Case Study

     Brandon Avery is a junior basketball player at James Madison University. He is one of the top players on his team and on top of that, he has a 3.8 G.P.A. He is studying to become an Occupational Therapist, which requires him to take some hard classes such as Anatomy and Physiology. He finds it difficult at times to study for these classes because he also has to go to practice and worry about his team.  He often goes to sleep late at night and sometimes only get three hours of sleep because of how much he has to study. Brandon also has a part time job as a server and is also volunteering to complete his required hours for his minor. He feels very stressed out because of how much he has going on and knows that he needs to reach out to the Counseling Center and his Coach but since he is the star player on the team, the social stigma that surface around campus, especially on the team, will make him feel weak and embarrassed. 

      One day, the Royal Dukes had just won a tough game against Hofstra University. Brandon was the MVP of the game because he carried the team to victory. After the team had left the locker room, Brandon was left there by himself because he told his teammates how he wanted to reflect on the game. Little did he know, his Coach was there and saw Brandon having a panic attack. His Coach intervened and wanted to know what he could do for Brandon. Brandon told his Coach about his mental barrier which caused the Coach to be more proactive in seeking resources for Brandon. After having this conversation with the Coach, he found it very difficult to leave out the locker room because he did not want to let anyone see him in this state of condition. When he finally did leave the locker room, the next day in class was difficult for him. He found it very hard to concentrate. His Coach saw a change in his personality and referred him to the Counseling Center. Brandon did not want to go to the Counseling Center because he felt scared that they would dehumanize him as a man and also believes that the Counseling Center will not do much to help him out with his stress. 

      Is it ethical for the coach to contact the counseling center after having a private discussion with Brandon about his levels of stress and anxiety or let Brandon self-treat himself without humiliation from his peers.