Two Therapy Approaches for Drug Abuse in a Latina Teen
This case study examines two theoretical counseling approaches suitable for treating marijuana use in a fourteen-year-old Latina adolescent female referred for outpatient treatment. After her parents observed declining academic performance and reduced engagement in extracurricular activities, a drug test confirmed recent marijuana use. The paper evaluates client-centered therapy, rooted in Carl Rogers' belief in the client's natural capacity for self-healing, and family systems therapy, which situates the individual within her broader social and familial network. Each approach is assessed for its strengths and weaknesses relative to the client's age, cultural background, and presenting concerns, drawing on empirical studies involving adolescent populations.
- Introduction: Client background, drug test, and referral context
- Client-Centered Therapy: Rogers' approach: strengths and weaknesses for client
- Family Systems Therapy: Family-inclusive therapy: evidence and adolescent resistance
- Conclusion: Both theories support active client involvement
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What makes this paper effective
- Each theoretical framework is applied directly to the specific client's demographic and presenting problem, avoiding generic descriptions of therapy.
- The paper maintains a balanced evaluative structure — presenting both strengths and weaknesses for each approach — which demonstrates critical thinking rather than advocacy for one theory.
- Empirical studies involving adolescent populations (anorexia, diabetes management, PTSD) are used as analogical evidence, showing how to build an argument by transferring findings across related contexts.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates analogical reasoning from empirical literature: rather than citing studies that directly test these therapies on adolescent drug abuse, the author draws on closely related populations (e.g., adolescents with anorexia or diabetes) to support the applicability of each theoretical framework. This is a useful technique when direct evidence is limited.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a client background paragraph that functions as the introduction, then dedicates one section each to client-centered therapy and family systems therapy, each following the same internal pattern: theory definition, supporting empirical evidence, and critique. A brief conclusion synthesizes the comparison and emphasizes client agency. The parallel structure makes the comparison easy to follow.
Introduction
A fourteen-year-old adolescent female of Latina heritage who usually performed incredibly well academically and in her extracurricular activities was observed by her parents to have slipping grades and reduced interest in those activities. This led the eighth-grader's parents to administer a drug test under the care and advisement of a pediatrician; she tested positive for recent marijuana use. The pediatrician recommended her for outpatient treatment for this instance of drug abuse, and it is up to the counselor to determine the best therapeutic theories to apply given the information at hand. Two alternative theories are outlined below, with the strengths and weaknesses of each theory in relation to the client's case examined with evidence from current empirical studies.
Client-Centered Therapy
The basic tenet of client-centered therapy, developed in the middle of the twentieth century by psychologist Carl Rogers, is that the therapist does not lead the client to healing but rather provides an encouraging environment wherein the client's natural tendency toward healing is allowed to fulfill its full potential (Cornelius-White, 2007; Ready et al., 2010). This approach to therapy has distinct advantages and disadvantages in the case at hand, allowing total freedom of expression and self-understanding during a very formative period for the client, yet perhaps not maintaining enough structure during this crucial phase of her development.
A contemporary adaptation of Rogers' original client-centered therapy was utilized to treat a group of Vietnam veterans for post-traumatic stress disorder, and the results of that study show that such personally empowering therapeutic techniques are at least as effective as other, more recently developed simulation therapies (Ready et al., 2010). More directly relevant, other research has shown that a person- or client-centered approach to classroom management is especially beneficial during adolescent years in terms of improving and maintaining academic performance, attendance, and graduation rates (Frelberg & Lamb, 2009). This has direct implications for the appropriateness of utilizing this counseling theory with the client. Since this approach has already demonstrated success in large-scale settings, it appears likely to be appropriate in one-on-one therapy as well, allowing for the same self-direction in a safe environment that makes the theory effective in the classroom.
At the same time, despite a proven efficacy in producing behavioral outcomes across many age groups (Cornelius-White, 2007), there are primary concerns regarding the health and continued well-being of the client held by both her pediatrician and her parents. These concerns will not be addressed as directly or as quickly as the parents might desire, leaving the client vulnerable to a disruption in therapy and, indeed, increasing her health risks should her drug use continue. Client-centered therapy can take some time before desired outcomes are reached, and though those outcomes are generally well-sustained, the time issue is a definite consideration in this case (Ready et al., 2010).
Conclusion
Both family systems therapy and client-centered therapy have shown positive results in terms of affecting behavioral outcomes, in adolescent groups specifically. This makes both therapeutic theories potentially useful in the client's case, though each also carries specific drawbacks. What is of utmost importance is that the client be active in assisting in the development of her own care and therapy — a principle supported by both overarching theoretical frameworks.
References
Cornelius-White, J. (2007). Learner-centered teacher-student relationships are effective: A meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 77(1), 113–143.
Eisler, I., Dare, C., Hodes, M., Russell, G., Dodge, E., & Le Grange, D. (2005). Family therapy for adolescent anorexia nervosa: The results of a controlled comparison of two family interventions. Focus, 3, 629–640.
Frelberg, H., & Lamb, S. (2009). Dimensions of person-centered classroom management. Theory into Practice, 48(2), 99–105.
Ready, D., Gerardi, R., Backscheider, A., Mascaro, N., & Rothbaum, B. (2010). Comparing virtual reality exposure therapy to present-centered therapy with 11 U.S. Vietnam veterans with PTSD. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 13(1), 49–54.
Wysocki, T., Harris, M., Buckloh, L., & Mertlich, D. (2007). Randomized trial of behavioral family systems therapy for diabetes: Maintenance of effects on diabetes outcomes in adolescents. Diabetes Care, 30(2), 555–560.
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