Case 2. A 27-year-old Japanese American woman talking to acounselor about a relationship that has just ended (she speaks in arather matter-of-fact voice): “About three weeks ago I came backfrom visiting my parents who live in Nevada and found a letter frommy friend Gary. He said that he still loves me but that I’m justnot the person for him. In the letter he thanked me for all thegood times we had together these last three years. He asked me notto try to contact him because this would only make it moredifficult for both of us. End of story. I guess I’ve let my worldcollapse. People at work have begun complaining about me. And I’vebeen like a zombie most of the time.â€
Empathic response.
Question probe.
Statement probe.
How might it help the client move forward?
Case 3. A married Latino man, 25 years old, is talking to acounselor about trouble with his mother-in-law: “The way I see it,she is really trying to destroy our marriage. She’s so conniving.And she’s very clever. It’s hard to catch her in what she’s doing.You know, it’s rather subtle. Well, I’ve had it! If she’s trying todestroy our marriage, she’s getting pretty close to achieving hergoal.â€
Empathic response.
Question probe.
Statement probe.
How might it help the client move forward?
Case 4. A Caucasian man, 45 years old, who has just lost hiswife and home in a tornado, has been talking about his loss to asocial worker: “This happened to a friend of mine in Kansas aboutten years ago. He never recovered from it. His life justdisintegrated and nobody could do anything about it. . . . It waslike the end of the world for him. You never think it’s going tohappen to you.â€
Empathic response.
Question probe.
Statement probe.
How might it help the client move forward?
