The Case of Yuriko
Yuriko is a 30-year-old Japanese female who seeks out counseling with you of her own accord. She specifically requested a female therapist. She works as FT/sales associate at a flooring store and seems to have a flair for color and design. She is an only child and lives with her parents. Her presenting problem involves issues within her small family. Her parents are “90% retired” and Yuriko is a primary source of financial support for her family, and they currently live in an upscale apartment with a doorman and many amenities. Yuriko also attends college online and in-person at George Washington University and is studying marketing. Her parents encourage her to obtain her MBA in this area as well and they believe she could be a store manager. She has a GPA of 4.0.
Yuriko, unlike her parents, has been “Americanized”. She sees herself dating more, getting married and living in a home of her own. In addition, she wishes to change her major to either English or Journalism and obtain her MFA in Creative Writing. As an only child and a daughter, she is expected to live with her parents and help support them for their entire lives. They also expect that she will remain unmarried and continue to help them. This is not the life she wants for herself. To make things worse, to her parents and other older Japanese people, she is not a desirable match for a Japanese man because they say she is “too fat”. Yuriko is 5’1″ and weights 115 lbs. This is considered 20 lbs too fat for any man. Yet, American men find her witty, intelligent, attractive and skinny.
When you meet with Yuriko, she is personable, funny and yet despondent. Her parents have no idea of how she would like to live her life. She is torn between complying with family obligations and doing what she wants. She also says she “hates herself for being fat” and would like therapy to help her lose 20 lbs. She does not overeat. She also tells you that the name, Yuriko, in Japanese means “perfect”. As she says this she laughs and also has a few tears in her eyes. She wants treatment to get “unstuck”.
1. Provide a brief clinical and cultural case analysis.
2. Describe how you would work with Yuriko without alienating her.
