1.1) The client’s name is Ashton. He has just moved from Cape Town to Johannesburg and is currently attending school at St. Benedict’s College in Bedfordview, where he resides in the school hostel until his mother can find the most suitable accommodation for him. He is in the final year of his schooling career (Grade 12), and is on a sports scholarship for rugby. He has a little brother, Paul, who is only in primary school. His mother, however, is still in Cape Town until such time that she is able to find employment in Johannesburg. She is a single parent and the family is now beginning to struggle financially after losing their main form of support: Ashton’s grandmother (who passed away due to breast cancer).
1.2) Ashton used to have a rather
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The lack of familiar faces around him would cause him to become lonely and slightly uncomfortable, especially if he is not popular amongst his peers. His family’s financial crisis only makes things worse, and would cause him to become worried and anxious. He would also feel despondent, because he wouldn’t be able to get the things that his peers around him have. He does not have his mother around anymore, and this is a big shock to his system, because he was probably used to always having her around to help him. Ashton is also extremely worried about his scholarship, as he needs to perform well academically in order to retain it. However, he cannot perform well if he is not meeting his deadlines and falling behind with work. Ashton’s procrastination is resulting in him not staying on top of his workload – so he stays up late to try and finish the work, but this will only result in him having a lack of sleep.
• Physical Stressor Symptoms: Ashton’s illness has resulted in him having headaches, nausea, tiredness and irritability issues. These are some of the classic symptoms of an individual suffering from distress.
• Emotional Stressor Symptoms: Ashton may still be mourning the loss his grandmother, because a death in the family can be both an emotional and a social stressor. This change in his environment may cause him to feel out
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Feel free to make use of the weekly stress chart that I have attached at the bottom of this plan.
• Should the plan have no significant effect in reducing your stress levels, then we can look at alternative coping mechanisms to best suit your needs.
1. Talk to Someone – Whether it be me, your mother, a teacher, the hostel head or even the school counsellor. Just talking to someone about how you feel can be extremely helpful. A new set of eyes looking at your situation could help you see what the problem is and how you can solve it. Do not run away from your problems – this will only make things worse. Talk about your grandmother and your family’s financial situation with someone. It is not good to bottle up emotions, which is why it is imperative that you express them.
2. Identify What Your Stressors Are – In order to find solutions on how to manage your stress, we need to understand what triggers your stress. Then we can look at ways of managing it.
3. Perform Relaxation Techniques – You mustn’t worry if you find this skill difficult at first, it will improve the more you practice it. Performing relaxation activities or deep-breathing exercises can help you to