Assignment 3

Present at Interview:

Mother, Doris, age 38

Daughter, Lilly, age 14

Not Present at Interview:

Ex-Husband, father of daughter, Jose, age 37

Lives in another state

Mothers other child (son), sibling to daughter, lives with above father age 16

Lives with above father in another state

Mothers current husband, Randy, age 32

Works as a lineman for power company, will be at work

July 12th, 2016

Counselor: Hey, thanks for agreeing to help me out with this assignment. Today I will be asking you questions about your family to gather information. This is not a counseling session and I am not a licensed counselor.

Mother: No worries.

Daughter: Miss. Steele, I just woke up like 10 minutes ago. (It was 12:30 pm)

Counselor: So this is my first time ever conducting a uh, family counseling interview. So the first thing I have to share with you guys is the consent form that I have to have you guys sign and then I have to scan and send to my instructor, basically it just says that this is a mock interview and it just for me to practice but confidentiality is still guarantee and the only people who listen or read the information you provide today will be me and my instructor when she grades the assignment. So, uh, if you guys feel the need to contact my course instructor at any time you can but if you would agree to be my lab rats and sign that I would appreciate it.

Mother: Are you going to let her know that she (daughter) is an abnormal teenager? Hahah.

Counselor: (Laughing) All teenagers are abnormal in my book!

Counselor: Okay, so, what this is this assignment is called a Bio Psycho Social interview and it is not intended to be like a clinical family counseling session, it is like what you would do if you were counseling a family during their first ever session, just to gather as much information about the parents, the children, and as far back as the grandparents as you can. So first, I need know Mother where were you born?

Mother: I was born in Twin Falls, Idaho.

Counselor: And Daughter, where were you born?

Daughter: I was born in Clarkston, Washington? (Asking Mom)

Mother: Lewiston, Idaho.

Counselor: Okay, so some of these questions I already know the answers to, but for the sake of the practice. Mother can you tell me if you have any other children, if so, who are they, and where to they live.

Mother: I have Son, he lives in Clarkston, Washington, and he is 16. And then I have a unborn child who is now 5 months old, still in my belly.

Counselor: Okay, cool. Um, so who does Son live with?

Mother: His Dad.

Counselor: Ok, and his Dads name is?

Mother: (States Fathers Name)

Counselor: Okay, and were you married to (states names)?

Mother: Yes.

Counselor: How many years?

Mother: (Thinks) Um, 6 years.

Counselor: Daughter, do you remember your Mom and Dad being married at all?

Daughter: No

Counselor: No? Don’t really have any memories of that?

Daughter: No.

Counselor: Alright, um, do you mind me asking if the divorce was mutual?

Mother : Oh yeah.

Counselor : Yeah?

Mother : Definitely.

Counselor : So you would say you have a fairly good co-parenting relationship?

Mother : Yeah.

Counselor : Okay. That’s good.

Counselor : What can you tell me Mother about yours parents? As far as who they are, if they are still alive, what they do, how influential they were or were not in your life.

Mother : (Laughs) My mom is, how old is Grandma? 55? Hold on? My mom is 57.

Counselor : Wow, your mom is young.

Mother : Yes, she is a baby. And she was there my whole life but she has mental issues. And then my Dad is 59 and he is not on my birth certificate but I know who he is.

Counselor : Okay. So when is the last time you talked to him?

Mother : Um, in February I think I talked to him on the phone and he sent us a wedding card.

Counselor : Okay. Um, so like going back as far as your grandparents, is there any history of any like major medical issues, anything like except psychological illness. Like is there anything like cancer, is there, you know, like rare diseases or anything that you know of? On your side as well as your Dad’s side?

Mother : Mom side, um, Grandma B had colon cancer when she was like 85, and I heard rumors of somebody, oh MS, Grandma G had MS along with her sister, but they lived next to where they were bombing in Nevada, so they think it is related to that, it hasn’t shown up in any other family members.

Counselor : Hmm, what a coincidence.

Mother : Yeah. Yeah and then, well there really isn’t much more, they all grow old. Then my Dads there is diabetes.

Counselor : Yeah, Okay. What about you and your kids is there anyone dealing with any medical issues, surgeries?

Mother / Daughter : (Laugh)

Mother : Well, Daughter has a genetic disorder passed down from her father for elongated bones and delayed muscle growth and it makes it to where her heart is slightly elongated so she had irregular heart beat coming from the bottom of her heart, and she also had foot surgery because she grew really fast when she was a baby, and he brother he is just mainly long and lengthy, and has loose joint, like he can pop his joints in and out.

Daughter : Hey, so can I yes,

Mother : Oh yeah, so can Daughter. Um, their Dad has some kind of genetic disorder, I forget, Earls-himer, I don’t know, it’s a genetic disorder that make it to where is cortisol levels are sky high, so he will get fatty deposits all over his body, and they aren’t sure why.

Counselor : How does this affect his day to day life?

Mother : He doesn’t know, the more cortisol you have, it’s a stress hormone, but if you have to much of it, it is like you are on overdrive, and it wears him out, so somedays he doesn’t do much because it is so….

Counselor : Draining?

Mother : Yes. And it makes him a jerk.

Counselor : And, okay. So, now we are going to move on to the uh next part which is the psychological information. So can you discuss any history of mental illnesses, learning disabilities, school performance issues in your family as far back as your grandparents?

Counselor: Let’s talk about injuries in childhood and adulthood. Tell me about you mom

Mother: I fell on my head when I was ten, climbing a tree. Nothing serious came out of it and I did not black out. My father was laid off in his 50’s for falling off a ladder. My son was injured playing football. I can’t think of any other injuries, and none were life threatening

Counselor : How about school performance; let’s talk about all family members.

Mother : As far as with me I am dyslexic, not bad but I have learned to deal with it, computers are awesome, I was always good in school and then I did get held back because I didn’t do my work the way they wanted me to do it. But with my Mom, pretty sure she has fetal alcohol syndrome, she dropped out in the 8th grade, she, if you read something she writes, it is like from and 8th grade because she is so mentally low, she is low. And I am pretty sure her sister is like that too, we have an aunt that has schizophrenia, a lot of bipolar, a lot of ADD, a lot of ADHA, a lot of that kind of stuff on that side of the family. On my Dad’s side, Grandma I am not sure, Grandma graduated high school, that was a long time ago and my Dad’s side of the family there is a lot of drug addiction, alcoholism, bipolar, his brain doesn’t produce serotonin so he is on I think Paxil, and his sister is like hard core bipolar, she like pulled a gun on her husband when she caught him cheated on him, she didn’t kill him.

Counselor : Wow, so does she take medicine for the bipolar.

Mother : She takes medicine, but she doesn’t like taking the medicine because then she cannot paint.

Counselor : Oh man. That is what I heard about a lot of people who have to take those types of medicine it makes them feel so horrible they don’t like to take it. It takes care of the bipolar symptoms but makes them feel like a zombie.

Mother : Yes, she is an amazing artist, and my dad is a musician, he can just pick up an instrument and play it. I can’t play and instrument and I cannot paint a picture.

Counselor: So has your family every lost someone due to suicide or homicide? Good way to pose this sensitive question….

Mother : I think Uncle L, there is speculating, well the significant other he was living with at the time said he was murdered, but when it came down to it he had to many morphine patches on his body. And I am pretty sure my Uncle O, shot himself, but I was only like 5 or 6. But he was an old lonely man. Very old.

Counselor : Okay. Um, is there any family history with time spend in jail or incarcerations and if you can share the reasons.

Mother : My Mom was in jail when I was a baby for check fraud and embezzlement. I don’t know for how long. Um, my biological dad was in prison for oh I don’t know how long, 8-10 years for I don’t know, for sexual assault on a minor.

Counselor : Okay.

Mother : Who else? My brother has been in jail for, (laughs) what was he in jail for? Oh yeah, sex with a minor. She was under the age of 18 when he was 19. Who else? I have never been in jail. Ken has been in jail for a couple days for beating up my mom, I put my brother in jail for a couple days for beating me up, but I actually beat him up and had him arrested. (Laughs) This was like 7 years ago. Yeah, I think that is about it. Everyone else who has been to jail is for DUI’s, Uncle L was in an out of jail, one time he stole a ice cream truck. This is beginning to sound inauthentic….

Daughter : Cody?

Mother : Oh yeah Cody my cousin, he is in jail right now too. But Uncle L stole an ice-cream truck, I can remember him coming down the street with the ice-cream truck, and then getting pulled over and arrested.

Counselor : (Laughs) Ok. Um, so you kind of mentioned a lot about drug abuse in the family, so what kind of substance abuse is there in the family?

Mother : Everything. Uncle L dabbled in like everything possible but he liked opiates and meth. Like Mom when through about a 4-5-year bout on meth in Arizona. I am pretty sure I was a drug baby; I hear stories that she was doing heroin when she was pregnant with me but I am not sure. A lot of alcoholism and legal pills.

Counselor : Okay. So do you deal with any substance abuse problems or have you ever?

Mother : No, I do not like pain pills or other drugs to control me.

Counselor : Okay. And Daughter you steer clear of any bad substances.

Daughter : Miss Steele, uhh that’s a weird question, I don’t do drugs.

Counselor : GOOD! Thank YOU! Um, either of you has there ever been a time in your life when you felt just like throwing in the towel and giving up, calling it quits?

Daughter : No.

Counselor : No.

Mother : Yeah, when I lost my job in (name of town).

Counselor : That was kind of a very low time in your life?

Mother : Yeah, I was never going to be a teacher again, I was going to be a bartended the rest of my life and it sucked.

Counselor : Well you have come a long way, you defiantly aren’t a bartended anymore.

Counselor : So, the last section is just social information so Daughter I have some questions for you know. How would you describe your relationship with, we will start with your Mom. How would you describe it?

Daughter : Tight Bro. (Laughs) We just have a really good relationship because she is really the only person I talk to because I don’t leave the house. A red flag to question…

Counselor : Okay, so you feel like she is the one person you would go to?

Daughter : Yeah.

Counselor : Okay, um how about your Dad?

Daughter : Ehh…uhh…it is decent.

Counselor : Okay.

Daughter : I don’t really remember enough of him to have an extreme bond with him but I know him and I appreciate him.

Counselor : How often do you see him?

Daughter : Uh, like once or twice a year.

Counselor : Once or twice a year, and do you talk to him on the phone or Facebook or anything?

Daughter : Um, I text him sometimes.

Counselor : Okay sure. Um, what about your bro, your brother?

Daughter : That’s a dangerous place to be. (Laughs) Uh, he is like the exact opposite of me, but I love him, he is um, yeah.

Counselor : He is your brother? I would probe here….what is the issue between them?

Daughter : Yeah.

Counselor : And what about your new relationship with your Moms new husband? How is that going?

Daughter : It is okay. I pick on him. (Mother Laughs)

Counselor : That’s good, he needs to be picked on. He appreciates it.

Daughter : I tease him.

Whenever he says something I always have a witty comeback.

Counselor : Well, that is kind of how you are anyway.

Daughter : (Laughs) Yeah.

Counselor : How about your performance in school, how do you do in school, what do you like about school?

Daughter : 4.0 ALL the time.

Counselor : YAY!

Daughter : Um, I am great at school, if I get an A- I will throw a tantrum.

. Counselor : Um, what do you like most about school? Like do you have a favorite subject? If you could only study one subject ever again.

Daughter : Oh that is a hard one because I like science and history.

Counselor : Okay. Those are good. Um, what is one, I know you moved schools when you were in the 6th grade? What is one positive thing about moving schools and one negative thing about moving schools? Good creative questions

Daughter : The small class is the positive and the small class is the negative.

Counselor : Okay. It’s a double edge sword. Ask for an explanation rather than rushing in to name the issue.

Daughter : YEAH!

Counselor : Can you tell me about your friends

Daughter : I’s say I have more acquaintances I occasionally talk to and hang out with. My friend is (says name) but she lives out of town and my other friends live in Waterville.

Counselor : And what you Mother, do you have a lot friends or just a few close friends? See above—ask straightforward questions rather than multiple choice or either/or questions.

Mother : I have a handful, I have a few close friends, and the others I consider friends I keep in tight, because to many makes me feel overwhelmed and I don’t want to deal with that many people.

SUMMARY & RECOMMENDATIONS

My recommendation for this family would be individual counseling for mother and family counseling for mother and daughter. The issues seem to be some grief and abandonment.. etc.

Note: Summary is incomplete