Counseling and Psychotherapy Confidentiality Jessica

Counseling and Psychotherapy

CONFIDENTIALITY

Jessica has been through a lot in her short years and most definitely will need counseling to help her with the issues she is facing. Because the relationship with her parents is a bit strained, she must feel assured that whatever she tells her counselor regarding her situation is held in the strictest of confidences. There are, at times situations in which parents must be excluded from counseling sessions in order to make them more effective (Pohlman, Schwab et. al. 2002).

The counselor working with Jessica must first gain the young lady's trust in order to make her feel at ease and assure her that whatever is said between the two of them will not be shared with anyone else. A trusting relationship must first be established and the counselor must make Jessica feel that she is in a safe environment. At this point, the counselor should work with Jessica to assess her situation and they both should set goals and decide how to implement the goals set forth.

II. MULTICULTURAL COUNSELING

Since Jessica was at a very young age when her African-American mother passed, and because her father is Irish-American, it is possible that she does not know much about the African-American culture. In order for her to feel complete, it is important that she is taught both of her parent's cultures. There is no guarantee that a counselor of color would be best for Jessica. Although studies have shown that some White counselors might view the behavior of other cultural groups as deviant rather than as being different from their own (Gushue, Constantine, and Sciarra 2008).

Any person choosing to counsel Jessica should have extensive knowledge and training pertaining to all cultures in order to provide the best counseling options for her.

III. FAMILY COUNSELING

Family counseling might be a good idea in this situation. Given that she is the only family member who is HIV positive, it is important for her father and stepmother to become active participants in her healthcare as well as helping her maintain her quality of life (Frain, Berven, Chan and Tschopp 2008). Triangulation may not be the best approach in this situation as all parties need to be involved. Jessica must communicate her feelings to both parents and not allow one of them to act as a go between.

Given the circumstances she was born into, Jessica more than likely feels like the scapegoat. Because of her parent's irresponsibility, she is left with an incurable disease that will be with her all of her life. The counselor must move her away from playing the victim. Her situation is extremely unfortunate, but she and her parents must make amends and learn to effectively deal with the situation. Lastly, differentiation of self could prove to be quite useful. Jessica needs to become more of an independent thinker in order to value her existence. This will make her a more responsible young lady who can think for herself, make informed decisions and not always seek the approval of others.

III. COUNSELOR'S Self-AWARENESS