Final Video Paper
Hailey Wilhelm
North Dakota State University
Client Introduction
Mariah is a 16-year-old female and currently resides with her grandmother, who is dying from breast cancer. Her biological mother is deceased and she has a strained relationship with her biological father due to his alcohol abuse and prior verbal/physical altercations with her older brother, who is 22 years old. Her and her brother do not live together nor do they communicate often, as he is currently unaware about their grandmother’s cancer. She attends a local high school, but has not been doing well due to the recent stress of her grandmother’s illness. Mariah wants to drop out of high school so that she may begin working to support her grandmother financially. It has been reported that her grandmother is struggling with her finances and has not been given any assistance. She has been striving to provide for both herself and Mariah, but has been facing many complications. The social worker
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The questions asked by SF therapists are usually focused on the present or on the future. This reflects the basic belief that problems are best solved by focusing on what is already working, and how a client would like their life to be, rather than focusing on the past and the origin of problems (Lutz, 2017, What is Solution-Focused Therapy section, para. 7). Mariah does wish to continue her education, as prior to her grandmother’s illness she was not struggling but rather excelling in her academics. Due to the circumstances, Mariah has found that a possible solution to her current stressors would be to obtain her GED while also spending as much time with her grandmother as she can. She has the capability to carry out her education but wishes to do it in a manner where she is able to both support and help her