I am not the counselor for this client: Building competence and confidence

Abstract

This chapter examines substance abuse with a pregnant teen, counselor competence, and supervisor assurance. It looks at Mary, who is a White 50-year-old counselor working in a residential maternity home. At the age of 45 and after the death of her only child of 24 years, Mary returned to school and earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees. Subsequent to completing her counseling degree, Mary was hired as a full-time counselor by a maternity home that provides intensive therapeutic programming to pregnant residents who have been identified as needing acute treatment for themselves and their unborn infants. One of the first clients assigned to Mary was Ginger, a White 17-year-old who was 5.5 months pregnant. She was admitted to the maternity home from lock-up after it was discovered she was pregnant. On admission to the maternity home, Ginger had received no prenatal care and tested positive for both cocaine and marijuana. Mary was struggling with prioritizing the multiple issues Ginger presented in session. Mary felt her first responsibility was to the unborn child by means of Ginger's prenatal care and sobriety. In counseling sessions, Mary was aware of her own varying levels of anxiety associated with questions of competence and a strong focus on self rather than the client. Mary was becoming frustrated, confused, and disabled by doubt. She urgently needed to confront her own feelings toward Ginger. She made an appointment for individual supervision with Stan, her supervisor. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)