second session A fews day after the intake session with your client, she stopped by your office and asked if she could talk to you for a few minutes. She told you that since your last session, she decided that she wanted to tell her parents and asked if you could be there when she told them. You set up an appointment to meet with the family. This is your second session with the client and she appears very nervous. When she sits down in the chair in your office, she tells you that she changed her mind about telling her parents. She keeps repeating, "I can't do this. You tell them." Your office phone rings, and the secretary tells you the client's parents have arrived. The client immediately bursts into tears and begs you not to let them in. You calmly explain that you are here to provide a safe space for her and will support her. You walk her through a grounding exercise and encourage her to take slow, deep breaths. After a few minutes, she relaxes and indicates she is ready to talk to her parents.    You welcome the parents into your office and introduce yourself as a mental health professional who has been working their daughter. You explain that the client has something she would like to tell them and you will be here to help facilitate their conversation. Her father says, "We know that something is going on." He starts talking about his daughter's academic issues and recent argumentative behavior at home. The mother adds, "We pray daily that she will grow out of this hormonal phase. We miss our innocent little girl." You listen and reflect on the parents' feelings as they talk about their daughter. The client is quiet and looks down, not making eye contact with anyone. After a few moments, you gently encourage the client to share her thoughts and feelings. She tells you that she has something important to tell them but does not know where to start. You suggest that she take her time and start with whatever feels most comfortable for her.    The client takes a deep breath and slowly begins to tell her story. She tells them about her pregnancy and how scared and overwhelmed she has been. At that moment, everything changed. The client's parents are no longer focused on her academic or behavioral issues. Instead, they are now focused on their daughter and her pregnancy. They are full of questions and concerns for their daughter's well-being. The mother looks shocked, and the father demands to know who the boy is that "did this to our daughter." The initial conversation is difficult, but you provide support as the family talks through their feelings.  Fifth session You have been seeing the client weekly during her lunch break. After their initial shock, her parents have accepted the news and are now focused on helping their daughter. The client told you that they have been discussing the options available to them, such as adoption or parenting the baby. When you met with the client last week, she opened up about how she was feeling physically and emotionally. She told you that although her parents have been supportive, she was still feeling overwhelmed and uncertain about the future. She told her boyfriend about the baby, but he has been distant and unsupportive. Her parents met with the boyfriend's parents and tried to talk about options, but his parents said they did not want to be involved. They said they "already had too many mouths to feed" and could not help with the baby.    Today, the client and her mother come to see you for a scheduled appointment. The mother smiles as she pulls out a picture of the baby's sonogram to show you. She says, "We met with our minister, and the three of us have been praying for guidance as we have been trying to cope with this situation." They decided that the best option for their daughter and the unborn baby was to find a loving family who would be willing to adopt. The mother explains, "We want our daughter to focus on her education and not worry about the responsibilities of raising a child right now. We are hoping that by finding a good home, we can provide this baby with a bright future." As the mother talks, you notice that the client is more relaxed and looks alert and focused. You ask her about how she feels about the decision. She admits that although she still feels overwhelmed, she is also starting to feel more at peace with the idea of adoption. You nod your head in understanding and offer some words of support. Finally, the mother states, "What we need at this point is for you to reschedule our daughter's classes so that she can continue with schoolwork virtually and also ensure that she gets the rest she needs during her pregnancy." You assure them that you will work with the school administration to facilitate the client's needs. You end the session with a plan for the client's continued care. You will continue to meet with her as needed and provide additional support.
Other Contexts: The client has an older brother who is in college. The client lives at home with her parents. They are members of a Christian church and are all actively involved in their church group, and the client has a good relationship with her pastor. The client has never felt close with her father and says he has always had "high standards and expectations" for everyone in their family. The client says her parents "treat her like a child." She has not told her parents about her 16-year-old boyfriend as she knows they will disapprove. For the last year, she has been asserting her independence from her parents, which has caused conflict, friction, and discord within the family. The teacher who referred the client to you mentioned that the client has seemed distracted and anxious lately. She has not been completing homework assignments and failed a test last week. The client acknowledges these concerns and tells you she struggles to keep her grades up and has difficulty adjusting to hybrid learning. "One day, we're in school, and the next day we're virtual. It's just exhausting. I feel like giving up." 

Question: Through several professional development opportunities, you have been made aware that there have been changes in your state's legislation as to the types and character of the pregnancy-related resources that you can provide to the client, as an employee of the school system. Even though you have access to many possibly helpful programs, you are unsure what types of adolescent pregnancy resources you can provide. How do you proceed?
(A): Since you have a grasp of the client's psychological frailty, your ethical choice is to provide any and all resources that will support the client.
(B): Given your status as a school employee, you should seek supervision and consultation as your first ethical concern.
(C): You should make a formal request to the school administration as to what materials you can share with the client that are consistent with any changes in legislation.
(D): In light of the client's needs, you should consult with the client's parents and direct them toward resources that you cannot officially suggest.

Correct Answer: Given your status as a school employee, you should seek supervision and consultation as your first ethical concern.
Explanation: If you are unsure of any regulations regarding resources to the client, first seek supervision and consultation. Therefore, the correct answer is (A)
Competency: professional practice and ethics