Reference no: EM133930162

Problem

Eddie (39) and Sabrina (40) and their two children, Joey (13) and Lily (10), lost the home they were renting and most of their possessions in a recent wildfire. They stayed at a shelter for one night before moving into a motel, where they still are. They are grappling with shock and loss; they are not sure what to do next. Sabrina reports they are seeking family therapy after she and Eddie had a major blow-out in front of the children about his use of marijuana and alcohol, which started again after the fire. Eddie and Sabrina report they dated for several years before getting married 15 years ago. They are from the same area where their families still live. Eddie had been a heavy drinker while they were dating, and Sabrina refused to get married until he was clean and sober for 2 years. Sabrina reports that Eddie remained sober until after Joey was born, when he started drinking again. At that time, Sabrina was employed with a nonprofit organization as an intake coordinator but got a second job to make ends meet. Eddie watched Joey while she worked. Sabrina remembers that Eddie called her one evening at work, and he was clearly intoxicated. She left work and found 9-month-old Joey asleep at the front door. Eddie laughs it off but reports he agreed to go back into rehab.

Two years later, Lily was born, and Eddie remained sober, kept his job, and helped Sabrina with the children. A few years later, the family moved to the mountain community where they still live today. Eddie finished a certification in technology and was hired by the company he is still employed with. Eddie reports he enjoys his job and likes his co-workers. Sabrina was hired at a behavioral health facility as a case manager and was eventually promoted to the program manager role she has now. Sabrina reports it is a stressful job, and she is on call most of the time. Soon after the move, Eddie started drinking and smoking marijuana, but Sabrina thought he seemed to "handle it responsibly." His relapse had a negative impact on his relationship with Sabrina, but he managed work and home responsibilities.

As time went by, Eddie started using marijuana all day, every day when not working; he denies that this interferes with the family or work. Eddie and Sabrina have not been working since being evacuated, but both report they need to get back to work to have money for bills and to figure out where they will live. Joey is in the 7th grade, and Lily is in the 4th; their school was shut down after the fire but is reopening next week. The latest incident occurred when Sabrina came back from a late meeting at the children's school, which is scheduled to reopen next week. When she returned to the motel, she found Joey and Lily watching TV, and Eddie was intoxicated. Lily said she was hungry. Sabrina was angry and asked Eddie why he had not gotten dinner, which he minimized. Furious about Eddie's irresponsible behavior in the face of so much stress and trauma, Sabrina told him he was a loser, a horrible father, and a disappointment as a husband. Sabrina reports screaming at Eddie, "I never should have married you; we would be better off without you." Eddie agreed with her and said in a withdrawn tone, "don't worry, you won't have to deal with it much longer." Joey, sitting near his mother, also looked angrily at his father. Lily did not make eye contact, looked withdrawn, did not talk, and responded to direct questions with head nods and shrugs. Get the instant assignment help.

Explain the potential cultural differences between counselor and client that might influence the professional counseling relationship in this scenario.