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Using the case studies below, write an essay of no less than 2 and no more than 4 pages detailing how you would use the multi-dimensional partner trauma model to clinically work with this client to address the issues or coach this client through recovery.
"Sherry is a 39-year-old mother of 3. Her children are 16, 12, and 9. She married her high school sweetheart at the age of 21. They finished college together. She worked part-time helping put her husband Russell through graduate school. Sherry knew that Russell came from a family where there were several alcoholics. She admired Russell for choosing not to drink. Over the last 2-3 years, Sherry noticed that her husband seemed more distant. She thought it was because of demands at work. Then one afternoon, she turned on the computer and saw several pop-up ads for sex shops. She then looked at the web history and discovered Russell had been viewing porn sites dating back as far as she could see. Even more shocking was that some of the sites were same-sex pornography. She was devastated and began to fear that there might be more.
When Russell came home from work she confronted him. He admitted to viewing pornography, but nothing else. Sherry didn’t believe him and looked at phone bills and credit card statements. She found sex charges and visits to strip clubs. She was in a state of shock and vacillated between feeling anger and not feeling at all. Her husband says he doesn’t have a problem, that she is the one with the issues and refuses to seek help for himself. She went to a therapist who claimed to specialize in treating addiction. The therapist minimized the problem and told her to work on her sex life. Now, in a state of confusion, Sherry has come to you for help."
• Using the multi-dimensional trauma treatment model, how would you use the coaching process for this client?
• What would you want to address first?
• How would you identify her needs?
• What, if any, potential ethical issues might there be in this case?
• How would you handle the potential complexities of this case?
• What coaching principles/skills would you apply here?
"You are seeing the female partner of a sex addict in your practice. You have seen her for 5 sessions to this point, which has comprised of history gathering, psych-education, and building a foundation of safety, and stability, as well as minimizing chaos in the system. In your assessment, you learned that your client had been date-raped by an acquaintance in college, but had no other history of abuse in her background. She is a 39–year–old Mexican-American woman, coming from an intact home with family members living in a neighbouring city. In your work with your client, it has become clear that she needs boundaries for her safety. She is currently married with 2 young children in the home. Her D-day was 5 months ago when she discovered text communication with what she learned was her husband’s affair partner. To this point, she had no clear indication of any sexual behaviours outside of the relationship, which has now spanned 10 years. Her husband entered treatment with a sex addiction specialist and has been attending regular S-meetings.
Your client initially worked to hold the family together, and only slightly over a month ago recognized that symptoms she was experiencing were requiring her to receive help. She reported that she was experiencing thoughts of his acting out, an insatiable need to know where her husband is, difficulty sleeping and concentrating, and she has been losing weight. These symptoms, among others, have brought her into your office. In her sixth session, you start working with her on boundaries. You know that her husband is seeing a sex addiction specialist, yet he has not given you permission to speak with his therapist. Your client also reports that her husband continues to tell her that she needs to “stay on your side of the street and let me work my program.” Besides, he reports that he now has 5 months of sobriety and is a “whole new man.” Your client is confused since she wants to express her pain and feel validated by her husband, but he continues stating “We’ve already been down this road a million times; I can’t let my shame keep me in the past.” She is left wanting to support his recovery and not shame him, yet feeling more and more alone and less safe in interacting with him."
• What are some of the ethical issues involved in this scenario?
• How would you handle the complexities involved?
• How would you address issues with the addict's therapist?
• How would you respond to the issue of having your client stay on “her side of the street?"
• How might you help this client set her agenda in setting boundaries?
• What would you do next in this case? What do you see as more long-term coaching issues to be addressed?
