Vignette. Audrey (Age 10) Has Lived With Her Foster Mother

Vignette: Audrey (age 10) has lived with her foster mother (Ms. Gomez) and four other non-kin foster children for one year. Due to neglect, she was removed from her mother’s care when she was eight years old. Audrey has weekly contact with her biological mother, but no contact with her biological father or siblings. She says that she feels welcomed and comfortable in Ms. Gomez’ home, but expects to live with her biological mother and siblings in the future. Audrey believes things would be different when she returns to live with her biological mother because her father will not be there to be mean to her and her mother. She also said, â€Å"I will never complain again about my daddy or anyone else, and then I won’t have to worry about the social†¦show more content†¦Audrey’s emotions must be handled with care, as the counselor guides her to understanding the situation and handling it properly. With this understanding it is evident that the most strategic me thod for helping Audrey is the Person-Centered Therapy utilizing the techniques the systematic-relational approach and the house, tree, person test. By using a mixture of the different techniques, it allows for a balance of flexibility and structure in Audrey’s progress. Person-Centered Therapy: The approach of the counselor should originate in the Person-Centered Therapy. The ultimate goal the person-centered therapy is to â€Å"provide the necessary and sufficient therapeutic conditions of congruence, unconditional positive regard, and empathetic understanding so that the client can freely grow to become more of a fully functioning person in a safe and supportive therapeutic environment† (Tan, 2011). Audrey has an innocent view toward her biological mother. She longs to be with her and often blames herself for the separation. Thus, it is vital that the counselor reinstates a healthy self-awareness to Audrey’s understanding of the situation. She needs to learn that the situation is not her fault and that she has done nothing wrong. This will help her to view herself positively and be more open with her counselor about the situation. It is vital that Audrey feel that her counselor is on her