“Perspectives: Middle Adulthood” Program Transcript COLLEEN LOGAN: Working adults, in this economy, particular, really struggle on a day-to-day basis to figure out how am I going to make ends meet and what do I need to do to advance my career? What do I need to do to meet the needs of my family? Many adults are deciding to go back to school. And it's a pretty scary and extraordinary process. Maybe they haven't been in school for 20 years, and for the first time, they're looking around. And maybe like you, as a student, where you had gone to school and maybe finished in your 20s, maybe you're the first one to go to school and finish, and you started working, and then decided, I want to advance. I want to make a difference. I want to go to Walden University, where there's a commitment to social change, and advocacy, and social justice. These are all normal transition stages for someone who is an adult working, balancing family, and going back to school. I want to tell you how courageous you are for going back to school, for pursuing a master's degree, for pursuing what I think is the greatest profession, and that's counseling. And I can say that because I'm a counselor. I teach counseling. And I'm the former president of the American Counseling Association. I think it's the greatest profession. I think my secret sauce is listening to the story. When I sit down with someone or with a couple, I sit, and listen, and am present to hear what brought you here today. Even every single interaction in counseling-- and I would say, actually, every couple is cross-cultural-- but every single interaction I have in the counseling room is cross-cultural. Even though I may look like you, or even come from the same area of the country, maybe you're Irish like I'm Irish, maybe we have lots in common. But we still have a cross-cultural connection to make. So the first secret sauce, or the first step, is to really listen, hear the story. How did you grow up? What are your goals? What were your visions? Are you in a relationship? Are you in the middle of a relationship ending? Are your kids young? Are they middle-age? Are they just leaving home? There's so many different levels of people. And then add in sexual orientation. Add in ethnic background. Add in race. Add in religion and spirituality. When you add in all these components in the context of the person, I want you to know that I hear you, and I affirm you, and I validate your experience, and I can help. ©2013 Laureate Education, Inc. 1 “Middle Adulthood” Program Transcript Instructions: Post by Day 4 a conceptualization of the client that you were assigned. Then, describe two developmental challenges associated with that client. Finally, describe two potential counseling goals and two interventions you could use for the client using a wellness perspective. Justify your response with references to this week’s Learning Resources and th.

1. “Perspectives: Middle Adulthood”
Program Transcript
COLLEEN LOGAN: Working adults, in this economy,
particular, really struggle on
a day-to-day basis to figure out how am I going to make ends
meet and what do I
need to do to advance my career? What do I need to do to meet
the needs of my
family? Many adults are deciding to go back to school. And it's
a pretty scary and
extraordinary process.

2. Maybe they haven't been in school for 20 years, and for the first
time, they're
looking around. And maybe like you, as a student, where you
had gone to school
and maybe finished in your 20s, maybe you're the first one to go
to school and
finish, and you started working, and then decided, I want to
advance. I want to
make a difference. I want to go to Walden University, where
there's a
commitment to social change, and advocacy, and social justice.
These are all normal transition stages for someone who is an
adult working,
balancing family, and going back to school. I want to tell you
how courageous
you are for going back to school, for pursuing a master's degree,
for pursuing
what I think is the greatest profession, and that's counseling.
And I can say that
because I'm a counselor. I teach counseling. And I'm the former
president of the
American Counseling Association. I think it's the greatest
profession.
I think my secret sauce is listening to the story. When I sit
down with someone or
with a couple, I sit, and listen, and am present to hear what
brought you here
today. Even every single interaction in counseling-- and I would
say, actually,
every couple is cross-cultural-- but every single interaction I
have in the
counseling room is cross-cultural. Even though I may look like
you, or even come

3. from the same area of the country, maybe you're Irish like I'm
Irish, maybe we
have lots in common. But we still have a cross-cultural
connection to make.
So the first secret sauce, or the first step, is to really listen, hear
the story. How
did you grow up? What are your goals? What were your
visions? Are you in a
relationship? Are you in the middle of a relationship ending?
Are your kids
young? Are they middle-age? Are they just leaving home?
There's so many different levels of people. And then add in
sexual orientation.
Add in ethnic background. Add in race. Add in religion and
spirituality. When you
add in all these components in the context of the person, I want
you to know that
I hear you, and I affirm you, and I validate your experience, and
I can help.
©2013 Laureate Education, Inc. 1

4. “Middle Adulthood”
Program Transcript
Instructions:
Post by Day 4 a conceptualization of the client that you were
assigned. Then,
describe two developmental challenges associated with that
client. Finally,
describe two potential counseling goals and two interventions
you could use for
the client using a wellness perspective. Justify your response
with references to
this week’s Learning Resources and the current literature. Be
specific.
Respond by Day 7 to at least two of your colleagues using one
or more of the
following approaches:
•Select a colleague who was assigned a different client than you
and suggest
another challenge that might be associated with the client’s
development and
why. Then, share one goal or intervention your colleague might
use to address

5. this challenge.
•Select a colleague who was assigned the same client as you and
expand on
their posting by predicting the effectiveness of their identified
goals and
interventions. Taking the entire family case into perspective,
explain how this
counseling approach would progress and identify additional
goals that might be
needed.
[Martinez Family]
General Background:
The Martinez family consists of Miguel, Jeannette, Gabby,
Tommy, and Christina
(the adopted daughter of Jeannette’s cousin).
The family’s ethnicity is Hispanic, and both Miguel and
Jeannette come from very
large extended families—many of whom live in the area.
They are Seventh-Day Adventists who are very involved in their
church; they
both hold leadership positions in the church and attend services
multiple times
each week.
Presenting Issues:
It’s 10 years later for the Martinez family. A devastating
tornado has torn through
the region, wiping out dozens of homes and businesses. There
were also many

6. lives lost, and the local community remains in shock.
Miguel (now 57) comes to see you shortly after this tragedy,
because “Jeannette
said (he) had to.” Miguel tells you that he is fine but that
Jeannette thinks he
© 2013 Laureate Education, Inc. 1
needs to “talk about (his) feelings.” He tells you that their home
was severely
damaged by the tornado and was a total loss.

7. Although Miguel’s immediate family is safe, his best friend –
who lived just a
couple blocks away – was killed when the friend’s house
collapsed. Miguel also
lost his supervisor and long-time friend at the post office in the
tragedy. He
acknowledges that “of course [he] was sad at first,” but now
he’s OK. He does
not think that his difficulty sleeping lately or his decision to
relinquish his position
in the church has anything to do with the natural disaster.
Miguel also shares that he has been thinking a lot lately about
taking an early
retirement from his job and “doing something more
meaningful,” but he doesn’t
know what that would be. He also tells you that he has realized
how little value all
of their “stuff” had after it was lost in the tornado, and he is in
no rush to replace
things.
Jeannette has told him that he must be depressed or in shock
still, since he’s
talking in a way he never has before, but Miguel insists that he
“can finally see
things clearly.”
[Reeves Family]
General Background:
The Reeves family consists of Lucas, John, Justin, and Emme.
Lucas’ wife,
Anne, left him and the children shortly after Emme was born.

8. The family is Caucasian and of mixed European ethnic descent.
Their faith is Protestant, although Lucas notes that they do not
attend church
regularly.
Lucas also shares that the he has no family in the area to help
him with the
children, and he often feels overwhelmed.
Presenting Issues:
Lucas (now 41) has come to see you shortly after John’s session
with you.
Lucas shares that he’s “having a tough time” right now and
“just wants a
sounding board.” He shares that he’s been feeling very lonely
lately and has
become painfully aware that he is still single, even after all
these years. He’s
been questioning his success as a parent, although he notes that
he has always
tried to put his children first.
© 2013 Laureate Education, Inc. 2

9. Lucas shares that this has cost him professionally, and he
wonders where his
career would be if he had made different choices. All of his
closest friends are
very successful financially, and Lucas is embarrassed that he
never goes on golf
outings and can not afford luxury vacations. All of his time and
money goes into
supporting his children, particularly Emme, who has special
needs as a result of
fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).
Lucas tells you he feels “lost” a lot of the time and that he is
“just going through
the motions.”
[Jeong Family]
General Background:

10. The Jeong family consists of Kimball (“Kim,” a physician),
Meg (a nurse), Steven,
Kelsey, and Joey.
The family is of Korean descent and describes themselves as
“very
Americanized.”
They are Christian Buddhists and embrace their faith strongly.
Both Kim’s and Meg’s extended families live within about an
hour of the Jeongs,
providing the family with both support and unsolicited advice.
Presenting Issues:
It’s 20 years later for Kelsey and Jin. Kelsey (46) has come to
see you following
her recent separation from Jin.
Since you last worked with Kelsey and Jin, they decided to
pursue adoption and
adopted twin girls using an international adoption agency.
Kelsey shares that Jin
was never really on board with this decision, but he “gave in” to
what Kelsey
wanted. They raised their girls together and had what Kelsey
thought was “a
perfect family.”
She quit her job to be a full-time mother while the girls were
young and had just
started doing some community volunteer work. She shares that
Jin “dropped a
bomb on [her]” when he told her he was leaving her.

11. The girls had just left for college, and Kelsey had not yet
adjusted to her “empty
nest.” In fact, she notes, she had been looking forward to
“rekindling” her
relationship with Jin and focusing on the two of them again. She
knows this is not
a possibility any longer, since she has also learned that Jin has
been having a
relationship with his 26-year-old assistant (Jin is now a high
school principal).
© 2013 Laureate Education, Inc. 3

12. Kelsey is distraught—faced with creating a “new identity”
separate from Jin and
without having any security or career, she does not know what
to do.
She asks for your help and advice on putting some direction in
her life.
[Crane Family]
General Background:
The Crane family consists of Carol, Hunter, and Olivia.
Carol is a single mother living in the inner city under very poor
conditions.
Although she has a job, she barely makes ends meet and
receives federal
assistance. She cannot afford good food, nor can she afford to
live in a safer
area. She currently lives in a subsidized housing development.
The family is Caucasian, of European descent, and agnostic.
Presenting Issues:
Carol (now 45) has made an appointment to see you because she
“has a little
problem” and needs your help.
When she comes in for her session, you learn that Carol
recently got her second
DUI and has been court-ordered to participate in counseling.
She explains that
both times she was “barely buzzed” and the police “just wanted

13. to make an
example of her.”
Carol also admits that sometimes she likes to have a “drink or
two” but denies
that she has a drinking problem. After more discussion, you
learn that Carol has
not been sleeping well, rarely leaves the house unless she is
going to a bar, and
hasn’t had a romantic relationship in her life that has lasted
more than a month.
Carol rationalizes her personal life with “Who needs men
anyway?” and changes
the subject. She also shares that she hates her job and misses
her children
(Olivia is away at college and Hunter has moved out of the area
due to a job).
In the course of conversation, Carol launches into a tangent
about dreams she
had in her youth and how she had really wanted to be a writer.
She asks you, “Is this all there is?”, and wonders if she will
spend the next 45
years in the same existence.
[Anderson Family]
© 2013 Laureate Education, Inc. 4

14. General Background:
The Anderson family consists of grandparents Ernie and
Audrey, Jamal
(diagnosed with Asperger’s disorder), Marcus, and Artesia.
Ernie and Audrey gained custody of their three grandchildren
after their daughter
and her husband were killed in a car accident. Their daughter
and her husband—
the parents of the children—had been living with them prior to
the accident, as
they had fallen on hard times after both parents lost their jobs
and subsequently
had to give up their home.
The family is African American, Southern Baptist, and very
involved in their

15. church.
Presenting Issues:
Ernie is now 65 years old and has come to see you at his wife’s
insistence.
He tells you immediately that, while he respects you as a
professional and
appreciates the help you have given his family over the years,
he “really [doesn’t]
believe in counseling.” He acknowledges that he’s “going
through some things,”
but he will “get through it like anything else.”
After some small talk, Ernie noticeably relaxes a bit, and you
inquire about what
has been going on in his life. Ernie shares that he was recently
“downsized” out
of his job and forced into retirement. He didn’t see this coming
and feels betrayed
by the company; his supervisor assured him several months ago
that his job
would be secure following the company’s recent merger.
Ernie has worked at the same company for nearly 30 years and
had counted on
being there until he chose to retire. He’s not prepared for this
change, and
wonders how he will manage to support his family now with his
significantly
reduced income and loss of benefits.
Ernie believes he has let his family down and is ashamed of the
fact that Audrey
has taken a part-time job.

16. © 2013 Laureate Education, Inc. 5