Reference no: EM133511438
Assignment:
Client Profile
Maya is a 31-year-old African-American woman who lives in Brooklyn, New York. She works as a corporate attorney at a big law firm in New York City. Her clients include Fortune 500 companies and she specializes in labor law. She graduated from Columbia University Law School and was the Executive Articles Editor of the Law Review.
Maya was raised in an upper-middle class family. Both of her parents are attorneys: her father established his real estate and elder law practice 30 years ago and is well known in the local legal community. He also teaches real estate law classes at the local law school. Her mother is a highly decorated prosecutor with the local District Attorney's office.
Maya is an only child and aspired to be an attorney from a very young age due to her access to the legal profession through her parents. Although neither of her parents pressured her to become an attorney, they were delighted when she made the decision on her own.
Maya married her college sweetheart while still in law school. The marriage started off well, as her husband was in graduate school studying for his MBA. After both graduated from their respective graduate programs, each was offered high-paying, yet demanding jobs of their choice. Maya was the only African-American Associate hired at her firm that year. She is currently only one of three African-American Senior Associates and the only one being considered for partner. There are currently 4 partners out of 39 at the firm.
The long hours and demanding, conflicting schedules contributed to friction in Maya's marriage that eventually ended in divorce. Maya was in the midst of a high-profile lawsuit during the divorce and found it difficult to navigate the emotional toll of both the legal case and the end of her marriage. She was heartbroken by the loss of her husband, her first love.
Maya started drinking a few glasses of wine late at night after work to help "take the edge" off of her long, draining work days. Her drinking eventually progressed to her often consuming at least one bottle of wine after work. While being considered for partner at the law firm, she began drinking before work and during the workday every day to quell the anxiety of an impending partnership. On the days she doesn't drink as much as usual, she endures abdominal pain, anxiety and varying degrees of sweating.
One day Maya's legal secretary, Zora, approached her out of concern for her drinking. Zora shared that other staff members were gossiping about Maya's drinking at the office, the consistent smell of alcohol on her breath and her frequent inability to remember minor details and facts of her cases during team meetings. Zora was concerned that the chatter might reach the firm's leadership. Maya assured Zora that there was no need for concern and ended the discussion.
After the conversation and in the privacy of her office, Maya did reflect upon her drinking and whether or not it was problematic. She remembered that her paternal grandfather was an alcoholic but maintained a successful dry cleaning business. She figures she can manage her drinking while pursuing partnership in the firm because her grandfather ran a profitable, well-loved business and never curbed his drinking in the process.
Directions
Please read through the case profile and put yourself in the social work seat (treating provider)
Select one theory of addiction and, using that theory as your reference, answer the following questions:
- What is the theory you selected? ( e.g., Moral, Disease, Genetic, Psychological)
- What specific aspects of Maya's experience are relevant to this theory? Please be specific
- What limitations to you observe in the application of this theory to Maya's drinking?
- Please describe the probable neurobiological effects of alcohol on Maya based on details from the case profile.
- Please discuss at least one technique you would implement with Maya to help motivate her to change her drinking behaviors.