create a character in which you will role play for all fishbowl participation activities (as the client).

The purpose of this assignment is for you to create a character in which you will role play for all fishbowl participation activities (as the client). The character you outline in this assignment must be realistic, complex, and robust. Please take this assignment seriously, as characters developed that are too Hollywood (i.e, superheroes, soap opera, or ridiculous/obnoxious) will be returned to you with no grade and you will be required to redo the assignment. Real life is often the best inspiration. If you choose to develop a character based off of issues you have personally faced, please make sure that those issues have been properly dealt with and be protective of yourself and your mental wellbeing.

General Background Information (i.e., name, age, location, occupation, job status, education)

Cultural Background (i.e., race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, SES) – please be sensitive in this area and respectful of all cultural identities. It is best practice to develop your character using your own identities for this area to avoid microaggressions and appropriations of other cultures.

Presenting Realistic Issues. This should be the largest section. While creativity is encouraged for this assignment, please keep in mind that this is a human services undergraduate class. Heavy and outlandish scenarios (i.e., murder, alien abduction, super human abilities, soap-opera narratives, paranormal issues) will not be tolerated. Here are some examples of scenarios that could be appropriate for your character:

Family/Parenting issues

• Relationship issues

Recovery (not active addiction) issues

• Life stressors (i.e., school, occupation, moving)

Mood issues (i.e., anxiety, depression, anger)

• Grief and loss

Existential issues (i.e., loss of faith, lack of purpose, identity confusion)

Societal and systemic oppression

• Strengths, Supports, Weaknesses, and Risks to the character (i.e., Do they have strong family support? Do they have a stable job? Do they have good and healthy coping mechanisms?).
• Expectations of a Helping Relationship (i.e., Are they resistant? Do they believe in the helping process? Past experiences with counseling/helping).
• To receive full credit, all categories need to be fulfilled and your paper must be free from spelling and grammatical errors. Please note that, when submitting your assignments, be sure to name your Word files in the following way: “First name and Last initial_Name of the assignment.” Example: JohnS_Character Development Assignment. Assignments that are not labeled appropriately will be sent back to the student and must be re-submitted via the WebCampus.  Students who must resubmit their assignments may be assessed a late penalty.