Case Study: Analyzing Tom's Interview in Counseling Psychology Module

This case study presents a detailed interview with a university student named Tom, discussing his experiences with academic pressure, substance use, and mental health challenges. The interview reveals Tom's struggles with stress during his university exams, leading to his use of Ritalin and coffee to enhance his performance. As the pressure intensified, Tom's substance use escalated to include cocaine and MDMA, leading to a period of reckless behavior and a distorted sense of self-importance. The interview explores Tom's emotional state, his feelings of power and control, and the consequences of his actions, including the breakdown of relationships and financial difficulties. Tom reflects on his choices, expressing regret and a desire to return to a simpler time before the pressures of university and substance abuse took hold. The case highlights the complexities of mental health, the impact of substance use, and the need for support and intervention.

Running head: COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY
Counseling Psychology
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY
Interviewer: Good to see you Tom. How are you, how have you been?
Tom: I’m okay.
Interviewer: I heard you were hospitalized again.
Tom: Yeah (tense)
In: So, can you tell me a little bit about what happened? Before you were hospitalised that is.
Tom: well, it was a few months ago. I had been doing pretty well for a number of years. I was
keeping it under control, but… (tense)
In: yeah I haven’t seen you since you last visited. That was a big gap from when you last came
here wasn’t it?
Tom: yeah, that was four… I think five years ago. I was quite disappointed going through that
again. Um…It all started like… at the end of uni. I started feeling low. And it was all cool at first
until the exams started coming closer. And I started working really hard and started putting all
effort in, working really hard. I started saying to myself now is the time to put in the hard work
and so I started to take a lot more work and then the stress just… grew. After a while I was
drinking a lot more…. Coffee I mean, I wasn’t into alcohol then. Um.. I started taking caffeine
tablets and energy drinks (Agitated)…. Because of the environment you know. A lot of people
were pushing themselves really hard and in a way that they normally won’t, and they started
taking Ritalin (Anxious) and…
In: Okay. Did you also start taking Ritalin?
Tom: Yeah (Disturbed). Because it was kinda… it was kinda necessary is what I felt at the time.
In: And how were you affected by that?

2COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY
Tom: Well I was feeling quite confident at the time. I was starting to feel a lot more, with
everything that’s going on, I started feeling a lot more engaged and productive. I was feeling less
sleepy and my brain was like running all the time, I was paying more attention, my (agitated) …
my momentum was building up all the time and I was relishing it. And throughout the period I
was doing a lot more work… and yeah.
In: So does that mean to you that in that time you put a lot more pressure on yourself to perform
well at University and you knew that this was it, that is was the time. What did it mean to you?
What was it like to feel more awake and energised at all times?
Tom: It was for me, more of my time. I had spent quite some time and I was in control, it was
not really a part of my life, I did not really talk to my friends about it, kept mostly to myself. And
….
In: And?
Tom: yeah .. (Tense). I … I started to grow into it and I took the opportunity to utilise it
productively but also enjoy it as much as I can. It didn’t really peak till the end of my exams. I
was still functional. But that was until I found out that I did not really get the result that I was
supposed to.
In: And why do you think that was?
Tom: (Tense) I thought I was studying really harder and I thought I did well, but as it turns out I
was clearly overestimating myself. That or there has been a serious misjudgement somewhere. I
(Disturbed). I thought I did to the best of my abilities but when it came to the exams, I saw I
didn’t even achieve first high.

3COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY
In: What else was going on with you around the time when you talked about how your exams
were quite pressurising? Was anything else going on for you?
Tom: Well it was the end of the university and it was that time, when as soon as that period
starts, I was feeling like I was let off the leash and so I started to grow into it even further. So I
mentioned that I was intaking Ritalin and coffee and Ritalin again and coffee again… and as
soon as the exams stopped, I started to um … (Disturbed) Well I moved into abusing other
things… substance. So that took a bit of a hold on me and slowly I started to feel like a kind of a
person I wanted to be…like the kind of a person people liked being around and hanging out with.
And so I started being all outgoing and you know… being there for all events and stuff like that.
In: So this is like the break after your exams but you are awaiting your results. Those few weeks.
Tom: Yeah.
In: And you said you were taking Ritalin? How did that affect you?
Tom: and drinking a lot of coffee, alongside I was also trying out other stuffs like cocaine, a lot,
um… MDMA. Honestly, I was on cloud nine. I was feeling like the person everyone wanted to
be around. I started putting myself at the centre of the universe. I even got hold of one of my
friends who develops apps and suggested that we should build an app that (Hysterical) that when
we went to an alcohol shop, the app would show us the cheapest way to get wasted. I was
spending a lot more back then. I spent all my pocket money and I started spending all my
parents’ savings. Even got myself a credit card unknown to them. So that’s kinda how I settled
into this sort of role as the man I was trying to be, I spent a lot of money on alcohol, on drugs
and all the things I just wanted but never really needed, I started buying cigarettes and smoked

4COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY
like one box a day. That was like 20 something. I spent money on clothes and all sorts of
technology and stuff like that.
In: So it sounds like it began with the pressure from the studies and from there as you started
taking those stimulants you kind of felt a confidence boost. You started trying to be at the centre
of the party and always appeasing to all people. So as things progressed you started feeling you
were more the man you wanted to be, you felt noticed and appreciated, how did you react to that/
How did you deal with your thoughts then? How did you cope with those symptoms?
Tom: Well, for the first thing I had to keep it a secret, my illness. I didn’t want anybody to know
about it and so for the first few months at the university I just kept it low and didn’t go out much,
never hung around with people. I didn’t accept or confront those symptoms and in a way I
thought that’s gonna give me long term stability. And I think it all started with what I wanted to
do. So I realised what I wanted to do, what goals I wanted to achieve and stuff… And I … yeah
it wasn’t the illness, it was me. I was the one behind this whole … my whole situation and I was
(agitated) I was feeling like this everything that happened here was my doing, my fault and I was
to be blamed for it (Disturbed).
In: So it sounds like while these were happening, though you were aware you didn’t confront it.
You just let it unfold, just let it roll. But on the other hand you said that you felt powerful and
strong, all energetic. How did that conundrum affect the way you looked at things?
Tom: (Disturbed) … It just. It was my time (agitated). This was the moment where I would
become the person I wanted to be. All the hard work, all the things that my parents had done for
me, all the things that I wanted to achieve, my parents’ dreams everything. They just started to
crystallise.

5COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY
In: It felt like you were on the brink of something the way you said and looked. Again going
back to the beginning to, let’s say when you were using stimulants, how many hours were you
actually sleeping?
Tom: It gradually diminished, I think. Beginning, kinda six, five hours and at the end like three,
two.
In: and kind of changes did you notice both physically and mentally?
Tom: I think the harder I pushed myself, the faster my brain worked. So the harder I worked, the
more productive I would be. So yeah the momentum was on top. My goals and my determination
were stronger.
In: and what changes did you notice physically?
Tom: I can’t really recall. I was just really trying to avoid confronting any negative effect, but
nothing significant could still draw the line.
In: okay. And the things got a little confusing after the exams. You got into drugs. You said you
were going out, you convinced your friend to create this application. Was there anything more
that you did that you said you were not going to do? Are there any things that were assigned to
you by yourself, anything that told you that your need was much higher that you’d like it be.
Tom: um.. I had a lot of money that my parents saved up for me which, doesn’t exist anymore. I
bought drugs, clothes and stuff. I had a girlfriend but as I was the only person that mattered,
everything around me, would come in secondary, they all left, even her. Because I was the main
character, I was the only person that mattered, it sort of did not really have much connection with
those around me, they did not really mean much to me. So on nights she wouldn’t be on my

6COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY
mind. But then I didn’t even pay much attention because even other girls or women wouldn’t
come to my mind.
In: Okay. And how do you feel about that now when you think back on this.?
Tom: I think, it’s in those instants where it’s just me alone, it is those who are closest to you,
those around you that has to suffer more than anyone. So yeah, I think that’s what I was feeling.
There was much less room for questioning and doubt. Mostly it was all (anxious) just me. My
problems, my solutions, My this and my that (Disturbed). I tried to be a man that I have always
wanted to be but I feel like in the process, I have even forgotten where to you know… restart.
In: So you want to restart altogether or specific parts of the past one and a half year? Okay let’s
say four years
Tom: Um. The only significant aspect of my life that I want to change right now is to go back
before the exams and the coursework. So I could just hand over all the money to my father and
life a meagre life where I wouldn’t have the constant need for something. Like if I just turn my
phone off, that kinda silence.
In: You are saying that if you keep constantly charging yourself up with the Ritalin and the
coffee, it’s helpful for you but only up to a point and after that you yourself feel the crash that is
abouy to happen.
Tom: yeah.
In: And what do you feel about that in particular?
Tom: Well. I think that whatever I tried to do in the first place did not really have bad intentions
or harmful motives. I just wanted some kinda support and …. (Anxious) its just throughout that

7COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY
whole process, somehow I got derailed into something that was gonna pull me back into
something I didn’t want to go back to. But somehow I didn’t realise that I was getting pulled into
it as I was too busy being a kind of a person I wanted to be. So in that process when my desires
really clouded my judgement …. It was exhilarating for one thing. But it soon became scary.
And I think the trigger came when I got the results. That was the (tense)…. Tipping point I
guess.

8COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY
Introduction
Understanding the emotional mind set of the individuals of the society is important as it
provides the other people of the community an opportunity to have a better sense of their nature
and character (Grzanka, Santos & Moradi, 2017). With the dawn of the human civilization, the
human beings are required to live with one another. This does not mean that such individuals
were simply required to co-exist with one another. They needed to live within a particular code
of the society in a harmonious and peaceful manner (McAndrew et al., 2018). For the effective
living of the people with one another, the understanding of the psychological emotions of the
people was made necessary. This flows from the fact that human beings often they do converse
in an explicit manner with each other. Due to the various emotions that are faced by them at
certain points of time, such individuals choose to remain silent (Edwards, 2016). Such cues need
to be interpreted by the other individuals of the society so that they can understand the emotional
mind set of the person and taken the necessary actions as required (Wenzel, 2017). This essay
tries to understand the importance of counselling session which are found to be necessary for
understanding such emotional cues of the individuals. In this regard, the meaning of counselling
has been discussed. Furthermore, this essay analyzes a counselling session that was held between
a counsellor and an individual named Tom who is perceived to be suffering from bipolar
disorder. In this regard, the session was examined from the point of view of the relevant
counseling skills that a trained counselor should possess and a reflection on these skills from the
point of view of the counselling session that was conducted. Furthermore, the essay also looks in
to the various limitations that were faced in the conduction of such a counselling session.

9COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY
Meaning of counselling
The understanding of the emotions of the individuals can occur within any social setting.
However, when it assumes a formal form and nature, then it is known as counselling psychology
(Levy et al., 2015). Counseling psychology is defined to be the practice within the sector of
health care provider (Knapp & Robinson, 2016). Within this field of counseling, the assigned
counsellor has the responsibility and the obligation to understand the various emotional cues that
are being faced by the individuals sitting in front of them. Such individuals are usually seen as
their clients since they come to the counselor seeking professional aid and support from them
(Burgin & Gibbons, 2016). The main objective of counselling psychology is to understand that
people are human in orientation. They have an emotional side to them which upholds all of their
mental feelings. Such feelings do not manifest themselves in any physical form. However, they
have an important bearing in shaping the nature and character of the individuals which is
essential to understand (White & Stahl, 2016). The personality of the individuals gives a shape to
the manner they behave in the social order. Thus, with the understanding of the emotions and
feelings of the individuals of the community, it becomes easier to justify the actions which are
under taken by them in such a public place (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2018).
Counseling skills possessed by a trained counselor
The rise in the acknowledgment of the mental health of the people has seen a subsequent
rise in the number of counselors who are found in the contemporary society (Ivey et al., 2017).
People have started to realize that the emotions that are faced by the people of the community
needs to be accounted for in order to increase the efficiency of the human activity in the broader
societal framework. However, the counselor can only be termed as trained when they take in to
consideration certain sets of skills which aids in making their clients feel safer and more secured

10COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY
(Fassinger & Good, 2017). In this context, it can be observed that there exists certain counselling
skills which needs to be acknowledged and adhered to by a trained counselor.
The first counseling skills which needs to be taken in to consideration is that of
developing a genuine sense of feeling for the clients (Hodge et al., 2016). The counselor has the
primary responsibility of understanding the different emotional strains that is affecting the client.
However, often times it is observed that a client is not willing to share the personal thoughts and
feelings with a stranger. Although they may have agreed to a counseling session, it does not
mean that they would be forth coming in nature (Skovholt, 2017). Thus, it depends on the
counselors to establish a sense of genuine within the client so that they can start to relate
themselves to the counselor and discuss their emotions.
The second counselling skill that needs to be followed by a trained counselor is that of
self-reflection (Cochran & Cochran, 2015). The judgments that are provided by the counselor to
the clients can only flow from the analysis of the emotional problems that are faced by the client.
It depends upon the counselor to place themselves in the same situation as that of the client and
try to understand the various recourses that can be taken for bringing about a positive change
within the environment.
The third counseling skill that has to be adhered to by a trained counselor of the society is
that of authenticity and accessibility ("6 Critical Skills Every Counselor Should Cultivate |
Lesley University", 2019). It is important that a co8nselor needs to be available to the client
when they are in need of it. Furthermore, the counselor needs to be able to gain the trust of the
client so that an authentic session can be conducted. The need of a psychological counseling
session is that of ensuring the peace of mind of the client and to provide suitable
recommendations to this effect.

11COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY
Forth, a counselling skill that needs to be followed by a trained counselor is that of
flexibility (Dinkmeyer, 2017). A counselor should not be too rigid in his or her views of the
world. The opinions they hold and their ethical considerations should be subjective in nature.
This enables them to be flexible with the recommendations that are provided to the clients. The
problems which are faced by the clients are not of similar nature ("6 Critical Skills Every
Counselor Should Cultivate | Lesley University", 2019). Thus, the recommendations provided to
them as solution also should be changeable and relevant to the issue faced.
Another important counseling skill that needs to be adhered by a trained counselor is that
of having a strong sense of humor (Cochran & Cochran, 2015). Counselling sessions are
extremely emotional in nature and therefore, has the potential of turning quite somber. In this
respect, it depends upon the counselors to be able to make light of the situation with their humor
so that the client is not emotionally depressed.
Reflection on the adherence of such skills within the counselling session that
was performed
A fifteen minute counselling session was conducted between a counselor and an
individual named Tom. Tom is eighteen years of age and suffers from a psychological disorder
known as a bipolar disorder. He had several bouts of depression since the age of eighteen years.
During his days of college, it got better, and he started to behave like a normal person. However,
when he returned home, this disorder again started to manifest himself. Thus, his parents deemed
it to be essential for him to consult a counseling psychologist.
During the fifteen minute conversation, the counselor tried to ensure that he portrayed the
image of a trained counselor. In order for this to be possible, the counselor had to adhere to the

12COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY
five different skills that are needed in the field of counseling psychology. The first counseling
skill that was necessary to be followed was that of having a genuine sense of feeling. With
regards to the case of Tom, I was effectively able to adhere to this skill. I listened to the problem
faced by Tom since a bipolar disorder has the ability to create a identity crisis within any
individual.
I was able to self-reflect on the issue faced by Tom. I carefully observed Tom and the
issues that were faced by him which hampered his daily activities. The much required skill of the
ability to listen was therefore adhered to with a strong sense of commitment. I managed to
develop an empathetic connection with Tom which ensured the adherence to the ideas of
accessibility and authenticity. Furthermore, I did not restrict my thinking ability only within the
conventional frame work of ethical considerations and value judgments of the society. I tried to
put forth those views which would help him to overcome him psychological disorder and restore
a sense of identity within him. However, the application of the skill of sense of humor was
extremely limited. The fifteen minute session proved to be too little a window to uplift the spirit
of Tom.
Personal limitations faced during the application of the skills
In the counseling session that was conducted, it can be seen that certain limitations were
present. Although it is the responsibility and obligation of the counselor to provide a resolution
to the clients who come to them to seek their professional aid, certain human factors are present
within the situation. This is due to the fact that both the counselor and the client are humane in
nature.

13COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY
During the conduction of the counseling session, I found it extremely difficult to
understand the issue of bipolar disorder that was faced by Tom. He clearly suffered from an
identity crisis which seemed to be misplaced in nature. He believed that his problem to associate
himself with the other people of the society was due to the fact that many people could not
understand his views of the world. In this respect, the counseling skills of genuine interest was
found to be lacking to a significant extent since I could not associate myself with the
psychological issue that was faced by him.
Furthermore, this problem was related to the skill of self-reflection. Tom was my first
client who faced from a bipolar disorder. As a result, it became extremely challenging for me to
find it within me to critically reflect on this issue and find a personal touch to the problem. As a
consequence, the solution that I provided to Tom was based on the theories of the psychologists
that I read who talked about the issue of bipolar disorder. The lack of personal touch to the
problem could have agitated Tom since he might have perceived it to be a lack of emotions.
Another limitation that was faced during the process of the counseling session was that of
adhering to the skill of flexibility. I already had a preconceived notion of ethical considerations
that had to be suggested for providing solution to an individual suffering from bipolar disorder.
However, Tom’s case was such that it required me to take an unconventional mind set so that the
relevant solution could be provided as a recommendation. However, since I could not expand my
thinking horizon, it might have affected the due counseling which had to be provided to Tom.
Conclusion
To conclude, it can be observed that the provision of psychological counseling sessions
are important for the understanding of the various emotional cues that are faced by the

14COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY
individuals fo the society. All the individuals of the community are not equally competent to
handle their emotional in an effective manner. Such people are in need of certain professional
guidance which would provide them with the opportunity to ensure that they can process such
emotional feelings. In this regard, the field of counselling psychology comes to importance.
Counseling psychology ensures that a professional guidance is provided to those people who are
in need of it. It falls within the sector of health care service provider which signifies to the fact
that a healthy mind is as preferred as a psychically healthy body.

15COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY
References:
6 Critical Skills Every Counselor Should Cultivate | Lesley University. (2019). Retrieved 24
September 2019, from https://lesley.edu/article/6-critical-skills-every-counselor-should-
cultivate
Burgin, E. C., & Gibbons, M. M. (2016). “More Life, Not Less”: Using Narrative Therapy With
Older Adults With Bipolar Disorder. Adultspan Journal, 15(1), 49-61.
Cochran, J. L., & Cochran, N. H. (2015). The heart of counseling: Counseling skills through
therapeutic relationships. Routledge.
Dinkmeyer, D. (2017). Skills of Encouragement: Bringing Out the Best in Yourself and Others.
Routledge.
Edwards, D. J. (2016). Review of Not so abnormal psychology: A pragmatic view of mental
illness.
Fassinger, R. E., & Good, G. E. (2017). Academic leadership and counseling psychology:
Answering the challenge, achieving the promise. The Counseling Psychologist, 45(6),
752-780.
Grzanka, P. R., Santos, C. E., & Moradi, B. (2017). Intersectionality research in counseling
psychology. Journal of counseling psychology, 64(5), 453.
Hodge, K., Danish, S., Forneris, T., & Miles, A. (2016). Life skills and basic psychological
needs: A conceptual framework for life skills interventions. In Positive youth
development through sport (pp. 45-56). Routledge.

16COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY
Ivey, A. E., Daniels, T., Zalaquett, C. P., & Ivey, M. B. (2017). Neuroscience of Attention:
Empathy and Counseling Skills. Neurocounseling: Brain-Based Clinical Approaches, 81-
100.
Knapp, K. C., & Robinson, J. (2016). The Unpredictable Teen: Helping Teens Diagnosed with
Bipolar Disorder.
Levy, B., Tsoy, E., Brodt, M., Petrosyan, K., & Malloy, M. (2015). Stigma, social anxiety, and
illness severity in bipolar disorder: Implications for treatment. , 27, 1, 27(1), 55-64.
McAndrew, L. M., Martin, J. L., Friedlander, M. L., Shaffer, K., Breland, J. Y., Slotkin, S., &
Leventhal, H. (2018). The common sense of counseling psychology: introducing the
Common-Sense Model of self-regulation. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 31(4), 497-
512.
Skovholt, T. M. (2017). Master therapists: Exploring expertise in therapy and counseling.
Oxford University Press.
Sommers-Flanagan, J., & Sommers-Flanagan, R. (2018). Counseling and psychotherapy
theories in context and practice: Skills, strategies, and techniques. John Wiley & Sons.
Wenzel, A. (Ed.). (2017). The sage encyclopedia of abnormal and clinical psychology (Vol. 1).
SAGE Publications.
White, K., & Stahl, M. (2016). Childhood and adolescence: Perspectives on personality
disorders. International Public Health Journal, 8(4), 445.