Vargas Case Study: Session 4

The Vargas family arrives for the fourth session at separate times. You have been chatting with

Elizabeth and Heidi about Frank’s recent school suspension when Bob and Frank enter. They are

having an animated conversation, laughing hysterically, and Heidi comments on how Frank is

wearing socks, not the rain boots he left the house in. Bob and Frank proceed to share the story

about how Frank’s top scoop of ice cream just fell into his boot when Elizabeth interrupts. She

© 2021. Grand Canyon University. All Rights Reserved.

questions Bob and appears surprised to learn that instead of going to work with Bob who had

agreed to “put him to work” as a consequence of his suspension, the two of them had spent the

day having fun. Frank talks about his new bike and had begun a story about the movie they saw

when he looks at his dad and instantly stops talking. You notice Bob’s stern look when Frank

apologizes stating, “I forgot I’m not supposed to tell.”

The tense silence is broken by Heidi who begins to tell her parents that she got another gold star

on her spelling test, the teacher picked her to be the helper, she scored two soccer goals at recess,

and made three new friends. You notice that Frank has squeezed into the same chair next to Bob;

Heidi scoots closer to her mother on the couch. You note Elizabeth’s distress and invite Bob to

comment. Bob minimizes the incident that resulted in Frank’s suspension and accuses Elizabeth

of “overreacting.” Frank agrees that “Mom always gets mad” and begins recounting the “funny”

incident that was, according to him and Bob, “no big deal.”