Question

Read the following case study:

Swan is a 14-year-old student at the Sea-Cow School for the Performing Arts. Her goal in life is to be a world-acclaimed ballet dancer. She has been dancing ever since she was 4 years old, when her parents enrolled her in a Ballet for Tots program. Swan’s parents have always encouraged her to pursue her dream of dancing professionally. As a young girl, Swan had the perfect body for a ballet dancer, slim and flexible. Within the last year, Swan has become concerned that she is gaining weight. She heard from friends that smoking cigarettes could help her stay thin, although she didn’t exactly know why. Swan became desperate to control her weight and started borrowing cigarettes from friends. Eventually, she was smoking almost a pack of cigarettes a day and felt edgy and irritable if she went without smoking for more than a few hours. She thought about trying diet pills or even barbiturates to avoid the smell of the cigarette smoke.

Then refer to the following toolkit for parents: "National Eating Disorder Association: Parent ToolKit"

https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/sites/default/files/Toolkits/ParentToolkit.pdf

Using the above toolkit, along with Chapter 5, and the materials from the field trip, compose a 300-word post that responds to the following questions:

Swan’s parents have approached you, the school counselor, because they found rolling papers in her room. Although Swan denies using any other drugs, her parents are convinced that she has been smoking marijuana.

How would you approach this as case as a school counselor?

Do you think Swan is addicted or at risk for addiction? (If yes, which ones, and why?)

What questions would you ask Swan and her parents?

What recommendations would you make?

Answer 1

As a school counsleor firstly I will take the case history/ collect the background of Swan. As Swan's parents had approached me I would like to take information from them as well and most importantly if anyone smokes in the house. As per found evidences I will not conclude that Swan smoke marijuana, it may be possible and that I will try to find out. Fruitfully few session will give us a better understanding and thiings about Swan.  

It is very important to know whether Swan has dependend on smoking or not. Then, most importantly molding the behaviour of Swan using Behaviour Modification techniques towards performing art so as to become a world class ballet dancer.

Using the Cognitive Behaviour Therapy during individual sessions I will try to remove negative thoughts of Swan, and motivate her behaviour to do productive work. Using CBT I will not only treat her addiction but also state of anxiety. And I will try to change the environment of Swan with the help of her parents.

I will recommend her to focus of her sense of purpose and move accordingly. I will recommend her to do all things she need to do to become a ballet dancer.