Open Possibilities - Free Essay Example

Setting Open Possibilities is an outpatient counseling center located in the city of Costa Mesa, California. In total, the center employs about 40 MFT Trainees from various graduate programs throughout California. Open Possibilities is a non-profit organization that operates to assist low income, struggling individuals and families at the clinic, while also maintaining contracts with multiple school districts and homeless shelters to provide counseling services at a low cost. Various elementary, middle, and high schools are contracted with Open Possibilities in Santa Ana, Ocean View (Huntington Beach), and Little Lake (Norwalk) unified school districts. A homeless shelter, called WISE Place for Women is also contracted with Open Possibilities to provide counseling services at a low cost. MFT Trainees may also see individual adult or child, couples, or family clients at the clinic on a sliding scale fee. The intake process involves a client calling the clinic to ask for services, which they will then be matched to an MFT Trainee based on availability of schedule, and then the MFT Trainee will give the client a call to schedule an intake session. Lastly, Open Possibilities also offers groups such as Teen Anger Management, Teen Substance Abuse, Adult Anger Management, and Parenting classes. Clients’ who attend these various groups may either be court mandated or voluntary. The intake process will be similar to individual counseling, but will be based on clients’ preference of which group (day/time) to join. Identifying Information The client is a 14-year old, heterosexual, Hispanic female. She’s currently in 7th grade and is not in a relationship, although she expresses a desire to be in one with a boy from her previous school. The client is the middle child of three. She has an older sister and a younger sister, ages 19 and 10. Both parents are married and living in the same house. About a month and a half ago, client’s grandparents and one of her aunts came from Mexico to live with her family and she complains of not having enough space in the house due to the amount of people living with them. The client was initially referred for counseling by her school guidance counselor dating back to November 2017, for fighting with another female student. The client stated that the reason for fighting was due to a female student spreading rumors about her regarding other male students. She reported not liking what she heard about what was being said, so when she went to confront this student, a physical altercation broke out. Another incident occurred this past February, where client was involved in mutual combat with another female student, after hearing rumors being spread about her and other boys. Presenting Complaints The client has difficulty expressing her emotions appropriately. She has a quiet and calm demeanor, but holds a lot of her anger internally. She lets her anger build up until it spills over and she will engage in destructive behaviors. The client was asked about her anger meter, a scale from 1-10; 1 representing no anger, and a 10 representing explosive anger. She stated that she was at a six or seven most days. This represents quite an elevated level of anger for normal functioning. The client also struggles with change. After the altercation with another student in March, she was given a new schedule of classes to avoid conflict with that particular student. She reported refusing to attend one of her classes and was often late to other classes. Back in October 2017, the client was kicked out of her previous school for fighting and has struggled to adjust to the new school. She complains of her peers being different from her previous school in that they tend to spread rumors when fe male students have male friends. The client also struggles with trust, so this had a compounding effect, in that she struggles making new friends because everyone at the school is â€Å"shady† and cannot be trusted. Behavioral Observations The client is very consistent in attending session every week. She tends to wear a black or grey hoodie with black or grey pants. She has long black hair, stands at about 5’3† in height, and has a slender build. She often comes into session wearing her backpack while sitting down. Her posture is often relaxed and will lean back in her chair. The client appears to be healthy and doesn’t show any signs of cognitive or intellectual irregularities. She is oriented x3 and shows good insight and focus to stay on topic. The client more often than not appears sleepy when first coming into session and will often avoid eye contact when speaking. She presents with a very quiet and calm demeanor and often looks well composed. During the first session, the client appeared guarded, but has since opened up about her personal life. During the fifth session, the client broke down crying when speaking about all the challenges she’s experiencing in life. The client does not e xpress any homicidal or suicidal ideation nor does she present with any hallucinations or delusions. Precipitating Factors and History of the Problem The client has struggled making friends dating back to elementary school. This is due to a combination of inadequate social skills and an irrational belief that other people are untrustworthy. In the 4th grade, client reported self-harming behavior for the first time due to the fact that she had no friends and felt alone. In the 6th grade, client’s uncle passed away due to alcoholism and drug use, which led client to engage in self-harming behavior for the second time. The client reported being close to her uncle and trusting of him and misses him today. She reports of never receiving prior counseling or referral to a support group. Personal matters were dealt within her immediate family. The client did express a need to have a place to express her feelings and emotions outside the family system. Developmental and Historical Information The client was born without complications, a normal, healthy, baby girl. She was the second born out of three sisters. Growing up, the client reports that her parents were often out working and did not spend much time with her even though she would make attempts to try to spend time with them. At the same time, the client reports not being close to her sisters, especially her older sister. There’s a six year age difference between the client and her older sister, and because of that she reports her older sister always being out doing her own thing with her friends instead of spending time with the client. Today, the client reports having an â€Å"okay† relationship with her older sister. They spend some time together going to the mall or getting food to eat, which the client describes as a â€Å"good time.† On the other hand, there are also times where her relationship with her older sister is strained because as the client describes, â€Å"the things my sister says to me makes me feel worthless.† She’s referencing the times where she misbehaves at school; getting into fights, cutting class, receiving excessive tardiness letters, and getting caught holding marijuana for a friend. There’s periods of times where the client has a good relationship with her older sister, but also periods of times where the relationship is strained. In the 4th grade, the client reported not having any friends and feeling alone and isolated, which led her to her first instance of self-harming behavior. She attributed the reason for the lack of friendships as not being able to trust any of her peers because all they did was gossip. In the 6th grade, the client lost her uncle to alcoholism and drug abuse, which led to the second instance of self-harming behavior. The client reported being r eally close to her uncle and was very trusting of him. He was someone she was able to talk to and confide with. She took the loss really hard, which brought back feelings of isolation, causing her to self-harm. The client speaks of being very fond of her cousins and feels comfortable speaking with them about personal matters. She finds comfort and safety when in their presence. Since the 6th grade, the client reports not having made another attempt at self-harm or ideation. Since elementary school, the client reports being an â€Å"okay† student academically. She puts effort into her classes, but not as much as she could. She also does not do all her homework. She reports enjoying social science, but dislikes math and language arts. The client transferred from another middle school back in October 2017, after attending the school from 6th grade up until the first few months of 7th grade. The reason for the transfer was because the client got kicked out of the school for fighting with other students. Not even a month attending the client’s current school, and she gets into a fight with a female student. She was suspended for two days. The cause of this fight was because of the female student spreading rumors about the client and a male friend. This past February, the client was suspended again after being caught with marijuana in her backpack. She was suspended for two days and was required to attend a two day drug program at the school. The client reported that she was only holding the marijuana for a friend. When confronted by her parents about the incident, the client reported running away from home because she did not want to deal with her parents. According to the client, she has never tried drugs or alcohol, but is curious. Asides from her uncle, the rest of her family does not have a history of alcoholism or substance abuse. The client reports being healthy, eating a normal diet, but has not had a medical check-up in a few years. In March, the client was again involved in a fight with a female student due to the spread of rumors via social media. She was suspended for three days. At the present moment, the client reports being single and is not interested in dating anyone at the school. She does have a tendency of b ringing up a former love interest at her old school, whom she had a previous short term relationship with, as a person of interest. This person has hurt her in the past, as she found out that he had a girlfriend at the same time they were together. The client feels very conflicted about her feelings for this person. Social and Cultural Information The client’s presenting problem or current difficulties stem from a number of social and cultural factors including SES, Hispanic culture, and peer pressure from being a teenager. A person’s SES can have a major influence on their psychological and physical well-being (Decarlo, Wadsworth, Stump, 2011). The client has both parents in the home, whom work, but is providing for three children. She reports being low SES, in the working class. There is a link between low SES and negative psychological health outcomes (Decarlo, Wadsworth, Stump, 2011). They are associated with higher levels of emotional and behavioral difficulties, including social problems such as delinquent behavior and ADHD. Higher rates of aggression, depression, anxiety, attempted suicide, and drug and alcohol dependence is also seen. Low SES is linked to poor academic success due to having less available resources. Children are often at a disadvantage when starting Kindergarten because they have less verbal and literacy skills than those from high SES families. Adolescent’s entering high school have literacy skills about five years behind those from high income families (Sheridan McLaughlin, 2016). These kids tend to be more absent from school throughout their educational experience. And the dropout rate has steadily increase for those living in poverty. Low income students fail to graduate about five times the rate of middle income families.

Exploration of Gender and Sexuality in Lady Susan and Wide Sargasso Sea - Literature Essay Samples

In Jane Austen’s epistolary novel Lady Susan and Jean Rhys’ Wide Sargasso Sea, the concept of gender remains a key aspect throughout both of the narratives in regard to plot development and characterization. Whilst Lady Susan was thought to be written almost two centuries before Rhys’ novel, Austen’s approach towards gender is more modern, as the female protagonist is independent and uncoventionally confident in terms of her sexuality. As a â€Å"distinguished flirt†, Lady Susan allows Austen to challenge the stereotypical gender roles of contemporary society. On the other hand, the Creolian female protagonist in Wide Sargasso Sea remains oppressed by her English husband. The postcolonial novel unveils the lack of female freedom during the 19th century, especially for women such as Antoinette, born into a brutal colonialist and patriarchal society. Despite the Austen’s feminist approach, she still hints at the chauvinistic attitude of society , as shown by the wide disapproval of Lady Susan’s avant garde behavior. However, both authors also capture glimpses of male weakness, as the men in Lady Susan appear somewhat foolish and easily manipulated by the female protagonist. Likewise Rochester is shown to be slightly intimidated by the otherness of his Caribbean wife. Austen tests the norms of power relations between man and women through her presentation of Lady Susan, who is shown to be a revolutionary figure, both â€Å"rich, independant, and sexually satisfied†. Contrary to the traditional expectations of femininity, Lady Susan is openly flirtatious and aware of her seductive mastery. At the beginning of the narrative Mrs Vernon describes her as â€Å"captivating† (p.6), meaning the reader is immediately aware of her charisma. This marks her as striking not necessarily in terms of just her physical appearance, but her character too, hinting at her powerful nature. Claire Tomalin refers to the protagonist as â€Å"a predator†; implying that in essence her male subjects are her prey. This builds on the idea of Lady Susan as a dominant female, who reverses the stereotypical gender roles by cunningly enchanting men. Her magnetism is further implied in Mr DeCourcy’s early letter to Mrs Vernon, as he exclaims â€Å"What a woman she must be!† (p.7), indicating his eagerness to acquaint himself with the widow. The abruptness of this phrase and the use of punctuation also emphasises his sense of admiration for Lady Susan. He later refers to her â€Å"bewitching powers† (p.7) which contributes to the portrayal of the protagonist as a compelling seductress. The choice of the word ‘bewitching’ is interesting, as it hints at her hypnotic hold over men, whilst also highlighting the unusual nature of her fortitude; Lady Susan’s assertiveness and sexual appetite is incongruous to her society, and consequently these qualities are seen as almost supernatural. Kate Macdonald describes the female figure as â€Å"utterly ruthless in the pursuit of her own desires†, which supports this view of her being atypically selfish concerning her carnal desires. Unlike Lady Susan, the female protagonist of Wide Sargasso Sea lacks independence and self-assurance. As a Creole woman whose identity becomes sapped by her husband, Antoinette is almost at the other end of the spectrum to Lady Susan. She needs Rochester in order to fulfill her, and is shown to be impotent without his reassurance. For example, in Part II of the novel, following Antoinette’s emotional abandonment by Rochester, she declares â€Å"But I cannot go. He is my husband after all.†, demonstrating her subservience. The justification of her actions by the mere fact that Rochester is her husband shows her incapacity to act for herself the reader discovers that her decisions become moulded by him, whereas in Austen’s novel, it is Lady Susan who manipulates the opposite sex. Andrea Masset discusses this â€Å"[loss of] identity in phallocentric society† as she refers to Antoinette as holding a â€Å"muted position†. This contributes to the portr ayal of the protagonist as a powerless sufferer due to societal conventions a point which is epitomized by Angela Pneuman; â€Å"She is, in short, a victim†. This description adds to her somewhat pathetic portrayal, evoking pity in the reader. Antoinette is also heavily dependent on her caretaker Christophine, who eventually leaves her, leading Antoinette into a state of despair as she cries â€Å"what will become of me?† (p.63). This hints at Antoinette’s inability to be self-sufficient, and shows that in contrast to Lady Susan, she is reliant on those around her for comfort. In fact, Christophine is far more comparable to Austen’s protagonist, as she recognises the importance of female power, stating â€Å"Women must have spunks to live in this wicked world† (p.63). Here Rhys alludes to society’s cruel condemnation of women, and stresses the need for female ascendancy something which is not manifested in the character of Antoinette. Sand ra Drake refers to Christophine as a â€Å"model of female independence-and self-reliance†, therefore reinstating this idea of her as a feminist icon who is considerably stronger than Antoinette. Despite Austen’s modernist slant on gender roles, the author still conveys a sense of disdain with regards to Lady Susan’s free-spiritedness, as the letters exchanged between the other female characters reveal their contempt towards the widow. This is evident in a letter from Mrs Vernon to Lady DeCourcy, in which Lady Susan is said to be an â€Å"unprincipled woman† (p.13). This demonstrates that, although Lady Susan is very confident in terms of her sexuality, her actions disgust her fellow lady subjects. She herself even recognizes this, stating to Mrs Johnson that â€Å"The females of the family are united against me† (p.4). Her non-conformist attitude is discussed by Kate Macdonald, as she refers to her as â€Å"one of the truly great Appalling Women in British Fiction†. This supports the opinions of the other female figures in the novel, as Macdonald’s use of the word ‘appalling’ hints at the seemingly shameful behavior of L ady Susan. Mrs Vernon’s revulsion is also indicated in a letter to Lady de Courcy, describing her behavior as â€Å"inexcusably artful and ungenerous† (p.6). Here Austen allows the reader to consider the expectations of contemporary society regarding the conduct of women, as during the the 19th century, the time in which the novel was published, women were still regarded as largely inferior, and therefore unable to express themselves as freely as men certainly not sexually. It is not only her female subjects that disapprove of her flirtatiousness, as shown by Sir Reginald DeCourcy, who says her encouragement of other men is â€Å"so gross and notorious, that no one [can] be ignorant of them at the time, nor can [forget] them† (p.18). This refers to the importance of image for women, as Lady Susan’s actions have clearly tainted her status; her openness about her sexual desires renders her somewhat unappealing in the eyes of certain men carrying traditiona l values. It is clear that although she is proudly self-willed, she is an object of scorn to many of her subjects. The misogynistic undertones of Austen’s novel are comparable to those of Wide Sargasso Sea, especially when considering the significance of the male protagonist Rochester. His attitude towards his wife is similar to that of many of Lady Susan’s subjects, as Rhys clarifies that she is little more than an article to him someone who he continues to dominate and eventually drive to madness. For instance, in Part II of the novel, Rochester talks about Antoinette as if she is an inanimate object, stating â€Å"The doll had a doll’s voice† (p.110). This reveals his lack of compassion towards his wife; here the use of the determiner ‘the’ to address Antoinette stresses the impersonal nature of their relationship and his lack of respect for her. The metaphorical comparison of his wife to a doll also contributes to the portrayal of Rochester as an oppressor, as Rhys depicts Antoinette as a lifeless toy, helplessly puppeted by her husband. The fact that Rochester rejects his wife’s real name, renaming her as ‘Bertha’, also demonstrates his disregard for Antoinette as an equal. Furthermore, by refusing to listen to her side of events towards the end of the novel, he effectively denies her the right to have a voice. He even begins to mimic his wife by calling her ‘Marionetta’; a cruel joke that reflects her doll-like malleability. Sandra Drake explores this idea of female repression, as she describes Rhys’ narrative as one concerning â€Å"the struggle for Antoinette’s survival† in which she is reduced to â€Å"psychological helplessness by European colonialism and patriarchy†. In light of this view, Rochester comes to represent the tyranny of colonialism as well as a male-dominated society, as he exerts his complete English control over the Caribbean landscape and people. This allows Rhys to highlight the extent to which the male protagonist damages his wife’s ment al state. Although Austen’s novel is set in a time period in which men are considerably more powerful and liberated than women, certain male characters are portrayed in a weaker light as Mr Manwaring, Mr DeCourcy and Sir James become helplessly ensnared by Lady Susan. Austen’s presentation of such characters serves a somewhat comical purpose, as they are strangely charmed by a female; an occurrence which would not traditionally take place in contemporary society, as the male figure is typically expected to adopt such a role. Lady Susan is also able to manipulate Mr Vernon, which she reveals at the beginning of the novel, stating â€Å"I really have a regard for him, he is so easily imposed upon!† (p.8) when referring to his acceptance of her lodgings request. This implies that Mr Vernon is weak-willed, as Lady Susan is able to exploit him without him showing any real knowledge of her actions of manipulation. Similarly, Mr Manwaring is shown to be rather pathetic, as Lady Susan exclaims â€Å"Poor Manwaring!† (p.9) in a letter to Mrs Johnson, adopting a pitying tone, hence painting him as a feeble man, rather than one exuding dominance. Sir James is presented as equally as meagre, being described as â€Å"contemptibly weak† (p.4), providing the reader with a rather laughable image of a sickly, inadequate man. This allows Austen to cleverly challenge the gender stereotypes, as these qualities were not commonly associated with men throughout the 19th century, where women were treated as the weaker beings. The foolishness of men in the narrative is further exemplified by Mr DeCourcy’s submission to Lady Susan, as Mrs Vernon states â€Å"Her power over him must now be boundless, as she has entirely effaced all his former ill-opinion† (p.16). This humorous description emphasizes the meekness of Mr DeCourcy as a result of his enticement by the adulteress Lady Susan, as Austen’s use of the word â€Å"boundless†, hyp erbolizes the extent to which he is charmed, suggesting that the widow possesses infinite dominance over him. The alliteration in the phrase â€Å"entirely effaced† also stresses the weak nature of Mr DeCourcy, implying that he is completely numbed by female power. Rhys, like Austen, also allows the reader to see the weakness in male characters, as Rochester reveals occasional signs of angst. This is largely suggested to be consequential of his wife’s difference, which perhaps intimidates him. For example, he is shown to be deeply disorientated and potentially perturbed by the unfamiliarity of Jamaican culture and regards his wife as emblematic of this. As a result, Rhys’ presentation of Rochester as an oppressor is perhaps a mere indicator of his own feelings of distrust and fear, which ultimately drive him to imprison his wife in his attic. This fear is unveiled towards the end of the narrative, as Rochester says â€Å"I hated its beauty and its magic and the secret I would never know. I hated its indifference and the cruelty which was part of loneliness. Above all I hated her.† (p.111). Here the author implies that Rochester’s detestation for the Caribbean and Antoinette is simply due to the fact that he is frigh tened of the unknown and therefore unwilling to accept the lifestyle that his wife represents. Glyn Griffith describes Rochester’s treatment of his wife as a result of â€Å"the Otherness which he feels obliged to repress in order to maintain his Eurocentric perspective intact†. This therefore implies that he is scared of losing his ‘Europeanness’ as he thinks that the Caribbean landscape could possibly cloud his judgement and forget his colonial loyalties. The presentation of the relationship between Amà ©lie and Rochester also hints at his weakness, as Rhys foreshadows the power that the servant will capitalize on Rochester at the beginning of Part II, where she is described to give him a look so deeply malicious that he is forced to turn away. As he succumbs to his sexual urges with Amà ©lie, he disregards his imperialist beliefs and disapproval of Jamaican culture, highlighting his lack of power in terms of carnal desire. Upon considering the concept of gender in Lady Susan and Wide Sargasso Sea, it is evident that both authors are influenced by the circumstances of their own societal upbringings. Austen’s novel shows a female figure who is far more selfish but also braver than the typical nineteenth century woman, who pushes the social boundaries and unapologetically expresses her sexuality regardless of the disdain she provokes in others. Rhys’ experience of growing up in the colony of Dominica means her narrative instead presents the female protagonist as a victim of the patriarchal society, as her marriage is portrayed as an act of colonialism; based on conquest and power. Nevertheless, both of the novels capture aspects of male weakness; an almost alien concept in contemporary society. Regardless of the author’s different explorations of the theme, gender is shown to be a construct determined by social pressures the characters are either afraid of disobeying the gender norm s, or open to challenging them.