Crisis Intervention Client Write-up
Session 1
What I was trying to role-play:
During the first session, I was playing Carlos, a 28-year-old man, married to his high school sweetheart. Carlos was distraught because he recently found out that his wife had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). The news was very fresh, as he just found out two weeks prior. Carlos had barely begun to grieve about his wife’s diagnosis, before she just left one week ago, stating that she wanted to experience freedom. Carlos and his wife have a six-year-old little girl, who she also abandoned. Carlos was distressed due to his wife’s diagnosis; angry because she abandoned him and their daughter and confused because he wasn’t sure if she was ever coming back. It is also important to mention, that in spite of the fact that his wife was diagnosed a serious disease, Carlos was ready to help and support her. Their family has a regular income, which allows paying for the cure and therapy. Moreover, Carlos was ready to find another job to have an additional income so that the family would not experience any changes connected to money. It means, that Carlos was completely ready to do his best and help his wife. Her leaving made him feel betrayed as his readiness to help and to support was not appreciated.
Carlos was filled with emotion, sobbing one moment and angry the next. Carlos came to counseling because he was finally at his breaking point and just about to have a mental breakdown. It is notable that he still loved his wife despite the situation that she created. Moreover, he was worried about her future life. On the other side, he understood that the life of his daughter would also change and he needs to think not only about himself but also about her. He was confused, angry, distraught, overwhelmed, hurt, and yet concerned for his wife’s safety and whereabouts. It was difficult for Carlos to understand that his wife left. As it was mentioned before, they were together since high school, which means that they always supported and trusted to each other. Carlos could not believe that they are no more together and that his beloved woman could perform such a deed. Moreover, he could not understand how his wife could leave their daughter as she is still a child. Carlos may still have been in a bit of shock and denial at this point, but knew he needed to move forward for the sake of his daughter. He knew that at this moment he needed to think about her and about her future life as she is a small girl and this situation might be even more difficult for her than for him. However, all the feelings and thoughts that this situation created, did not let Carlos concentrate on the problem and its solution as he was overfilled with emotions. These emotions did not give him a chance to think …
