Question

>> Like again, I told you my name is Tynesha. I got a lot of stuff to say about me, but you know, I don't know if you're going to be really interested or not. But I know I need to come here. I need something. I got two kids. My dude is at home. He's back again. He left. He comes back. He's in and out. He won't work. And I just want him there for the kids. I don't, I don't know how he sit around all day playing video games and not really helping me. I'm in nursing school. I'm trying to get my degree. My grades ain't what they supposed to be. They could be better, but they ain't because of him. He's always fussing. I can't even get my homework done. I can't get nothing done. And then everybody on me, you know, I got to work. I got to have all the money for the house. I got to take care of the kids. I got to leave work to take them to their appointments. And how much of that are they going to take before they fire me? I don't know. My friends, they help me. But they tired. They're getting tired of helping me because they say what's the point? Why is he there? He's there, and he ain't doing nothing. And you just keep taking him back, but then you ask us for our help. And I don't blame them. I know why they mad. Because they know I could do better. I'm going to nursing school. I was getting good grades. I was on the Dean's list every semester. And now here I am almost flunking. That ain't me. That ain't me. I can't keep doing this. I want my kids to have stuff. I want them to see better. I don't want them to grow up like I did in the projects or in these community apartments and watching people get shot or selling drugs. I want stuff for my family. That ain't what I want. I got to do something though because the kids, they're starting to act out at school. The teacher's calling me. They fighting with other kids. And I know what it is. You know, I know what it is. But I don't want all them people in my business. You know, but pretty soon I told him they going to be calling CSB that child protective thing or something, and then I'm going to be in trouble. Now what if they take my kids? I can't keep doing this. I can't.

>> After seeing Tynesha and haring her story, prepare a response to her using three specific listening skills. These are psycho-education or information giving, self-disclosure, and immediacy.

Questions:

1. Think about what you know about Tynesha's family, including her children and her partner. What additional information might be helpful?

2. What are some of the challenges involved in gathering information about family relationships when you are only speaking to one individual?

3. How could you adapt the genogram to working with a single client? What would be missing? Think beyond the simple lack of others' views and consider the dynamics.

4. At what point might you want to consider involving Tynesha's partner in counseling?

Answer 1

1. All we know about Tynesha is that she has kids and that her partner keeps coming in and going out of her life. Apart from that some information that would also be helpful would be- how old the children are, why does she let her partner come in and out like that, what about her parents, family and other relatives apart from her friends, how old Tynesha and her kids are.

2. When only speaking to one individual it's difficult to understand what exactly the family dyanmics are, as a single persons perspective might differ from what the reality may be or it might just differ to someone else's. There's also very limited information to form a proper conclusion.

3. Her relationship dynamics with her parents and relatives would be missing and what role they play in Tynesha's life could be one important factor.

4. Tynesha's partner should be involved from the start only because her life seems to be really hectic and too much to be managed by herself and her partner being at home should be also brought into counseling to help mend this relationship.