Mala is a 25-year old unmarried working girl. She has been working for 1 year after completing her Engineering degree and has been doing well at work. Recently she went through a relationship break-up with her partner. She took it in stride initially. However, as days went by, she felt more and more lethargic and she was not able to focus on work. She started becoming more irritated at everyone. Her teammates observed her be lost in thought and teary-eyed and they recommended her to speak to a counsellor. Mala finally called a counsellor through her company’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provider.
During the first session with the counsellor she said that everything is fine. She insisted that she reached out only because of her teammates’ recommendations. She reported feeling tired and not interested in anything and she feels like nothing will work out in her life. She then broke down and admitted that she has been trying to put up a brave front after the break-up. She said that she is not able to deal with it anymore.
The Counsellor allowed her to explain her feelings and what she is going through. Mala was given feedback about how she is responding to this break-up and was assured of help. Her negative thoughts were identified and addressed in the subsequent sessions. Mala was able to slowly come out of her distress and was able to concentrate more at work. This helped in making her feel capable and hopeful.
Note: Changes have been made to names and specifics to maintain confidentiality. This case study is published to illustrate how counselling sessions can be helpful.