Gardner Family Case Study

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Pages: 3

The Gardners are an African American family that consists of three immediate members, including a father, mother, and son. The father, Chris, invested his savings into Bone Density Scanners which he sporadically sells to doctors. The mother, Linda, works as a hotel maid, and together they have a five-year-old son, Christopher. Chris’ occasional sells of the scanners along with increasing financial obligations put a strain on the couple’s marriage, ultimately resulting in the couple’s separation. The original presenting problem in the Gardner family is that their household income is insufficient to fund the total amount of their monthly expenses and liabilities. Furthermore, there arose a second presenting problem as Chris is now a single parent still concerned with financial uncertainty. …show more content…
The Gardners, like other African American families in this predicament, attempt to make a living on minimal wages but find themselves continuing to struggle with providing their psychological and safety needs. Monetary crisis such as this often creates high levels of hostilities and causes marital distress, which is one of the primary issues for the Gardners. A recommendation toward possible reconciliation for this family is counseling. A recent study published in the Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing by two family counselors in India demonstrates how eight variables, including financial strain, causes marital discord and the positive effect of marital counseling. “It was noticed that the couples belonging to low and medium socioeconomic status were more liable to resolve their misunderstandings with the help of counseling, whereas, less counseling impact was observed in couples belonging to high socioeconomic status” (Kumar & Rani,