Case: Jessica is 17 years of Latina. She is a high school senior. Jessica arrives in Ms. Laymen’s office after a teacher gave her a pass to see the school counselor. Ms. Laymen knew that Jessica was pregnant as this type of news travels fast in small-town, Wisconsin. Jessica looks piqued and lays her head on provider’s desk. “Oh, I just hate this feeling. You know my boyfriend hates the fact that I am pregnant, which is strange because he wants children…not just now though,” says Jessica opening the conversation. Ms. Laymen reminds Jessica that she can consult her physician for medication for help to help with the morning sickness and encourages her to do so. Next, Ms. Laymen listens as Jessica shares that she really does not want to take the medication as it could possibly physically affect the baby, even though she has been assured by her health care provider that the medication has not been identified as a curical concerns for developing the embryo, would likely make her morning more bearable. Jessica offers she’ll talk to the school nurse again to review the benefits risks of the nausea medication. To encourage further sharing, Ms. Laymen makes reference to Jessica’s admirable determination to finish high school. Jessica needs little prompting on this topic and responds by giving a 3-minute diatribe of how she (Jessica) will never be poor again and education is her key to getting out of misery. In her sharing, she asserts she and her baby will stay with her boyfriend until she finds another opportunity to live a decent life without “so many” challenges. After another 3-minutes of erengetic spewing of the merits of education, a loving family, hatred of poverty, and assertions that she is a survivor, Ms. Laymen was able to gently probe about Jessica’s life of challenges. What followed was Jessica sharing a life of enigmas, injuctices, and perseverance of a 17-years old girl who has lived through several lives of tragedies. Her first tragic life she titles “Little Wife” AT age 11, when her parents divorced, her mother could not pay rent, and she befriended a man who sexually abused Jessica. Jessica’s dysfunctional home became worse when the boyfriend became “husband” within their home and Jessica shared a bedroom with him. Jessica was accountable to wash his clothes amd make his meals. Her abuse inadvertently secured the family’s rent for 18 months because he ensured that Jessica’s mother’s rent was paid????????????????????? regularly, if sexual encounters continued. After about a year and a half, he left home. Jessica was understandably relieved in his absence, and she was able to return to school on consist basis. After 4 months, however, he returned home and to their previous living arrangement. Jessica ran away from her mother’s home when she was 14 years old. Jessica’s second tragic life is that of the “Nomadic Surfer”. She was now 14 years old runaway. This life began with her living several months on the street behind a food factory that discarded food evening. Jessica got her meals from dumpsters and occasionally got money from patrons at a nearby Karaoke bar. Eventually, she befriended a bar waitress, who took her in and cleaned her up. The waitress’s home was “decked out” and the waitress had lots of extra spending money. Jessica soon learned that the waitress also worked as an escort. Though the waitress kept Jessica safe from her johns, Jessica understood her safety was not secure in this envirnment. However Jessica was glad to be back in school anc choose to do many after school activities to stay away from her new home. Jessica’s natural academic gifting kept her academically afloat in all her courses, and when she attended school regularly, she was a model student. To make freinds and to keep up the fashion, Jessica stole clothes from waitress freind. Jessica overheard the conversation between the waitress and one of her johns. The john offered money for sex with Jessica. Jessica left the home before the waitress could assured her that this would not happen. Jessica moved back in with her mother, who had a new boyfriend with lots of freinds. Her mother was extremely disappointed and initially responded harshly after finding out Jessica was pregnant. She agreed to support to support her during her pregnancy but asked her to be prepared to leave home on the arrival of the baby as the family could not support her financially while still having to care for her four younger siblings. On hearing this, one of the friend (Paul) offered to let Jessica live with him. so that she could be away from her troubled mother. Jessica left her mother’s home after a heated argument between them. She moved in with her newfound friend -Paul. Assignment: As Jessica’s Counselor, what theory of therapy would be choose for her and describe 3 long-term goals that you would like Jessica achieve.
