TPC Journal-Vol 10- Issue 3-FULL ISSUE

The Professional Counselor | Volume 10, Issue 3 331 the clinician may ask Dax if they can share how genes are passed on and expressed, like genes for eye color or hypertension. This may open the door to a conversation regarding how his substance use and misuse may progress to alcohol use disorder and its definition as a pattern of alcohol use leading to clinically significant problems, including increase in use, failed attempts to stop, and use leading to an impaired ability to meet role obligations (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). There could be a discussion of alcohol use disorder being a disease, not that different from any other passed-on trait or disease. Additionally, Dax often struggles with strong and painful emotions, and alcohol helps to address them. Here the clinician may utilize strategies drawn from acceptance and commitment therapy related to his control strategy of using alcohol to avoid his emotions (Harris, 2019). The ball in the pool metaphor (i.e., holding a beach ball under the water works temporarily, but eventually it pops back up) can be compared to alcohol temporarily holding those painful emotions down, eventually to resurface. The clinician may also discuss strategies to help Dax regulate his reactions using emotion-focused interventions such as positive reframing to ameliorate the stress of his daughter’s cardiac condition (Plate & Aldao, 2017). Precipitating Factors This area explores significant occurrences that preceded or triggered the presenting problem and its consequences. Dax shares that he and his wife are conflicted about how to proceed with their daughter’s medical care. Sara is unequivocal in her confidence in Zoe’s cardiologist and his competence. Dax, however, is hyper-focused on surgery and seems to dismiss Sara’s position. At the end of his workday, he and his wife got into an argument over the phone about an upcoming diagnostic test and the possible results. Dax was quite upset, cursed at her, and then hung up the phone. He then stopped at a local pub and had several drinks. Here, the clinician may use reality-based strategies that address choice and consequences (Wubbolding & Brickell, 2017). This may include a direct conversation about Dax’s decision to drink, resulting in his becoming impaired, with the consequence of being detained, charged, and adjudicated. Dax can then share his and his wife’s perspectives on their daughter’s care. This conversation can lead to investigating strategies for how each can be heard, including short role- plays with opportunities to practice (Worrell, 2015). The clinician can provide a variety of potential spousal responses, allowing for more adaptability and flexibility in Dax’s responses. The goal here is to build Dax’s competence in communicating, both in listening and expressing. Additionally, there may be a discussion using aspects of existentialism to process inherent anxiety and its connection to unknowable future events (May, 1950; Wu et al., 2015). Perpetuating Factors The emphasis here is on features that continue the presenting problem. For Dax, he shares that when he and his wife argue, it follows a very predictable pattern. They disagree, interrupt one another, yell, and he calms down by having several beers. He then withdraws and becomes sullen for a few days. Nothing gets resolved, and this cycle appears once again when they have conflict. The clinician may discuss the concept of circularity and assist in moving from “vicious cycles” to “virtuous cycles and problem resolution” (Walsh, 2014, p. 162). This involves explaining that interactions can act as a kind of back-and-forth loop of action–reaction–action without any resolution, leaving both parties feeling unheard, misunderstood, and frustrated. The goals here are to both break the pattern and to facilitate healthy conversations. Here the clinician may incorporate a solution-focused strategy exploring a time with Dax when he and his wife have disagreed, but he did not interrupt and the outcome was positive (de Shazer, 1985). If he cannot identify a time, simple role-plays in which