1. When thinking about establishing a therapeutic relationship with this client what are some potential challenges that could arise?

Learning Goal: I’m working on a psychology question and need an explanation and answer to help me learn.

Read the following scenario about a fictitious client, Maria and individually answer the questions below.

Maria, 22 years old, is an undergraduate student majoring in literature and is currently at school on scholarship. She was an excellent student in high school though she has always had a high amount of anxiety about her studies. She also has a history of anxiety surrounding social events, especially involving men; but has coped in the past by drinking a couple of alcoholic beverages to decrease her social “jitters” and worries about school. Recently, she has noticed her drinking has increased and on a couple of occasions she “blacked out.” She has been hung over the day after these drinking episodes, which has affected her school performance and attendance. In addition, she is embarrassed to learn from her roommate how she behaved while under the influence. The most recent drinking episode resulted in Maria missing an exam and she will now not be able to make higher than a D in her class. This may threaten her scholarship. She found out through a friend that her sorority is planning a meeting and will be discussing disciplinary actions for the members who are being poor representatives. Her friend heard that Maria was one of the women being “called out.” Her sorority is important to her and she feels scared she may be asked to leave.

1. When thinking about establishing a therapeutic relationship with this client what are some potential challenges that could arise? In composing your response, think back to your first discussion board and the readings in Chapter 1: Understanding Yourself and Others. Consider, any differences and/or similarities with this client, (both could potentially poses challenges), in your response.

2. How would you navigate these challenges?