Case Study Of Geraldine's Case

I chose to discuss Geraldine’s case in regards to my personal reactions. Up until her case, I felt I handled the subject material well, and for whatever reason I discussed those cases without the strong empathetic response that Geraldine’s case gave me. As I considered why this case evoked such a strong reaction, I realized that Geraldine and I have similar backgrounds. Our stories are not identical, but there are enough similarities that the comfortable barriers (conscious or subconscious) that let me think something like this could never happen to me crumbled a bit. My parents have made major climbs on the socioeconomic ladder, mainly due to the efforts of my mother, much like Geraldine’s case. My parents also dated in high school and got

I carry around guilt for far lesser things in my life; imagining carrying around that level of guilt and feeling like I was responsible for my mother’s death was almost unbearable to me. I greatly want to reassure her that it is not her fault, and I feel helpless when I think that I may not be able to convince her of that. I was also angry that such a bright girl had to lose the educational opportunities that she had in her neighborhood that could have potentially helped prevent this cycle from repeating itself. As a religious person, her feelings of betrayal by God also hit me hard. I understand what it is like to have a crisis of faith, so I empathize with her in feeling like something that once was a source of comfort is now a source of doubt and

Pearlman and McKay’s (2008) workbook created for the Headington Institute describes three themes to keep in mind when addressing vicarious trauma they call the ABC’s. This stands for awareness, balance, and connection. Awareness will help me identify and understand my own reactions, and the workbook also explains that the practice of awareness itself can also be good for managing vicarious trauma. Proper self-care cannot occur if I cannot see I am getting too caught up in a case like Geraldine’s, and because of this, being aware of my feelings and how they affect me is important. Balance is also a major aspect of preventing vicarious trauma. Simple things such as actually taking a lunch away from the desk can refresh the mind and provide a needed break to make work more effective. I would need to keep this in mind with Geraldine’s case because balance could help me maintain proper boundaries and prevent me from taking on too much with the case. Finally, the workbook talks about the importance of connections. These can be meaningful connections to personal and professional communities, or they can be spiritual connections to things that are anchoring. Professional connections could help me better process my feelings surrounding a case like Geraldine’s, and they may encourage me take a step back if I am doing too much. I feel the idea of spiritual