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A Woman Named Jen Is Having Relational Problems With Her Family And The Church

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A woman named Jen is having relational problems with her family and the church where she volunteers, both stemming from her new relationship with Ben. Her family has made it clear that Ben is not welcome at gatherings, and there is heavy tension when she spends time with them alone. Her church has advised that she needs to end the relationship if she is to continue volunteering as it is against the lifestyle agreement that she has signed. Jen is excited about finding new love and genuinely wants the support of her friends and family, and wants them to feel happy for her. The stress is causing her deep anxiety, she has stopped going to church, seeing her friends, and is starting to isolate herself. She feels lonely, conflicted and …show more content…

With Ben’s divorce nearly final, Jen does not understand the issue, and is hurt that her parents feel she should hold out for reconciliation despite the level of betrayal of her spouse. Her sense of worth and self-esteem is on the floor. She perceives her parent’s position that she should fight harder to save her marriage as them condoning what her spouse has done, contributing to her belief that she must not hold much value as a person. As her counsellor, I want to make sure that Jen is given the opportunity to express everything she feels in a safe and comfortable environment. It is a priority that she sees me as being on her side and that she does not feel judged for what she shares. She is a Christian, which makes bringing Jesus into her counselling much easier. Reconciliation to God is my main goal as her counsellor, but my first steps are to find out what help, if any, she has sought to process the actions of her husband, discover what she perceives the current issue to be, ask what her counselling goals are, and determine what outcome she is hoping for. For instance, is she strictly looking to vent and / or be validated? Does she want restoration with her family and her church? Is she looking for someone to validate her argument as to why her choices should be supported and / or is she just looking for relief from her anger and anxiety? I want her to feel empowered to

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