John is a 70-year-old visually impaired widower with a strong Irish heritage and culture. He was brought to your office by his adult daughter after finding him disheveled, still in his pajamas, and crying over a bowl of uneaten cereal. John cried continuously and could not convey to his daughter what was causing his distress. When making the appointment, the daughter told the receptionist that her father had experienced other "weepy" episodes since Thanksgiving, a few months ago, but previously she had always been able to coax him out of them by playing some lighthearted Irish music.

Since Thanksgiving, her father had had difficulty sleeping and seemed to have lost interest in most things that had previously given him pleasure. She added that her mother, who also strongly identified as Irish, had died suddenly of a heart attack 15 months ago. Her father had always depended on his wife to "be his eyes" and to care for his daily needs. They had met while still in parochial high school and became engaged shortly after graduation. John still remains a devout Catholic.

When John was 19, he suffered severe visual impairment from a car accident, which prevented him from completing a plumber's apprenticeship. During their subsequent 48-year marriage, his wife supported them both, and neighbors cared for their daughter during work hours. John spent his days reading Braille versions of poetry and fiction, with unrealized aspirations of being a writer. Since his wife died, he had learned to use a cane but resisted the idea of having a Seeing Eye dog. As a result, he was mostly confined to his small apartment, leaving only to have a drink on Saturday night at the local bar, to attend Sunday mass, and to visit his daughter's family. He had very limited financial resources because he was no longer covered by his deceased wife's pension; however, the daughter was so concerned that she agreed to pay "out of pocket" for her father's treatment.

How would you counsel with John? Using your text and at least two peer-referenced journals, describe the influences you would need to consider and their possible effects based on John’s (a) age, (b) disability, (c) culture, (d) gender, (e) religious affiliation, or (d) other factors. What would be your plan of intervention considering the above influences?

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When counseling with John it is important to consider the influences of his age disability culture gender religious affiliation and other factors Age ... View the full answer