Teen client intake

Scenario

A school-based counselor draws this ecomap during an initial intake session with Marcus, a 15-year-old referred for behavioral issues. The diagram takes under five minutes and immediately shows where Marcus's support is concentrated (peers, soccer team) and where it's fragile (divorced father, every-other-weekend contact).

Annotation key

• center: client — the identified young person
• === — strong connection; --- — tenuous connection
• --> — mentor/support flows toward client
• <-> — reciprocal therapeutic alliance
• EOW weekends — edge label capturing the visitation schedule

How to read

Marcus's strongest systems are his mother (primary caregiver), school, and soccer peers — all strong ties (===). His father is a tenuous connection (---). The therapist and soccer coach have supportive directional relationships pointing toward Marcus. The soccer team appears to be the central protective factor in this adolescent's life.