Intake and Assessment Role-Play Part 6 - Risk Assessment and Goal Setting

Summary

The transcript captures a counseling intake session where the individual discusses personal struggles, including moments of suicidal thoughts, past violent tendencies, and challenges related to drug use. The person reflects on their current emotional state, particularly feelings of failure, and shares life goals like securing a stable job, being drug-free, and improving their well-being. They express mixed confidence in counseling, acknowledging past difficulties but showing a willingness to try again. The counselor reassures them, explaining the structure of future sessions and focusing on addressing specific issues.

Takeaways

• 😀 The individual has never attempted suicide but has experienced passing thoughts during difficult times, such as when facing eviction.
• 😀 The individual recognizes the severity of suicidal thoughts but reassures that they would never act on them and would communicate if these thoughts changed.
• 😀 The person experienced significant emotional distress when evicted and felt like a failure, especially in relation to their children and friends.
• 😀 The individual acknowledges past violent behavior, such as during high school, but has not had thoughts of harming others in recent years.
• 😀 The person uses alternative methods, such as punching walls or throwing breakable objects, to release anger instead of harming others.
• 😀 The individual has never experienced hallucinations or delusions but did have mild drug-induced paranoia when using cocaine in the past.
• 😀 The individual expresses a desire to have a stable and fulfilling job that provides a better future for themselves and their children.
• 😀 One of the individual's life goals is to live a drug-free life, though they recognize the challenge of quitting.
• 😀 In counseling, the individual wants to work on managing anger, lowering blood pressure, improving sleep, eating less, and quitting drugs.
• 😀 The person is somewhat confident in achieving counseling goals, though they have had limited success with previous counseling experiences.
• 😀 The individual is open to continuing counseling and working towards their goals, despite past challenges with treatment.

Q & A

Has the client ever attempted suicide?

No, the client has never attempted suicide. They view it as a sin and believe that only God can take one's soul away.

Has the client had thoughts of suicide?

Yes, the client has had fleeting thoughts of suicide, particularly when they were experiencing severe sadness and feelings of failure during an eviction. However, they emphasize that they would never act on these thoughts.

What was the last time the client experienced suicidal thoughts?

The client mentioned that the last time they had suicidal thoughts was about a month and a half ago, when they were facing eviction and felt like a failure.

Does the client feel any harm towards others?

The client does not currently feel the urge to harm others. They reflect on past violent tendencies in high school but clarify that it was never about killing anyone—just aggressive behavior, which they have since outgrown.

What did the client do when feeling extremely angry?

When the client feels extremely angry, they sometimes punch walls or break objects, such as special PL Ples, rather than harming others.

Has the client ever heard or seen things that others couldn’t?

The client has not experienced any such occurrences, but they did mention hallucinations when they were under the influence of cocaine, where they believed someone was at the door or inside their house when no one was there.

What are the client's goals for their life?

The client desires a stable job that allows them to relax and ensure a better future for their children. They also wish to be drug-free, recognizing the challenge in quitting but are determined to try.

What are the client’s specific goals for counseling?

The client aims to reduce anger, lower blood pressure, improve sleep, eat less, and quit drugs. These goals reflect their desire for personal improvement and overall health.

How confident is the client about achieving their counseling goals?

The client feels moderately confident about trying counseling again. They acknowledge past setbacks but remain open to making progress through therapy.

How does the client view the counseling process moving forward?

The client understands that this intake session was mostly about assessment, and they are aware that the next session will focus on actual counseling with specific treatment plans and further exploration of their issues.