Crisis Application Assignment 2

The Case of Rita

Rita is a 35-year-old businesswoman. She is a graduate of high school and a post–high school

vocational-technical institute. She holds a certificate in auto mechanics. She has never been to a counselor

before, and has come to the crisis worker at the suggestion of a close friend who is a school counselor.

Rita owns and operates an automobile tune-up and service shop. She employs and supervises a crew of

mechanics, tune-up specialists, and helpers. She works very hard and keeps long hours but maintains

some flexibility by employing a manager. Rita’s husband, Jake, is a college-educated accountant. They

have two children: a daughter who is 13, and a son who is 8. The family rarely attends church, and they

don’t consider themselves religious, but they are church members. Their close friends are neither from

their church nor from their work.

Rita’s problem is complex. She constantly feels depressed and unfulfilled. She craves attention

but has difficulty getting it in appropriate ways. For diversion, she participates in a dance group that

practices three nights a week and performs on many Friday and Saturday evenings. Rita, Jake, and their

children spend most Sundays at their lake cottage, which is an hour-long drive from their home. Their

circle of friends is mainly their neighbors at the lake.

Rita’s marriage has been going downhill for several years. She has become sexually involved

with Sam, a wealthy wholesaler of used automobiles. She met him through a business deal in which she

contracted to do the tune-up and service work on a large number of cars for Sam’s company. Sam’s

contracts enable Rita’s business to be very successful. Rita states that the “chemistry” between her and

Sam is unique and electrifying. She says she and Sam are “head over heels in love with each other.”

While she still lives with Jake, she no longer feels any love for him.

According to Rita, Sam is also unhappily married, and Sam and his current wife have two small

children. Rita states that she and Sam want to get married, but she doesn’t want to subject her two

children to a divorce right now. She is very fearful of her own mother’s wrath if she files for a divorce.

Sam fears his wife will “take him to the cleaners” if he leaves her for Rita right now. Lately, Sam has

been providing Rita with expensive automobiles, clothing, jewelry, and trips out of town. Also, Sam has

been greatly overpaying Rita’s service contracts, making her business flourish. Jake doesn’t know the

details of Rita’s business dealings with Sam, but he is puzzled, jealous, frustrated, impulsive, and violent.

Jake used to slap Rita occasionally. In the last few months, he has beaten Rita several times. Last night he

beat her worse than he ever has. Rita has no broken bones, but she has several bruises on her body, legs,

and arms. The bruises do not show as long as she wears pantsuits.

Rita has told her problems only to her school counselor friend. She fears that her boyfriend would

kill her husband if he found out about the beatings. Rita is frustrated because she cannot participate with

the dance group until her bruises go away. Rita is feeling very guilty and depressed. She is not

particularly suicidal, however. She is feeling a great deal of anger and hatred toward Jake, and she suffers

from very low self-esteem.

She is feeling stress and pressure from her children, from her mother, from Jake, and even from

Sam, who wants to spend more and more time with her. Recently, Rita and Sam have been taking more

and more risks in their meetings. Rita’s depression is getting to the point where she doesn’t care. She has

come to the crisis worker in a state of lethargy—almost in a state of emotional immobility. Rita has

decided to share her entire story with the worker because she feels she is at her “wit’s end,” and she

wouldn’t dare talk with her minister, her physician, or other acquaintances. Rita has never met the crisis

worker, and she feels this is the best approach, even though she is uncomfortable sharing all of this with a

stranger.