Case Study Treatment Plan: Treatment Goals

Running head: CASE STUDY TREATMENT PLAN: ASSESSMENT PROCESS 1

Case Study Treatment Plan: Assessment Process

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CASE STUDY TREATMENT PLAN: ASSESSMENT PROCESS

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Case Study Treatment Plan

Section 1: Identifying Client Information

My client goes by the name Stella. She was born thirty-eight years ago by parents from

different ethnicity. The mother was of African American race, while her male parent was

Caucasian. Her biological parents did not raise Stella. She was brought up by an adopted

parent who took care of her right from the youngest age and adolescence. She was lucky to

have a supportive parent because she took good care of her in all dimensions. For example,

the foster mother ensured that Stella was healthy and acquired high school and college

education levels. Unfortunately, her parent died, and she has nobody she can call mother or

father, especially when she is faced with difficulties.

Stella has been in a marriage relationship for one decade and eight years. She is married to

Doug, a man who works in the transportation industry as a driver and spends most of his time

on the road than the period she spends home with his wife, Stella. However, for the past

eighteen years, the two have no child of their own. Presently, Stella works as a book keeper

in a firm that specializes in packing. Apart from working at this firm, Stella has worked in

various organizations, although her stays were short-lived. Stella has a strong educational

background. She went through high school education, later joined a community college

where she pursued an associate degree that has remained steadfast in defining her career

journey.

However, it is worth noting that Stella originates from a disadvantaged background that

contributed enormously to a series of trouble she has endured right from her childhood to

adulthood. For example, being a product of an interracial relationship, Stella has hard identity

issues finding her space in her society. Also, being raised by foster hands, weight problems,

marital challenges, and drug addiction are some of the setbacks that subjected Stella to a

problematic life both at home and workplace.

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Section 2: Presenting Issues and Concerns

Over time, Stella has undergone a series of agonies. Her journey has not been easy,

considering the list of challenges she has ensured in the last 38 years. Honestly, Stella’s

mental health has never been good. She has experienced many struggles that have

destabilized her mental health and subject her to unending miseries such as depression and

other mental troubles. First, Stella is not connected to her biological mother and father, a

phenomenon that is not always easy for anyone to cope up with. Another challenge is being

childless despite being in a marriage relationship for nearly two decades. Maria has always

wanted a baby, but she cannot conceive or carry a pregnancy. Third, Stella is not a happy

person in marriage. She is almost married to herself, bearing that her husband spends most of

his time on the road. She complained that she has become a lonely human being because the

husband stays home for not more than half a week and goes away for over fourteen days.

Fourth, her past is characterized by mood issues. Stella reports experiencing negative moods

in most of her life because she had no friends and families to share. Fifth, overweight is a

condition that subjected Stella to trauma. She felt unattractive on several occasions, a

situation that had destructive implications on her self-esteem and socialization. Also, Stella

has a bad history of drug addiction, which is drinking in excess and misusing hard drugs such

as Marijuana. Indeed, the continued use of drugs subjected Stella to numerous miseries and

behaviors such as extravagance and carelessness. Lastly, Stella has tried taking her life

severally, a phenomenon that was fueled by depression.

Presently, Stella has improved her situation, and she is looking forward to living a happier

life. However, she has veracious concerns that can be solved or managed through counseling.

Firstly, she is concerned about her medication. Stella is worried about maintaining it, and she

needs assistance on how she can stick to her medication to save her life. She is optimistic

about the new medication; she needs time to time help on various ways of maintaining the

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new medication so that she does not get back to her previous condition. Second, Stella is

concerned about her previous habits of drinking and smoking. Despite being positive about

avoiding alcohol and bhang, it is a tough step requiring assistance and commitment. Hence,

the counselor must come in and guide her on the most excellent techniques that will ensure

she does not get back to alcoholism and smoking. Stella has declared that she does not intend

to use any of it; hence, this can only be possible with counselor's help. Third, Stella is

concerned about the absence of a child in her marriage and the loneliness she endures every

day whenever her husband is in transit. Thus, as Stella’s counselor, it is prudent to take her

through sessions that will reinstate her mood, happiness and end the depression she has

suffered for the longest time.

Section 3: Previous Treatments

Stella has attended different treatment experiences. She was recently hospitalized in a

psychiatric healthcare facility where she received mental health care and discharged after a

week. Her stay at the hospital was fundamental in reinstating her mood and eliminating the

possible threats that would subject her to depression. Also, Stella was introduced to the new

medication at this facility, which is promising to work effectively with her situation.

Previously, Stella has received numerous treatments in different stages of life. For example,

she has ever been rushed to emergency services after she attempted killing herself by taking

twenty-five aspirins. She was also introduced to a counselor to help with her situation. Also,

she was hospitalized after the second suicide attempt. Stella stayed at the hospital for about

four days, and she was introduced to a psychiatrist after she was discharged from the facility.

The psychiatrist advised Stella to use SSR and seek counseling services, especially from

those who had assisted her before. At some point, Stella’s spouse has taken her to a

psychiatry facility to seek better medication for her condition.

Section 4: Strengths and Challenges

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First, Stella’s strength is her ability to survive through stressful experiences. For the last

thirty-eight years, she has managed to thrive despite the tough and harsh conditions in the

school, home and workplace. Also, self-awareness is Stella’s pillar of her strengths. Stella is

cognizant of her mental health problem, and she is always mindful of seeking assistance in

various capacities. For example, when she wanted to end her life with the twenty-five

aspirins, she quickly sought help from her mother that later took her to emergency services.

Another area of Stella’s strength is her ability to cooperate with counselors. It is evident from

her background and history that she has never resisted counseling sessions or being admitted

to a hospital. Stella’s biggest limitation is her inability to adapt to situations. For instance,

Stella suffers from depression because of her husband spending much time away from home.

She should adapt to the fact that her husband will be at home only for a few days. Stella has a

wide array of support systems right from family (husband and sister in law) and workplace

(coworkers).

Section 5: Assessment Processes

According to Bernstein (2016), assessment is a crucial phase in managing and treating mental

health disorders. The authors reveal that counselors utilize these sessions to single out

problems that deter clients' mental health. Hence, conducting an assessment procedure will be

vital in helping Stella recover her mental health. For this case, the counselor will use

structured interviews to conduct a successful assessment process and collect Stella's helpful

information (client). Vacc & Juhnke (2017) put forward that structured interviews are

excellent techniques for carrying out an assessment process because they help the counselor

gather rich, in-depth and contextual information. Therefore, it is the best selection for Stella’s

case due to its effectiveness in gathering vital data from client (Stella). Lastly, the counselor

will utilize Diagnostic reliability to select the most accurate DSM diagnosis for Stella’s case.

Section 6: Diagnosis

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Clark, Cuthbert, Lewis-Fernández, Narrow & Reed (2017) say that DSM-5 is a diagnostic

criterion that allows counselors to diagnose and identify the signs and narrow down on the

exact mental disorder destabilizing the mental health of a client. Hence, this mechanism will

ensure that Stella’s situation is effectively diagnosed and possible medication is applied to

save her from agony. The counselor will adhere to the DSM-5 differential steps to identify

the correct disorder hindering Stella from experiencing healthier mental health (First, 2014).

References

Bernstein, K. S. (2016). Clinical assessment and management of depression. Medsurg

Nursing, 15(6), 333.

Clark, L. A., Cuthbert, B., Lewis-Fernández, R., Narrow, W. E., & Reed, G. M. (2017).

Three approaches to understanding and classifying mental disorder: ICD-11, DSM-5, and the

National Institute of Mental Health’s Research Domain Criteria (RDoC). Psychological

Science in the Public Interest, 18(2), 72-145.

First, M. B. (2014). DSM-5 handbook of differential diagnosis. USA: American psychitric

Publishing.

Vacc, N. A., & Juhnke, G. A. (2017). The use of structured clinical interviews for assessment

in counseling. Journal of Counseling & Development, 75(6), 470-480.