Assessing Cannabis Use: The Case of Gabby

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COUN 6204A: Assessment in Counseling and Addiction

Week 9 Case Study: Cannabis Use Case Study: Gabby Gabby is a 15-year-old female who presents for counseling because of recent issues at school and home. Gabby’s parents are currently in the process of separating, and she is coming to counseling upon the request of her mother. According to her Mom, Gabby has been “out of control” and “hanging out with the wrong crowd.” Mom states that Gabby had always had some issues with following rules. Since the separation, however, she has also been increasingly agitated and angry most of the time. Upon the initial session, Gabby appears guarded and irritable. She reports that she thinks it’s “stupid” that she has to attend counseling just because her parents are getting divorced. She denies any issues and reports, “If my parents would just get their act together, this could all be over.” Upon further discussion, Gabby reveals that she has been spending more and more time with her friends in an effort to “get some distance from my parents.” Gabby denies that her friends are a bad influence. She notes, however, that she does like to smoke marijuana “sometimes.” Gaby states, “Weed is not the problem; my parents are the problem. I don’t want to talk about weed because I’m not stopping. It’s the only thing that I have besides my friends. Plus, it’s not a problem. It comes from the ground. It’s like an herb, basically. I don’t understand why people make such a big deal about it.”