Running head: CASE STUDY-MARIO
Case Study-Mario
Liberty University
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CASE STUDY-MARIO
Abstract
Mario, an illegal immigrant, was ordered by the court to attend treatment after his Driving Under
the Influence (DUI) arrest. Based off Mario’s history in the United States (U.S.), his family
remaining in Mexico, and his faith, this author will cover what information will be needed during
initial counseling, goals, approaches of treatment, and ways to measure success.
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Running head: CASE STUDY-MARIO
Personal Information
Mario’s status of being an illegal immigrant may indicate his ability to speak English;
therefore, my first piece of information to gather is his ability to speak and understand English.
If Mario is unable to do both, I would prefer to have a translator unless Mario preferred a
counselor who spoke his native language. The more Mario is comfortable with me as his
counselor the more successful both of us can be throughout his treatment. The basic information
I would request his family background, his reason for being an immigrant, any hobbies, and
knowing that he his Catholic, which church he attends. The family background information will
be useful as possibly something I could relate with Mario and more of an icebreaker for Mario to
open up during his counseling session(s). Not liking to assume anything, with Mario leaving his
family in Mexico while he works in the U.S., I could understand if Mario was working to
provide a better life for his family. Once again, this is something to relate to Mario with, as
Catholic men are known for providing for their families as the wife stays home and takes care of
their families; as 1 Timothy 5:8 (NIV) states, “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives,
and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
Knowing Mario’s hobbies could assist in something to ease his mind while not working or when
he feels lonely and homesick. With him attending group sessions such as Alcoholics Anonymous
(AA), Mario may be attending one that is provided by his church, I could reach out throughout
his treatment to see his progress in-group sessions. Lastly, I would gather information regarding
his drinking and events/reasons for his recent DUI arrest. Using what Mario provides, would
assist me in finding the root cause and better help me during counseling sessions.
All in all, the first goal in obtaining personal information is to build trust between
counselor and client(s). The one need from Maslow’s Hierarchy that comes to mind is safety,
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CASE STUDY-MARIO
which is only second to physiological is the base of the hierarchy based off of Skelsey Guest’s
(2014) article titled, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs – the sixth level. Skelsey Guest (2014)
mentions how all of Maslow’s hierarchy levels are “biologically rooted” in every human,
however, Mario has “uprooted” himself from his family to provide a better life for them.
Personal Biases and Limitations
The main bias that comes to mind is the fact that Mario is an illegal immigrant.
However, being a Christian, this would not prevent me from counseling Mario through his
struggle(s). Another bias would be my personal opinion on alcohol and drinking and driving.
The limitations would be my knowledge with the Catholic Church and speaking Spanish
(if needed). These limitations are minimal due to the fact that I could spend more time
researching the Catholic Church and views to be more helpful for Mario. The AACC (2014)
states, “Christian counselors keep abreast of and, whenever possible, contribute to new research,
knowledge, issues, and resources in Christian counseling and their respective fields.”
Goals
Sobriety comes to mind as my first goal I would recommend to Mario as it was
determined by the court as his reason to receive treatment. Finding the root cause to the possible
alcohol abuse that drove Mario to drink and drive. Finding someone similar to Mario’s case
within AA group sessions to assist Mario. Lastly, providing documentation to Mario to earn
legal citizenship to assist him with bringing his family to America and ease his loneliness. The
one goal I would keep a priority is gaining and maintaining Mario’s trust. The more he trusts
me, the more he and I can get to the root cause of his possible alcohol abuse.
Theoretical Approach
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Running head: CASE STUDY-MARIO
Based off the initial assessment (intake), I would use a spiritual based approach to utilize
Mario’s Catholic faith to assist me with his treatment, only if Mario chooses this approach.
Mitrousi, Travlos, Koukia, Zyga, (2013) researched multiple approaches to coping where, I
noticed one that stuck out for Mario’s case, the Interactive Model. Mitrousi, Travlos, Koukia,
Zyga, (2013) stated, “According to the interactive model, the individual goes through two
different processes which are of crucial importance to the outcome of the problem. The first is
cognitive assessment which refers to the extent and the way the situation relates to the
individual. The second refers to how the problem is dealt with. Dealing with a problem is
defined as the attempt to find a solution, tolerate and/or reduce the external and internal pressures
caused by the situation.”
Therapeutic Approach
Journaling would be a good place to start, as this will allow Mario to put on paper how he
feels and then utilize his journals during our session(s). I would recommend weekly sessions for
three months to provide an accurate assessment and more importantly, provide Mario with a
steady pace and counselor. With that being said and have been mentioned above, I would
recommend Mario to his Catholic Church and AA.
Measurement of Progress and Success
Mario’s behavior throughout our sessions will show progress, hopefully. If he continues
to show, he is committed to making a difference. His sobriety will be a continuous progress and
success. Mario’s openness would indicate both progress and success and would hopefully deter
his loneliness that would most likely be a root cause to his possible alcohol abuse and DUI
conviction.
Conclusion
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CASE STUDY-MARIO
Mario was sent to my office after being convicted of DUI. It was determined during
initial intake that he is an illegal immigrant from Mexico, leaving his family there while he
works in the south. He will be attending AA meetings and continue to participate with his
Catholic Church. Those two things along with our counseling sessions will hopefully provided
guidance to Mario as he continues to provide for his family and possibly earn legal citizenship.
References
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Running head: CASE STUDY-MARIO
AACC Code of Ethics (2014). Retrieved from: on 10 http://ethics.iit.edu/ecodes/node/6083
August 2017.
Mitrousi, Stavroula,M.Sc, PhD.(c), Travlos, A., PhD., Koukia, E., PhD., & Zyga, S., PhD.
(2013). Theoretical approaches to coping. International Journal of Caring Sciences, 6(2),
131-137. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-
com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/1401093667?accountid=12085 on 11 August 2017.
Skelsey Huest, H. (2014). Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs – the sixth level. (12), Psychologist, 27
982-983. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebcsohost.com.exproxy.liberty.edu/ehost on 11
August 2017.
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