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Case Study Assignment
Upon examination of this case study, it is evident that Rachel has undergone a great deal
of loss and has encountered significant emotional and physical struggle. The loss that Rachel is
experiencing does not stem from one thing but rather a combination of events. From
experiencing memory loss of her accident, having to endure physical therapy for her broken legs,
and having to close her counseling practice that she dedicated a lot of time to, as well as the total
upset in the life of her family. Rachel’s reaction immediately following her crisis was positive.
She seemed to be in good spirits in the initial aftermath of the crisis, as she had had previous
training with her counseling that equipped her with tools and resources to help aid her through
this tough time. Though Rachel more than likely had many emotions during this process such as
anger, anxiety, and guilt, those emotions did not surface until sometime later.
As time elapsed, Rachel began to start grieving all that was lost, including her job,
memory, and the loss of control of her life's entirety. Rachel would have done well with the crisis
intervention of grief counseling. Though her family was supportive, and she met regularly with
her pastor, Rachel still struggled with depression and anger deep inside, withholding these
emotions from everyone. She would have benefitted from grief counseling intervention as it
would have facilitated awareness of the loss and the crisis's overall impact (Worden, 2018). Grief
counseling could have provided Rachel with an understanding that the loss did happen and that
things have been affected and will be different from before the loss. Rachel would also have
benefitted from group therapy to give her validation for her feelings of frustration and
vulnerability. Group therapy provides a secure, intimate environment that allows group members
to repair their self-esteem and sense of control in their lives (Dass-Brailsford, 2016). Group
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therapy would aid Rachel in coming to terms with her losses and providing comfort that she is
not alone, that others have been in similar situations.
Finding an appropriate way to cope with the loss is something Rachel thought she was
equipped to handle, but she soon discovered she was having days where she was really
struggling, and her resources were not sufficient. Rachel could have pursued active emotional
coping in which she could have accepted her supportive system that in turn could have helped
build her self-efficacy and esteem (Worden, 2018). Another way Rachel could have coped with
the underlying feelings of her crisis is by venting to her support system. By utilizing both coping
mechanisms, Rachel may have been able to look at her crisis in a new light, by redefining her
situation and finding something positive or redemptive about what has happened to her (Worden,
2018). These coping mechanisms could have given Rachel a new sense of purpose or meaning,
giving way to establishing resilience.
Rachel, however, did prove to struggle in establishing resiliency as her grief was not
handled very well. Resilience, which is the ability to bounce back after experiencing something
difficult, was not what was happening with Rachel. Rachel began to think of all the negative
things that transpired out of her crisis, consequently allowing her to feel even more defeated.
Coping and resilience build upon one another, as one would be difficult to achieve without the
other. The lack of proper coping mechanisms also played a role in Rachel being less resilient.
Resilience is an intertwined web of nature and nurture that is promoted through supportive
relationships (Choi, et al., 2022). Rachel could have established resilience by leaning on her
support systems such as her husband and her pastor, as social support can nourish one’s inherent
resilience (Dass-Brailsford, 2016). If Rachel had intervention, her likelihood of resiliency could
have been identified and methods to improve her resilience could have been implemented.
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Rachel maneuvered through her crisis in a somewhat effective manner due to her
previous counseling training. However, with proper interventions and implications she may have
reduced some of her more undesirable feelings. Rachel’s main issue was the lack of wanting to
accept the support from those around her, fearing they would leave her for having such strong
feelings and emotions. If Rachel had accepted the support, knowing that her support was strong
and willing, she would have been able to express her feelings and obtain the emotional validation
that she needed. Overall, Rachel would have benefitted from crisis intervention. Through
counseling and her dedicated support system, Rachel would have been able to efficiently and
successfully grieve and redefine her loss.
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References
ABPP, J.W.W. P. (2018). Grief Counseling and Grief Therapy (5th ed.). Springer Publishing
LLC. https://libertyonline.vitalsource.com/books/9780826134752Links to an external
site.
Choi, H., Cho, C., & Lee, H. (2022). Complicated Grief, PTSD, and PTG in Bereaved Family:
Moderating Effect of Resilience and Family Support. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 28(2),
145–160. https://doi.org/10.1080/15325024.2022.2084843
Dass-Brailsford, P. (2016). Crisis counseling: Acute stress, grief and trauma. SAGE
Publications, Inc.
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