Paper Example on 17-Year-Old Carly Seeks Counseling: Drastic Changes, Loss of Appetite, & Crying

Introduction

Carly is a 17-year old girl who has recently completed the 11th grade and has presented for an intake at a counseling center. Her mother pointed out that Carly has undergone drastic changes over the last year such that she keeps to herself more and avoids any social situation even though she was previously outgoing and popular among her peers. Carly also experiences a lack of appetite and may have lost approximately 10 lbs or more over the past month. Her mother sometimes hears her cry in her room, but Carly will not let her mother in to talk to her. Her grades in school have declined, and her teachers record that she has trouble concentrating and has become less engaged in class.

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Assessment

The client seems to be experiencing a major depressive disorder according to the problems that she is experiencing. Elia (n. d.) describes a major depressive disorder as a distinct episode of depression that lasts for more than two weeks and occurs in 5% of teenagers and 2% in children. Carly exhibits characteristics that are in line with this disorder as she illustrates signs of being sad as described by her mother and irritability with his younger brother, loss of appetite and loss of weight. In addition, she also experiences hypersomnia as her mother explains that Carly spends the whole weekend in bed and she sleeps whenever she gets home from school until it is time for dinner then after dinner she sleeps until the next morning. Carly also experiences decreased ability to concentrate as well as feelings of worthlessness as reported by her teachers and mother respectively.

The marital relationship is negative as the parents are separated and are not living in the same house. However, despite the separation, both parents have expressed their agreement to support the treatment and their willingness to take part in the process. Carly's relationship with her mother is more comfortable than with her father due to her father's chronic illness that makes her avoid him since she cannot stand to see him in constant pain. Relationship between Carly and her brother is generally good, but Carly's irritability may cause conflicts as she sometimes snaps at her brother. The immigration status of the mother further contributes to the stress at home as Carly is afraid that the mother may be deported back to Columbia since the father is a citizen of the United States. Carly is capable of making friends as she was outgoing and popular among her peers. Also, Carly is intelligent, and a good performer in class and is physically active since she plays basketball. Carly is also empathic as she can feel emotions such as guilt for not spending time with her father. Additionally, Carly is capable of clearly expressing her thoughts and emotions in regards to what she is feeling.

From the analysis, it is clear that Carly needs to be exposed to a more positive environment that will remind her that there is still hope for a better life. Her father's illness has depressed Carly in such a way that she does not see the value of living if she is unable to help improve her situation at home. Furthermore, she might be afraid that everything she tries to do and everyone she connects with might disappear and she will be hurt just as she is damaged with the state of his father's constant pain thus resulting in her social isolation and avoidance of social situations. Her worry over her mother's immigration status has served to worsen this feeling to the extent that she does not see the need to put any effort in school as "none of it means anything anyway."

Goals and Objectives and Barriers expected during the Treatment

One of the purposes of this treatment is to ensure that in the next four months, Carly's sadness, worry, and depression will reduce so that she can focus on improving her grades at school. Additionally, the treatment also aims at helping Carly to regain her social activeness by reducing the feeling of worthlessness while at the same time improving her relationship with her father within the next two months.

The first step to reducing Carly's worry and depression would be to identify the situations that trigger or lead to her sadness. The next step would be to identify activities that would help avert her sadness and worries through identifying all activities that she enjoys doing such as playing basketball or she excels at such as math. The final step would be to encourage Carly to take up these extra activities that will help to distract her from the worries at home while at the same time encouraging her to enjoy her young life.

The first step to helping Carly regain her social activeness would be to identify and practice relaxation exercise that would help to reduce her irritability towards her brother. Then the next step would be to identify and encourage Carly to take part in activities or hobbies that both Carlie and her father share that will encourage her to spend more time with her father despite his illness. Spending more time with her father will help to improve their relationship while at the same time help Carly come into terms with her father's conditions. However, the treatment anticipates resistance from Carly when she has to spend more time with her father as well as the process of encouraging her to take part in the activities that will serve as a distraction and socialization opportunity with her peers.

References

Elia, J. (n.d.). Depressive Disorders in Children and Adolescents. Retrieved from https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/pediatrics/mental-disorders-in-children-and-adolescents/depressive-disorders-in-children-and-adolescents