Description

Case of Mike

Presenting Problem

Mike, a 14-year-old high school Asian American male. He was recently referred to counseling by his instructor due to his noticing him becoming increasingly withdrawn and the consistently declining of his grades. Mike presents as a shy and soft-spoken young man who is the youngest of three siblings. He resides with his parents. His sisters are in college and both parents are employed. His parents immigrated to the United States for a better life for the family. Mike has a close supportive relationship with his mother and sisters. However, Mike’s relationship with his father is strained with hostility, expectations, and pressures to achieve top grades. Mike reports that his father often humiliates him by accuses him of having a lazy American teenager attitude. At home his father is hostile and verbally threatening, constantly criticizing his ability, his dreams, and his choice of best friend. Mike is an average student, but because of a lack of coping skills due to emotional abuse at home, Mike experiences being bullied at school. Which worsens how he experiences thoughts, beliefs and emotions. Mike does have one peer support with whom he can express himself, but his father disapproves. Mike’s father feels that his efforts and his attitude are not alien to his family’s cultural work ethic. This emotional abuse has led Mike to isolate and become withdrawn to avoid confrontation eroding his confidence, his grades and creates all-or-nothing thinking regarding his abilities and self- worth.