Running head: CASE SUMMARY: RACHEL VOSS
Case Summary: Rachel Voss
Michelle R Miklinski
Liberty University
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CASE SUMMARY: RACHEL VOSS
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Case Summary: Rachel Voss
Rachel Voss is a 40 year old white female who is seeking counseling for severe depression,
stress, and anxiety. Rachel states that she has depressive tendencies and feels that it may be
hereditary. Her stress and anxiety began after the birth of her second child and relocation to
Chicago ten years ago. Rachel has been married for twenty years to husband Richard, age 45, a
senior mechanical design engineer and has two children; Michael age 14 and Matthew age 11.
Rachel currently works full time as a customer service agent while attending school full time in
pursuit of a Master’s Degree.
Rachel was born and raised in Pennsylvania along with four brothers and two sisters;
Stephen (52), Lynne (50), Stuart (49), Richard (48), Kathleen (45), Rachel (40), and Robert (38).
Rachel’s parents, Harold (82), and Dolores (d. 1998, 65) were married for 47 years before her
death; Rachel describes it as a loving marriage but not without its faults. Rachel describes her
father as loving but a strong critical nature and her mother as selfless but depressive. Rachel
feels that there was love in the home but it was not outwardly expressed through emotion and
rarely verbalized. Affirmation and encouragement was lacking as was emphasis to try new
things. Rachel felt very isolated and expresses ambiguity in the knowledge and acceptance of
unconditional love from her parents. She expresses a close relationship with her sister who
preceded her and the brother that followed her. Raised in a Protestant Christian home, the
family attended Sunday school and worship service every week. God was an active presence in
the home; Rachel values the memory of seeing her mother reading her bible every morning.
Rachel’s father is a self taught electrical engineer with a high school diploma; her mother was a
stay-at-home mother and house-wife who never learned how to drive.
CASE SUMMARY: RACHEL VOSS
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Rachel and Richard relocated to the Chicago area in 2002 following a job opportunity for
Richard. Rachel states they did not know a single soul when relocating; both spousal families
remain in Pennsylvania. The family found a church home quickly, however have not formed a
strong bond to the church family. They have engaged in bible study groups, established some
friendships, but mostly are uninvolved with the social activities of the church. The family
resides in a townhome community which Rachel describes as isolating, confining, and
depressing. Rachel is concerned about the lack of friends available in the community for her
children, the lack of yard space for the children and pets to play, and the lack of a basement that
can be utilized for recreation and entertaining friends. Rachel’s husband does not feel that
moving is an option in fear that the current townhome could not be sold.
Rachel was working full time as a customer service representative for a financial institution
in which she was making good money, however the company relocated out of state in 2010. She
has since picked up another customer service job but the pay is less and the management of the
company causes frustration and discouragement for Rachel. Rachel decided to return to school
full time to pursue a Master’s Degree however she is uncertain if she has chosen the correct field.
Rachel describes her husband as being a “good husband” with moral character and a sense of
responsibility, not so different from her father. Rachel senses a critical nature in him that
reminds her of her father, but reiterates that she is lucky to have him. She sometimes feels like a
single parent due to his excessive late nights at the office but has not had success in getting
things to change. She wonders at this point if it would even matter. There seems to be a
breakdown in the family unit with father working late, mother busy with work, school, and every
day crisis, oldest son having social anxiety and difficulty in making friends, youngest son has
been in and out of partial day treatment hospitalization three times this past year for depression,
CASE SUMMARY: RACHEL VOSS
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anxiety, and suicidal ideation. Mother is seeking treatment for herself as well as her two sons.
Rachel also voices discouragement in the fact that she has gained over 50 lbs. since moving to
Chicago and feels helpless to lose the weight. Rachel has a strong faith in Christ but feels that
the relationship is not actively engaging; she describes her life as “flat lined” and fantasizes that
relief will only come when Christ returns for the church.
Rachel has isolated herself from friendship and family interaction partly due to a fall out she
had with a best friend in 2007 which seems to have had co-dependency issues, pulled away from
active communication with her elderly father due to his critical questioning nature, and partly
due to not wanting to vent negative feelings on those she loves. Rachel tends to use avoidance
and isolation as a protective barrier which leads to a negative outlook towards her future. Rachel
fears that she has passed down her depression and social isolation to her children causing a sense
of guilt, anxiety, and lack of self worth. Richard confesses that he does not understand the
anxiety and depressive nature of his wife and children; he feels that one should be able to “get
through it and move on”.
Rachel is a caring and compassionate woman who wants to help others by sharing her own
brokenness in order to deter others from making the same mistakes and heal from issues that
have led to their own pain and discouragement. She is very close to her children and has open
communication with both boys. She is non-judgmental of others but has a tendency to put
herself down, believing she can do nothing right, even though she is smart, knowledgeable,
educated, and liked by others.