Learning Outcomes:-

• Describe the ethical dilemma faced in the case scenario.
• Demonstrate sound reasoning in decision-making using the 8 steps decision-making model.

Scenario

You work for Unity Counselling Center as a counselor. YJ has been assigned to you recently and you have had two sessions with her so far. YJ has been married for more than 10 years and has a 5-year-old son. She was working as a school teacher, but now she is a tutor with a tuition center. Her husband was recently “retrenched” from his teaching job too.

YJ is stressed about her husband’s loss of income and the amount of money they need per month to pay for the mortgage, her son’s school fees, and other household expenses. With the pandemic, a lot of tuition classes have either been canceled or shifted to online. This further aggravates her financial situation. YJ is struggling to keep up with the technology being used and to conduct online teaching.

YJ shared that she is experiencing anxiety because of what has happened. In addition, she finds it difficult to sleep or do anything. She is often tired and finds it difficult to do anything be it teaching, cleaning up the house, cooking, or taking care of her son. She is frustrated that her husband is not helping much. To supplement the need for extra income, they recently rented out two bedrooms. The whole family is now using one bedroom in their 5-room HDB flat.

You have your third session with YJ today. She looks exhausted and sad. She shared that she would like to stop the counseling session as she “is dealing too much and does not have time to attend counseling.” You sense that there is something more to the story and slowly guide her to share what is going on to see how you could better assist her through counseling interventions.

YJ finally opens and shares further details about her life and situation. She found a hidden box with some jewelry and foreign currency. It seems that her husband has been stealing from the tenants. She confronted her husband, but he denied it saying he did not know anything. YJ has secretly returned the belongings. She is now constantly checking her bedroom and drawers for stolen items. The tenants are unaware of what has happened.