The first thing I would do in this case would be to introduce myself and let Mike and Sally know that I am going to do my best to get them through this rough time in their lives. I would then ask them both to tell me how they feel and try to better understand the situation and build rapport with the both of them. After this I would begin to deal with how Sally is feeling because it seems as though she is taking the loss much harder than her husband Mike.
I would have Sally explain to Mike how she feels about what has happened and try to get him to understand her point of view to do this I would have to utilize role playing meaning that I would have Mike play the role of Sally and vice versa. While this was going on I would continue to comfort them and reassure them that everything is going to be alright and that it takes time to get through a loss such as this. According to Kubler-Ross’ theory it appears that Sally is going through the denial and shock stage as well as the bargaining and anger stage.
This is evident because according to Mike Sally keeps praying and asking god to take her and bring back their son. One intervention that I would attempt here is to have them both talk about the loss and help them to identify and express their feelings about the loss. Mike is Sallie’s support system so we need to help him to understand what it is that Sally is going through and that she is grieving differently than he is and that eventually with the help of therapy and love she will pull through this. The way that I would do this is by walking Mike through the different steps of the grieving process. I would explain to him that according to the Kubler-Ross 5 stages of death and dying.
The Essay on The Case of Sally & Mike
... Kubeler-Ross’ five stages of death may just be up Sally and her husband’s lane. Six months ago Sally & Mike lost their six ... he could help his wife. Counselors could better help him understand what she’s going through and positive ways to approach her. ... has set in; this consists of where her feelings of loss become inevitable and overwhelming (Kanel, 2007). Therefore, Sally’s husband feels ...
The first one is Denial and Shock. I would explain to him that Sally is currently experiencing this stage and reassure him that it is ok for her to feel this way. The second stage is anger which it seems that Sally has started this stage as well Now I would explain the last 3 stages to Mike as well and just reassure him that Sally will get through these she may suffer more than one stage at a time.
The same thing would apply with Sally she would need to understand that although it may seem cold and heartless that Mike is grieving in his own way and that he too will eventually come to terms with their loss. There are many support groups available for parents that have lost children I would refer both of them to attend one of these groups as well as see a therapist. Mike and Sally may want to plan ahead for such things as holidays and birthdays because these can be some of the hardest times to get through.
Seeing that both Mike and Sally are religious brings to mind the church they may seek counsel from their pastor or priest about how to cope with this spiritually. Some other suggestions may be to write down your feelings in a journal and go back and read them when you begin to get upset. You may also just cry because it helps to get the feelings out into the open and just let them flow.
These are just a few suggestions that come to mind when looking at this case study. Being that their son was only 6 when he passed they may want to begin a charity in his name as a way to remember him. I would reassure Sally that it is not her fault that her son died and that she was and still is a good mother and that it is ok to let go and move on. I would suggest that they both take classes on how to deal with the grieving process that way they can support each other and work through this as a team. It may take Sally years to get over the loss of her son but with the right therapy and support from her husband I am sure that she will pull through and recover fully. I would suggest that they continue to come and see me on a weekly basis so that we may cove r more options for them and to see where they are in the grieving and healing process.
School Facilities Work On The Weekend
Students on the NC State campus are not allowed to have access to the gym and music center facilities at peak hours of boredom during the weekend. During the week while the student's are hurrying to and from classes, they are busy, hard working, and tired of the stress that comes along with balancing academics in college. When the weekend comes around, everyone should be allowed to have a way to ...
There are many other interventions that may work here as well such as giving them information about how other cultures and people grieve they may find something that works better for them then what I have suggested here. Remind them that they must make room for individual differences in how they grieve and not to worry because again they will both pull through this and live a long life together.
Finally after seeing Mike and Sally and how much they love and care for one another I might make the suggestion that they have another child or look into getting a pet to take their mind off of what happened and help them to begin the healing process. This may be looked down upon but I feel that if they are able to give their love and affection to another living thing it may help them to work through the grief and b e better because of it. References
Kanel, K.(2013).
A Guide to Crisis Intervention (3rd ed).
Cengage Learning
