How much emphasis would you place on factors such as what is stopping her from making the call?

This case involves Melinda, a 25-year-old Latina who says she
wants to have an abortion. She has been married for three years,
already has two children, and says: We had to get married because I
was pregnant. We did’nt have money then. The second kid was not
planned either. But now we really can’t afford another child. Her
husband is a policeman going to law school at night. She works as a
housekeeper and plans to return to school once her husband finishes
his studies and it is her turn. He should graduate in another year,
at which time she is scheduled to enroll in classes at the
community college. Having another baby at this time would seriously
hamper those arrangements in addition to imposing the previously
mentioned financial burden. But the client reports: Can’t go to
call the clinic, and I just can’t seem to talk. I hang up the
minute they answer. I just can’t seem to make the appointment for
the abortion, let alone have one. I was never much of a Catholic,
and I always thought you should be able to get an abortion if you
wanted one. What’s wrong with me? And what am I going to do? I
don’t exactly have a lot of time.

With the information given here, what do you see as the major
value issues that need to be explored?

How much emphasis would you place on factors such as what is
stopping her from making the call?

On her ambivalence between
wanting to have the abortion and not wanting it?

If she asked you for your advice, what do you think you would
tell her?

If you gave her this advice, what might your advice tell
you about yourself?

How would your views on abortion influence the interventions you
made with Melinda?

How would you deal with this situation if you had already
established a therapeutic relationship over many months with
Melinda?

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