Discussion:
Counseling Case Study: Woman Coping with her Mother's Death
This solution deals with a hypothetical scenario as a case study.
Imagine that you are the counselor who will be working with the client described in the case study below. Describe what techniques may be most effective when working with this client. Would this client be identified as at-risk bereaved? Why or why not? Can you help me understand this?
The Case Study:
Woman: You are a 51-year-old single woman whose mother has died. The two of you always lived together and had a close but ambivalent relationship. You cared for your mother during her lengthy illness, which involved several hospitalizations. Your mother was not an easy person to get along with, and several times during her final years you told her in anger that if she didn't shape up, you would send her off to a nursing home. You really wouldn't have, but now that she is dead, you miss her terribly and you're feeling very guilty about having said these things.
Counselor: A 51-year-old single woman has approached you for help with the guilt she has been feeling since her mother's death. Your task is to help her reality test her guilt and to find a better way to cope with it.