6 Final Project Case study: Social History Basic Data Client: Sarah Smith DOB: 10/23/ 88 Chronological age: 17 Brief Client Description Sarah is a 17-year-old high school senior who currently resides at home with her parents and two brothers. She attends B____ High School where she is a senior and involved in student government and girls volleyball and basketball. Sarah is approximately 5’8” with shoulder length hair. She is African American. Her weight is in the average range and she appears muscular in her build. Sarah was dressed appropriately for the interview in jeans and a sweater. She was well groomed. Initially she was quiet but as our session progressed she opened up more and was open to sharing both her thoughts and feelings. Several times in the interview she appeared to be anxious as she would bite her nails and play with her hair. By the end of the session she appeared eager to proceed with counseling and stated she was a “little bit hopeful things might improve.” Developmental History Sarah was born to a single mother who was 15 years old and unable to care for her. She was subsequently placed in a foster home for three weeks prior to being placed in her adoptive home. Little is actually known about her birth parents except that they were both in high school at the time and believed adoption was the best option for their child. The delivery was reported to be normal however; her biological mother only received pre natal care in the last two months of her pregnancy. Sarah was reportedly born two weeks early and weighted 7lbs. 6oz. at birth. Sarah was placed with the Smiths at age 3 weeks. Her mother states that she was “beautiful” and a good baby who rarely cried and had a pleasant disposition. She did have ear infections on a frequent basis and subsequently had tubes inserted into her ears at 8 months of age. Ms. Smith describes herself as an “anxious mother.” She stated she “wanted to do everything right.” She relates that the couple had been trying to have a child naturally and had been unsuccessful during the first six years of marriage. Ms Smith reports that Sarah sat alone at 3 months, walked alone at 9 months and generally did most physical activities earlier than other children her age. Her first words were Dada and dog at about 13 months. She was toilet trained at 2.5 years but had difficulty being dry at night until she was 3. Social/Emotional Development Ms. Smith describes Sarah as a delightful child who was spoiled by her grandparents and great grandparents because she was the only grandchild in the family and she had been “long awaited.” Sarah has loved animals since she was a child. She remembers enjoying riding her tricycle and playing with other children in the neighborhood. Sarah states that her father worked a lot during her childhood but that she loved to see him come home and no matter how tired he was he always played with her and made her feel like “his Princess.” Sarah felt very close to.

1. 6
Final Project Case study: Social History
Basic Data
Client: Sarah Smith
DOB: 10/23/ 88
Chronological age: 17
Brief Client Description
Sarah is a 17-year-old high school senior who currently resides
at home with her parents and two brothers. She attends B____
High School where she is a senior and involved in student
government and girls volleyball and basketball. Sarah is
approximately 5’8” with shoulder length hair. She is African
American. Her weight is in the average range and she appears
muscular in her build. Sarah was dressed appropriately for the
interview in jeans and a sweater. She was well groomed.
Initially she was quiet but as our session progressed she opened
up more and was open to sharing both her thoughts and feelings.
Several times in the interview she appeared to be anxious as she
would bite her nails and play with her hair. By the end of the
session she appeared eager to proceed with counseling and
stated she was a “little bit hopeful things might improve.”
Developmental History
Sarah was born to a single mother who was 15 years old and
unable to care for her. She was subsequently placed in a foster
home for three weeks prior to being placed in her adoptive
home. Little is actually known about her birth parents except
that they were both in high school at the time and believed

2. adoption was the best option for their child. The delivery was
reported to be normal however; her biological mother only
received pre natal care in the last two months of her pregnancy.
Sarah was reportedly born two weeks early and weighted 7lbs.
6oz. at birth.
Sarah was placed with the Smiths at age 3 weeks. Her mother
states that she was “beautiful” and a good baby who rarely cried
and had a pleasant disposition. She did have ear infections on a
frequent basis and subsequently had tubes inserted into her ears
at 8 months of age. Ms. Smith describes herself as an “anxious
mother.” She stated she “wanted to do everything right.” She
relates that the couple had been trying to have a child naturally
and had been unsuccessful during the first six years of marriage.
Ms Smith reports that Sarah sat alone at 3 months, walked alone
at 9 months and generally did most physical activities earlier
than other children her age. Her first words were Dada and dog
at about 13 months. She was toilet trained at 2.5 years but had
difficulty being dry at night until she was 3.
Social/Emotional Development
Ms. Smith describes Sarah as a delightful child who was spoiled
by her grandparents and great grandparents because she was the
only grandchild in the family and she had been “long awaited.”
Sarah has loved animals since she was a child. She remembers
enjoying riding her tricycle and playing with other children in
the neighborhood. Sarah states that her father worked a lot
during her childhood but that she loved to see him come home
and no matter how tired he was he always played with her and
made her feel like “his Princess.”
Sarah felt very close to her grandmother and great grandmother
in her early years. She states they ‘were crazy” about her and
she loved them both very much.
Significant childhood events include the birth of her brother

3. when she was two followed by another brother at four. Sarah
states that she does not remember much about the birth of either
of her brothers except that her great grandmother passed away
the week after the birth of her youngest brother. She remembers
being very upset and not understanding why “Grannie would not
speak to her and just lay in the box.”
School History
Sarah attended B______ Elementary School and ________
Middle. She is now at B___________ where she is a senior. She
plans to attend __________next year and study Psychology.
Sarah has “decent grades.” She admits she does not study much
but maintains a B average. The only problems she has had in
school have been daydreaming and not getting her work done
and talking. She reports no problems with attendance and no
behavior problems.
Sarah has always been involved with sports. She currently plays
basketball and volleyball for her school. She has participated in
other sports as well including soccer, softball, and swimming.
She won state wide races with her swim team but quit when she
was 12 years old because she was tired of it. She has been a
cheer leader also.
Sarah has friends at school and in her neighborhood. However,
she states that her parents don’t like some of her new friends
and that has created friction in the home.
Employment History
Sarah is currently working part time at her father’s company in
order to pay for damage she did to her mother’s car. She also
worked there during the summer. She files, answers phones, and
“does whatever people tell her to.” She says it is “OK” but she
would prefer to work in a vet’s office.

4. Current Social/Emotional Issues
Sarah has recently been experiencing some difficulties. She was
referred for counseling with her parents when she took her
mother’s car without permission and drove it around all night.
When she returned with the car she drove it into the garage
causing significant damage. Her mother states she is “sure”
alcohol was involved in the incident. Sarah denied this.
Sarah admits she often feels like an outcast in her family. She is
not as smart, or talented, or “socially acceptable” as her
brothers. As a result of these feelings she has had a difficult
time finding her place in the family and often thinks of herself
as a “leftover” which is her term for her place in the family.
Sarah has long standing issues about her adoption and questions
about her birth mother. She states she often wonders if her birth
mom thinks about her and if she wishes she had kept her. She
adds that her birth mom is “probably crazy or on crack.”
Sarah states she sometimes sips alcohol at parties but has not
tried drugs. She does have a boyfriend but denies they are
sexually active. She says her parents don’t approve of many of
the friends she really likes and prefer to have her spend time
with their “snobby friends’ children.”
Self Description
In describing herself Sarah says she is friendly and cares about
people. These are her strengths along with her sense of humor
and that she is down to earth despite growing up in what she
calls “a snooty” environment. She dislikes her looks wishing
she was skinnier and wonders aloud, “Why don’t I have my
moms figure?” She quickly adds” cause she is not my Mom”
and giggles.
Sarah does not like that other people judge her based on what
her parents do and don’t give her a chance to be herself. She

5. worries sometimes that she is “crazy” for the way she feels
about things and states she never met anyone she knows who
thinks like she does. She also worries about going off to college
and “making it in the world.”
Sarah sees her greatest accomplishment as her interest in
helping others and that she cares about old people and the poor.
She volunteers at an area nursing home and a day care center
serving underprivileged children.
Sarah describes her greatest pain as her grandmother dying last
year, her great grandmother’s death when she was four and she
quietly adds “being adopted.”
When asked what she would change about herself if she could,
she mentioned her looks, her athletic ability, and her brains.
She wants to be happy, to help others, and to find someone
special in her life to love.
Family History
Little is known about Sarah’s family of origin but she was
adopted at 3 weeks by the Smith family and she has lived with
them for her entire life. The Smith family is well known in town
and well respected. Mr. and Mrs. Smith married after graduating
from college and became involved in the family textile
business. They tried for six years to have children but were
unsuccessful.
After adopting Sarah they had two natural children, Greg who is
now 15 and Davada who is 13. Greg and “D” as he is known
both live in the home and attend school in the area. Sarah
reports she has a good relationship with Greg and they often
talk and share things. Sarah states he always says she is “too
emotional” and “thinks too much.” He tries to encourage her not
to fight with her mother and not get into trouble. Sarah states

6. Greg is perfect. He is never a problem to the family. She says
“he makes straight As, plays all sports perfectly, is the
president of everything at school... He really is that great like
you would think there was something wrong with him but there
isn’t .” She describes her brother as “tall, light skinned, skinny
with great pecs and loved by all the girls” He is outgoing and
loves sports. He and his father attend many sporting events
together including hockey, basketball, and football.
D is her younger brother who she describes as a “Greg wanabe”
He is tall for his age and very involved in sports. He does not
excel like Greg but gets good grades. Sarah states he sometimes
gets in trouble for not cleaning his room and being a slob but
Sarah is quick to add that at “least he didn’t wreck the Jag”
referring to her incident with the car. Sarah states she and D are
not as close as she is to Greg but they don’t have any major
problems.
Ms Harriet Smith is 48 years of age. She is very attractive,
dressed neatly and in the latest designer styles. She is tall, thin,
and well groomed. She states she comes from a rural Baptist
family where her and her three brothers grew up working on the
family farm. She describes her parents as “strong Christians”
who were very strict and loved their children very much. She
was popular in school and very involved in church activities.
She graduated from college with a degree in Accounting. She
met her husband there and they married a year after graduating.
He was working in the family business and she joined him there
shortly after the marriage. She states she always wanted to be a
mother and was devastated when she was unable to get pregnant
after six years of trying to conceive.
Infertility and the death of both her parents three years after her
marriage in a car accident were the most painful events in her
life. She states when she was pregnant within two years of
adopting it was sort of funny but a little embarrassing. She still
wonders why she did not get pregnant prior to the adoption but
states it was “God’s way of bringing Sarah into their home.”

7. Ms Smith worked part time at the company after Sarah was born
often taking Sarah with her to the office or she was cared for by
her husband’s mother or grandmother both who “adored” Sarah.
When Greg was born she became a full time mom and spent her
time raising the children and as they got older she began to
become involved in community activities and volunteer work.
Ms Smith stated that she often thought she would return to work
once the children were older but the company had grown so
much she really was not needed there and the family did not
need the income. She states she enjoys her family and her
community activities.
She reports feeling as if Sarah is always mad at her and
describes it as if Sarah “blames” her for something although she
has “no clue” what she did wrong. “Ozzie and I loved our kids
and worked hard to give them the best life we could. She
describes her sons as “typical boys always going somewhere,
doing something and never neat.” She states she argues with all
the children about normal parent/child issues such as curfews,
family rules, cleaning up and doing homework” She usually
grounds them or takes away privileges when they break the
rules and feels she is the primary disciplinarian in the family
and her husband is the “fun parent.”
Mr Ozzie Smith is 50 years of age, tall and thin and has salt and
pepper hair. He is the CEO of a large business that was started
by his great grandfather and has remained in the family since
then. He is articulate with a bright smile. He describes his
childhood as an “only child of a hard working family.” His
father always worked the family business and his mother did
also. He states he was the only child in his class all through
school whose mother worked outside the home. He began to
work there too after school emptying trash, opening mail and
completing other tasks. He always played sports in high school
both basketball and football and states “sports are my passion.”
He also played college basketball and earned a business degree.
He later returned to college on a part time basis and earned his
MBA. He has worked all his life in the family business and is

8. proud of the success it has achieved. The company currently
employs over 450 people and is very successful. He hopes that
one day one of his children will follow his footsteps into the
business. His regret in life is that his grandparents never lived
to see how successful their venture became. His grandmother
and grandfather always lived next door to his parents during his
childhood and were very involved in his life. His grandfather
died before he graduated from college and his grandmother died
around the time D was born. He describes his father as a rather
“cold man who never praised me and always seemed to criticize
me.” His mother is described as outgoing, social, and loved to
have family around her. His father died four years ago from a
heart attack and his mother is currently in a nursing home
suffering with Alzheimer’s. He visits her regularly.
Mr Smith states he values his family time and describes it as his
favorite way to relax. He also enjoys sports and reading. Mr.
Smith describes Sarah as always “stepping to her own
drummer.” He says she reminds him of his mother because she
is always talking and full of life. He states his wife was
“devastated” when they did not conceive early in their marriage.
He states he was not worried as his parents did not have him
until late in the lives and he always figured it would happen.
However, his wife was eager for a child and he was glad to
adopt. He found Sarah to be a delightful baby and after she
came into their home he realized what he had been missing. He
was also surprised by the quick pregnancy and birth of Greg.
He stated he noticed changes in Sarah when Greg was born. Mr
Smith states that everyone went “on and on” about how much
Greg looks like his father and they still do. People always seem
to mention how much Greg is like him and he thinks this has
bothered Sarah since she was small. He remembers when she
was young and Greg had just started to walk, people were
saying Greg even walked like him and Sarah started following
Mr. Smith around asking if she walked the way he did. He says
these remarks pained him and yet he did not know how to stop

9. these people who meant well. He states he would tell people
when they would say these things that “Greg will probably sue
me when he is older for looking like me and not being pretty
like Sarah” However, as Greg got older, he stopped saying this
because he did not want Greg to think he was unattractive.
Mr. Smith feels that Sarah may be happier if they could help her
to find her birth mother. He has looked into hiring a
professional searcher to try and locate her. Ms. Smith is totally
against the idea but he states that he knows Sarah loves them
and would not leave home. However, he states she is “haunted”
by her adoption and feels this may help. Mr Smith states his
wife is somewhat of a perfectionist and may have high
expectations for Sarah. His main goal is for Sarah to be happy
but he is unsure how to help her. He made clear that he is
willing to spend any amount of money, attend workshops or
sessions if he can see her happy. He states “we did not adopt
her to make her miserable; we love her and want her to have a
good life.”
The Smiths state that they do argue about household issues such
as parenting issues, how permissive to be with family finances
and household chores. Mr. Smith tends to be more permissive
believing he worked hard to be financially successful and he
wants to be able to spoil his children including a new car when
they graduate from high school and the purchase of a beach
home the family can enjoy. Ms Smith believes that the children
will develop character through working for things and having
chores. While Ms Smith wants the children to participate in
household chores Mr. Smith has hired a housekeeper and wants
her to work more hours to help relieve Ms. Smith of the burden.
When the issues of Sarah’s adoption were discussed with the
Smiths, Ms Smith stated that allowing Sarah to work with a
searcher to locate her birth mother was “the craziest thing he
had ever suggested in their marriage” When asked what she
thought would happen Ms Smith became silent and her eyes

10. began to tear. She said that Sarah loved Mr. Smith and she was
glad she did. However, she felt Sarah hated her and if she had
another mother she would leave their home and move in with”
her real mom.”