Case Study - Counseling Children

I would approach the counseling session from a cognitive-behavior approach. It appears that Isabella is suffering from anxiety and the cognitive behavior approach to therapy would be a good match for the student. There are a number of aspects of the therapy that coincide with my belief system. I would expect to maintain a professional relationship with Isabella. While I cannot relate the situation that is currently affecting her, I would exert maximum effort in order to see her situation improve.
I would start the counseling session by letting her know reason that she has been called into my office. I would let her know that her mother had come to see me and I had also visited with her teachers to get their input into the situation. I think it is important to let her know that I do not have all the solutions to the problem but use my expertise to facilitate the conversation to help her and her mother reach a solution to the problem. I would also let her know that I am not here to judge her as a person and that everyone deals with problems and issues throughout their life. After we finished up the introductory part of the meeting, I would move us into the problem solving model to address the social conflicts. After letting Isabella define the problem that exists, we could generate a list of alternate strategies to address the problem. After creating the list, we would look at each alternative and consider possible ramifications to each action. Once the list is exhausted, the best strategy is selected and plans are generated to implement this strategy. Before wrapping up the session, I would introduce relaxation therapy to Isabella. The goal of relaxation therapy is to help Isabella manage the physiological response that will accompany the high levels of anxiety that may occur after school. Bringing a butterfly knife will only increase the anxiety and might lead to unintended consequences. I would let her know that his practice must come to an