Posted: September 7th, 2024

Psychotherapy of Individuals

Psychotherapy of Individuals
The child I counseled this week is an 8-year old African-American male. He lives in a middle-class neighborhood with a guardian. He also lives with the other older siblings including two brothers and one sister.
The child has a history of asthma. He is taking medication, and the condition is well-controlled. He is taking Xopenex 0.63mg three times a day to control the blood sugar. His siblings are in a healthy condition. His parents died five years ago in a road accident. The patient’s mother had hypertension. Past medical records also show a recommendation to improve diet, exercise, and stop smoking. He has since quit smoking after going for counseling sessions and support groups’ meetings. The patient’s guardian indicates he has not taken other drugs in the past. He also indicates that other family members have no psychiatric conditions such as depression, stress, or traumatic disorders.
The possible diagnosis for the patient is a post-traumatic stress disorder. The reason is that he is suffering from various symptoms, including hypervigilance, heightened reaction. Others include difficulty concentrating, difficulty sleeping, risky or destructive behavior, irritability, and aggression (Cordova et al., 2017). For instance, anger outbursts and regular irritability are additional prominent symptoms. He also explains he has nightmares and violent dreams that remind him of how his uncle abused him two years ago. Violent dreams also trigger memories of the abuse from relatives after the death of his parents. According to the DSM-5 criteria, the client’s symptoms indicate he has post-traumatic stress disorder (Cordova et al., 2017). The condition occurs when children have experienced scary and shocking events in the past. For example, childhood trauma could have triggered traumatic experiences responsible for the current condition.
The first ethical issue that a professional should observe during the counseling session is confidentiality. It is against the HIPPA laws and ethical code of conduct to expose the identity of a patient (Sivis-Cetinkaya, 2019). Disclosure of their identity is only under limited conditions according to the HIPPA guidelines. Counselors should maintain a professional distance to avoid compromising their services (Sivis-Cetinkaya, 2019). For example, counselors should not engage in other relationships with their clients. It is the responsibility of counselors to utilize their best knowledge to provide quality care to patients. According to the code of ethics, therapists should do no harm to their patients (Sivis-Cetinkaya, 2019). The recommendations or prescriptions they provide to patients should improve their condition, failure to which they will be accountable for their actions.
Counselors should provide quality access to services to all clients without discrimination. For example, the current case study involves an African-American child who has different backgrounds than whites. Therefore, therapists should be culturally competent to enhance quality care provision in a fair manner (Muldrew et al., 2019). Counselors should also refer their clients to other professionals if they feel that they will not deliver quality care or if they are at risk of compromising their standards.
Counselors have a responsibility of providing elaborate information about the therapy. The information allows patients to make decisions on whether to accept or decline the treatment. In the current case study, the patient has the liberty to consent to the treatment. Consenting allows therapists to uphold justice, fairness, and freedom in care provision (Muldrew et al., 2019). Upholding ethical standards improves client satisfaction and the provision of safe and efficient care.

References
Cordova, M. J., Riba, M. B., & Spiegel, D. (2017). Post-traumatic stress disorder and cancer. The Lancet Psychiatry, 4(4), 330-338.
Muldrew, D. H., McLaughlin, D., & Brazil, K. (2019). Ethical issues experienced during palliative care provision in nursing homes. Nursing Ethics, 26(6), 1848-1860.
Sivis-Cetinkaya, R. (2019). A combined approach to teaching counseling ethics: A preliminary study. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 47(3), 274-282.

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