Antwone Fisher

The heart-rending autobiographical, Antwone Fisher, portrays Fisher’s (who is the movie’s scriptwriter) obsession for a family life, and spells of extreme melancholy and loneliness. The character of Antwone Fisher, an African-American sailor, is portrayed as volatile and uncontrollable. This nature makes way for compulsory psychiatric sessions with Dr. Davenport, after Fisher has a violent spell, leaving a peer bearing the brunt of his temper. Initially, Fisher doesn’t cooperate and remains silent for several weeks; the two clash.

According to naval rules, three therapeutic sessions are imperative, beginning from when the client starts speaking. However, ultimately, the real reasons underlying Fisher’s anger issues surface: childhood abuse and the constant fear of abandonment. (Skomormj, 2003). The conversation initiated between client and therapist sheds light on the heart of Fisher’s problems. The tale commences with an ordinary day in navy workers’ life but ends leaving spectators heartbroken. The client’s tale may be counterpointed with that of the therapist and his spouse (Seal, 2003).

The latter had a troubled past as well, implying client and therapist are both, in effect, in therapy (Ebert, 2002). The Bio-Psycho-Social-Spiritual (BPSS) Assessment Report Client Name: Antwone Quenton (Black Cat ID#: 220148) Address: American navy (California) Seize Information: none Safe to leave substance: No. DOB/age: 08/03/1976 (24 years old) Gender: priapic First primary appointment date: 09/14/2000. Communication Method: incline Referral Name: Dr. Davenport, U.S. Navy. Funding Source: U.S. Navy-sponsored Completed Assessment With: Lauren A. Marte: Client struggles with forming interpersonal relationships. Strengths: Client can identify and justify his violent spells them.

He aspires to become an educator after leaving the navy. Dr. Davenport’s efforts have curbed his rage and helped him take himself to task. Development of Relationships: Fisher understands his personal strengths and is somewhat ostentatious about them. When meeting his mom, he highlights his strengths and talks about what he has grown into without her aid. This is vital to his ambition transaction, as he believes everything he is, is without his mom’s involvement (Seal, 2003).

Antwone Fisher’s story, which is a real portrait of his past, is extremely moving and reveals socio-environmental impacts on behavior. It attempts at presenting diverse human behavioral elements which develop between childhood and adulthood. Age may prove to be a key influencer of environmental experience-based individual human behavior. Fisher’s character attempts at explaining the developmental trajectory impacted by prior experience. Early childhood issues and challenges end up impacting the character’s behavior in the long run.

Early childhood is an especially vulnerable age marked by fragility and events experienced herein will most certainly influence behaviors. The lack of protective elements like religion and parenting gravely threatens developmental trajectory. Early adverse experiences may have wide-ranging consequences (Ebert, 2002). The issue of prior experience and its impact on current behavior is explained explicitly in the film, Antwone Fisher. Fisher's childhood experiences of physical, sexual and emotional abuse, besides other adverse experiences, lead to the development of a violent, volatile personality as he ages.

He cannot control his anger and small misunderstandings quickly exacerbate into violent eruptions. He frequently quarrels with peers and his defensive, disruptive nature forces his commanding officer to take disciplinary action and penalize him (Luke & Washington, 2003). Fisher’s shocking conduct, on one occasion, ends in his forced appointment with Dr. Davenport, a naval psychiatrist. Fisher, unhappy at being compelled to comply, initially keeps mum for several sessions. Ultimately, he opens up and reveals his horrid childhood experiences.

This, in fact, marks the defining moment where he decides to resolve his issues. Hence, several revelations pour forth with respect to Fisher’s childhood experiences, explaining his current behavior. Fisher’s terrible childhood has greatly influenced his adult personality and conduct (Schultz & Schultz, 2009). Bio-Psycho-Social-Spiritual (BPSS) Assessment Outline Reason for Social Work Involvement: The film’s screenwriter, Antwone Fisher, is actually a Black-American ex-navy officer who was posted in California’s San Diego.

At the very outset of the movie, Fisher is shown involved in a brawl with a peer; the fight was uncalled-for, immediate, and unexpected. Dr. Davenport, naval psychiatrist and fellow Black American, is called for to assess Fisher’s condition and treat him. The initial four sessions are marked by silence on the client’s part; Fisher claims he can be forced to attend the sessions butt not to speak up.

Antwone’s doggedness finally breaks in the 5th meeting, when he asks the therapist what he expects him to talk about. Davenport patiently explains how it isn’t about what Fisher is expected to discuss but rather about what he wishes to discuss.

Shortly after, Antwone’s emotional sluicegates open and in the weekly session that follows, Davenport is shown gently posing probing questions, lending a sympathetic ear, and aiding Fisher in identifying trends of ingrained self-hate which can be attributed to the inherited self-revulsion established during the slavery era. Davenport adopts an integrative strategy, combining the elements of biblio, psychodynamic, interpersonal, behavioral, and humanistic treatment (Seal, 2002). Legal Involvement: The weekly appointments between Antwone and Davenport reveal telling details of the former’s past.

His biological dad was murdered prior to Antwone’s birth, by an ex-girlfriend. His biological mom was a prison inmate and Antwone was, thus, born in jail. Antwone’s mother failed to claim him and he ended up living until age two in a children's home. Ultimately, the Tates adopted him. His adoptive parents introduced him to a miserable life full of acute emotional, sexual and physical abuse, and neglect. He eventually stood up to them and his defiance caused him to get thrown out.

He then moved for a short while to a male shelter, got embroiled in a crime which killed his childhood best-friend (another abandonment, in his opinion), and finally got a job with the Navy. In the course of his sessions, he found love in Cheryl Smolley, a fellow sailor around whom he experienced shyness. This caused him to seek dating tips from his therapist. Antwone also struggled with his ‘virgin’ status despite his age (Seal, 2002).

Substance Abuse, Use and History: Davenport encourages Antwone to find closure by seeking out his biological relatives in Cleveland, Ohio. Initially, Antwone disagrees, but Cheryl persuades him to act upon the doctor’s suggestion. Fisher finally confronts his childhood abusers, talks to his biological mom (who deserted him as a baby), and reunites with his paternal relatives. The journey is freeing as well as painful.

Fisher finally begins to emotionally heal, breaks out of the defensive shell he created around himself, and transforms into a considerate and smart youth who draws, learns to love, and pens poetry (Seal, 2002). Impressions and Assessment: Dr. Davenport normally requires three visits for carrying out patient evaluations and making recommendations.

For ensuring successful results, he claims his three sessions commence only after the client starts talking. He doesn’t pressurize Fisher but only gets on with his paperwork or does other mundane tasks when waiting for Fisher’s resistance to crack. As per preset conditions, the therapist terminates counseling following three successful sessions despite the fact that several aspects of Fisher’s problem haven’t been resolved.

Fisher once again acts out, attacking a fellow sailor in the waiting area of the therapist’s clinic and behaving rather inappropriately with Davenport. He subsequently asks forgiveness and claims he cannot fathom what he must do. Davenport realizes his fault in terminating treatment prematurely and resumes their weekly appointments. A second attempt at treatment termination causes Fisher’s abandonment issues to resurface.

When Fisher discloses yet another traumatic occurrence, the therapist keeps up with his plan, telling the former to only revisit him after meeting with his relatives (Seal, 2002). Client-specific ‘behavioral’ problem statement and STRENGTHS for addressing issues: Fisher’s surprise call to Dr. Davenport home causes the latter to swiftly establish explicit boundaries. However, with their relationship soon blossoming into a surrogate child-parent bond, Fisher’s gets invited to Davenport’s for Thanksgiving dinner.

The invitation was actually planned as part of treatment: Fisher experiences a supportive familial life. Ordinarily, this step on the doctor’s part is inappropriate, as it interferes with the objectivity required of him. Nevertheless, to viewers, it appears helpful and curatively essential. In the course of one meeting, the therapist crosses the limitations of another boundary, giving his contact number to the client and claiming he would be available 24/7 to listen to any issues or queries the latter has (Seal, 2002).

Goal #1 for addressing issue: Language utilization: On many occasions, Davenport calls Fisher "son". He assumes the transient role of a surrogate dad, in order to guide Fisher who direly requires re-parenting. Such language is problematic within another therapeutic setting, particularly if the patient becomes dependent (Seal, 2002). Objective for fulfilling the goal: Self-Disclosure: Fisher questions Davenport on his spousal relationship, about which the latter speaks openly. The client requires such modelling owing to his lack of relationship experience.

For normalizing Fisher’s anxiety when it comes to dating Cheryl, Davenport relates his own experiences and nervous feelings. Following treatment completion, the therapist admits his working relationship with Fisher improved him, in both his roles as husband and psychiatrist. His marriage was gradually coming undone owing to his lack of emotional response when upset. His efforts on the Fisher case transformed him as well. This admission apparently supported therapeutic results (Seal, 2002).

Client-specific ‘behavioral’ problem statement and STRENGTHS for addressing issues: Goal #2 for addressing issue: Inevitable boundary-crossing Fisher is commanded to attend sessions with Dr. Davenport, get diagnosed for potential psychological problems capable of impairing service, and undergo treatment. He doesn’t turn up for the second appointment, which causes the therapist to have officers escort the client to the next meeting. Such breach of boundaries is commonly witnessed and even vital within military contexts (Seal, 2002).

Objective A for fulfilling goal 2: Unethical Confidentiality breach: Davenport reveals Fisher’s personal information on his life experiences to his wife. Further, meetings conducted at Davenport’s home and a men’s rest room are also instances of confidentiality breaches (Seal, 2002). Objective B for fulfilling goal 2: Self-Disclosure: The therapist urges Fisher to seek out his relatives and states: "I love you, son".

This statement, outside a therapeutic context, reveals counter-transference on Davenport’s part; Davenport suffers a childless marriage and Fisher becomes his surrogate child. In the event of any impairment in the therapist’s professional judgment, a psychologically exploitive bond may result which would hamper Fisher’s treatment and have adverse effects on him (Seal, 2002).

Bio-Psycho-Social-Spiritual (BPSS) Assessment Report for Antwone Quenton Diagnostic Summary: Fisher reveals his birth took place in prison, his biological dad was murdered a couple of months prior to his birth, and his mom failed to claim him following release. He was raised by an adoptive family where the sons endured physical abuse at their father’s hands. Fisher was additionally abused even by the mother. In addition, another woman in the household sexually abused him at a tender six years of age (Schultz & Schultz, 2009).

            Fisher’s coping techniques included turning his back on problems, yelling and extreme physical aggression. They are probably a product of his experiences in childhood, and might have played a significant part in his endurance of traumatic childhood events. But they continued into adulthood and have since posed serious challenges (Schultz & Schultz, 2009).

Trait theory assessment of Fisher: Trait theorists widely adopt Costa and McCrae’s Five-Factor Model for evaluation; the five elements of this instrument are neuroticism, candidness, amicability, scrupulousness and extraversion (Schultz & Schultz, 2009). Because of his aggression in the face of potential threats, Fisher would.