Barriers from Getting Individual Treatment

Instructions: Please read the provided case example and then answer the following questions.
Case Example:
Shamay is a muslim women who has schedule an appointment for individual therapy, with the presenting problem stated as being related to conflict with members of her family, not feeling “good enough” and feeling depressed most of the time. During your intake appointment you work with Shamay to conduct a thorough assessment of her current situations to identify the important factors that will need to be addressed in therapy or may impact the progress/outcome of treatment.
During the assessment, you ask Shamay to describe in her own words the issues that have brought her in to treatment today. Shamay states that over the past two years things have really gone “downhill.” She says that she is embarrassed to even be seeking therapeutic services but does not know what else to do at this point. She states she feels a lack of motivation to do even the simplest of tasks around her house, that she does not enjoy her career, which she used to be passionate about, that she is emotional for no reason, cries frequently, feels tired often, and is generally hopeless that things will ever get better. She also reports that her husband has decided they should probably consider separation, due to his belief that she is not a good role model for their children. When asked whether she thinks she is a poor role model for her children, she says she has a lot to be ashamed of. She says that she does not really have any positive ways to deal with feeling so depressed, that she has done things she really regrets, but she also recognizes she did not know how else to help her get through hard times. When asked what she regrets, or for some specifics, she states that she is really too embarrassed to talk about them. You validate the client’s feelings, but encourage her that therapy is a safe place to discuss her problems. The client says that she has had a few incidents where she has had too much to drink and came home acting in embarrassing ways in front of her husband and children. She says that her husband just does not seem to understand why she can’t just get her life together and says that if she really loved her children and family that she would be more responsible.
Questions to address in the discussion:
1) Although Shamay has decided to come into treatment, what barriers do you identify as potentially playing a role to her receiving treatment?
2) What information from your textbook readings helped you to conceptualize the barriers?
3) What specific areas would you follow up with next, in terms of gathering good assessment information? Why?
Course material attached separately to use in the discussion.
**No cover page needed.