CASE STUDY MANAGEMENT AND ANALYSIS 2
Case Study Management and Analysis – Roger and Anette
A – Achieving a Connection
Connecting to a marital couple before the initial session is crucial to establishing a
trusting relationship. Experienced counselors create a helping relationship by utilizing many
approaches and techniques. Most couples are anxious to begin counseling and explain their
viewpoint of the marriage. Counselors can build trustful connection by requesting preassessment
form through email. Therefore, counselors can achieve a connection, by personalizing the
couple’s sessions with incremental utility (Lebow & Snyder, 2023). Due to Roger and Annette
experiencing increasingly distant emotional bonds, which affects their attachment (Wiebe &
Johnson, 2016) and suffering overlapping biopsychosocial concerns, they will benefit from the
Emotionally Focused Theory (EFT).
Furrow et al., (2022) discuss three stages of EFT, the first stage is de-escalation. This
stage requires achieving a connection with couples by promoting and creating a facilitating
counselor-client relationship. First, counselors set rules for using respectful interaction and
strongly expressing that the environment is non-judgmental. Next, is identifying core concerns,
by actively listening through empathetic communication while identifying negative patterns of
emotions which allow restructuring positive interactions for the couple. increase stress.
Restructuring is the second stage; counselors will continue to guide the couple to create new
interaction patterns. Finally, consolidation leads the couple to build ability that identifies daily
applying novel martial interactions.
B – Breaking Down the Problem
1.
Define/Summarize the following
•
Physical and/or Medical needs
and issues
CASE STUDY MANAGEMENT AND ANALYSIS 3
Annette has health issues concerning back problems and other unnamed
health concerns. Roger’s health issues are alcoholism, he consumes a six-
pack three or four times a week. Their overlapping physical health
category includes Roger maybe genetically predisposition for alcoholism
due to his mother’s demise from drinking.
•Emotional needs and issues
Roger has had instances of losing control due to irritation along with anger.
He also experiences stress concerning employment tasks. He expresses
love for his family but fails to understand their current situation. Their
overlapping emotional concerns are Roger’s emotional needs are facing
tenure with his employer for seven years, he may not sense value and
experience a loss of pride, Annette has resentment and extreme concern
about Roger’s drinking and lectures this may be due to feelings of
frustration.
•Family/Social/Relational needs and issues
Roger is 43 years old and has the responsibility of a husband and father.
Annette is his wife, and they have two children who are eight and five
years old. Roger often misses spending time with the children due to
working late. Roger often speaks to his family by yelling. Roger’s
increasing habit of excessive drinking and indifferent attitude concerning
being discrete. He has also been avoiding his family by retreating from the
home. Their overlapping family and social concerns include Roger
working late. There is concern due to Roger’s mother’s alcoholism and his
CASE STUDY MANAGEMENT AND ANALYSIS 4
excessive drinking, which Annette resents. She copes with his drinking by
using negative methods of lecturing. Roger has also viewed pornography.
Annette has threatened to separate but wants to receive professional help
from a counselor.
•Mental/Psychological needs and issues
Roger is facing four mental issues concerning his employment. His daily
commute to work and home requires two hours daily. His work
environment causes him to experience stress to meet project deadlines. He
has three overlapping needs: Roger has been with his employer for seven
years; however, his company is downsizing and his middle management
position is highly susceptible to being terminated. There is also the crucial
problem of his alcohol consumption, but he admits having the ability to
control drinking and ceasing when he desires to stop. Roger seems to be
distant and uninvolved while being skeptical of others. Finally, the last
consideration of their mental issues concern overlaps in other area is the
possibility of Annette being unemployed and this has affected their
marriage for six months.
•Financial, Vocational or Other/Practical needs and issues
Most of their financial and employment issues have been initially stated
within other biopsychosocial concerns. Roger’s reiterated concerns are
being with his employer for seven years, however his company is
downsizing and his middle management position in a substantial
engineering firm is highly susceptible to be terminated. In addition to
CASE STUDY MANAGEMENT AND ANALYSIS 5
Annette being employed as an office manager for a pediatrician’s office.
Finally, she may lose her income, and this thought has created strain for
the last six months on their marriage.
•Spiritual needs and issues
They have stated that their spiritual concerns are due to Roger’s actions of
not attending church and viewing pornography.
2.
Assess the scope of the presenting problems by utilizing the scales.
The results from Roger’s and Anette’s assessment scope for risk considerations
provided a total variability score of 28. This extremely high score identifies their
marriage as the category of high-risk. Their frequency score was six for an average
risk happening. Their intensity score was eight to state the level of distress and the
area of social concern. The duration score which measures the length of risk also
scored an eight. The last calculated risk was the variability score, considered six
different factors.
C – Committing to a Plan of Action
Steps counselors practice including biblical principles.
•Counselor must be a Christian.
•Interpreting issues through a biblical lens.
•Provide guidance based on scripture.
•First counsel with Biblical knowledge incorporates professional knowledge.
Steps the couple takes, including biblically principles
•Establishing a foundation of faith – praying and seeking God’s will.
•Identifying core issues and communicating with respect and patience.
CASE STUDY MANAGEMENT AND ANALYSIS 6
•Developing mutual goals by showing compassion, kindness and humility.
D – Documenting the Interaction
What are the potential legal, ethical, and/or liability related issues
•Legal issues – Possibly challenging Roger’s company for wrongful termination.
Ethical issues - Conflict of interest, continuing employment
E – Explaining the Chosen Theoretical Orientation
There is a plethora of counseling approaches to utilize for addressing martial issues. Roger
and Annette’s marital distress concerning six biopsychological factors were several overlap into
multiple factors would be effectively addressed utilizing the EFT approach (Wiebe & Johnson, 2016).
EFT was developed by Drs. Sue Johnson and Les Greenberg and has proven to be an effective
approach due to its longevity of 40 years. There are several activities to apply the EFT approach.
Research demonstrates effective EFT activities are widely available to address Roger’s and
Annette’s marital concerns. First, relationship distress concerning unresolved health issues affects the
divorce rate among first marriages 40% (Furrow, 2022). Leading Roger through a body scan to notice
his sensations of pain, tension and recognizing his mother’s death due to alcoholism will allow him to
notice his vulnerability. During his process the counselor will encourage Annette to use reflective
listening by understanding, paraphrasing, and showing empathy. Roger's emotional irritability and
frequent outbursts are symptoms of underlying distress and unaddressed stress has led to death. Roger
will be led to recognize emotions because identifying them is the first activity required to establish the
idea of using non threatened language. Once Roger experiences the use of change, he will be capable
of practicing further activities of noticing emotions by inhaling deep meditating breaths and speak
deliberately in a quiet soft voice. Their family issues include possible genetic alcoholism, Roger
avoiding spending quality time with his wife and children. One of Roger’s and Annette’s negative
CASE STUDY MANAGEMENT AND ANALYSIS 7
family issues is Roger viewing pornography. Counselors can apply their faith principles and trust
boundaries. Kurt and Algoe (2015) posit that laughter is a great exercise to build a positive
relationship and could suggest an entire family session and allow the family to “mirror” laughing.
Furthermore, the couple is experiencing the stress of Roger possibly losing his prestigious position in
management, this is affecting them mentally and financially. As a counselor, I would encourage
Roger to build his self-awareness separate from his position. He would be required to list and rank his
previous accomplishments. Additionally, loss of employment would be greeted with taking
certification classes. Building an array of helpful website links to assist in a toolbox concerning every
biopsychological area. Their financial concerns can be addressed by collaborating on creating a
budget. Their new budget could be calculated without considering Annette’s income if she resigns
from her position as a manager for a pediatrician’s office. Their last concern is spiritual and as a faith-
based counselor there is an undeniable question that a couple’s faith should be the foundation of their
family. Roger has stopped attending church services. Roger is the leader of his family and his example
of not prioritizing God may lead Annette and their children to not prioritize as well. Counselors can
lead the couple to build a closer connection with each other and God by prioritizing prayer. Roger
needs to build his prayer life and pray with the family. The second most effective method to assist in
changing the behavior of not attending church could be found in reading the Bible by leading Roger to
remember his favorite scriptures. After Roger and Annette commit to scheduling family time for
personal worship and study, they can continue to build leadership in parenting by applying a well-
known scripture. "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline
and instruction of the Lord," (English Standard Version Bible, 2011, Ephesians 6:4). This is perfect
for Roger due to his fearful expression of anger.
CASE STUDY MANAGEMENT AND ANALYSIS 8
References
English Standard Version Bible. (2001). ESV Online. https://esv.literalword.com/
Furrow, J. L., Johnson, S. M., Bradley, B., Brubacher, L., Campbell, T. L., Kallos-Lilly, V.,
Palmer, G., Rheem, K., & Woolley, S. (2022).KBecoming an emotionally focused therapist: The
workbook.K(Second edition.). Routledge.
Greenman, P.S. and Johnson, S.M. (2013), Process research on emotionally focused therapy (eft)
for couples: Linking theory to practice. Family Process, 52(1). 46-
61. https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12015
Kurtz, L. E., & Algoe, S. B. (2015). Putting Laughter in Context: Shared Laughter as Behavioral
Indicator of Relationship Well-Being.KPersonal Relationships,K22(4), 573–590.
https://doi.org/10.1111/pere.12095
Lebow, J.L., & Snyder, D.K. (2023). Clinical handbook of couple therapy (6th ed.). New York,
NY: The Guilford Press. ISBN: 9781462550128.
Wiebe, S.A. and Johnson, S.M. (2016), A Review of the Research in Emotionally Focused
Therapy for Couples. Family Process Institute, 55: 390-407.
https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12229
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