After losing possessions in a hurricane, a client blames himself for not preparing. Which goal is least realistic?

• A. The client will stop blaming himself for the loss of his belongings.
• B. The client will accept responsibility for not preparing.
• C. The client will discuss his feelings about the loss.
• D. The client will identify support resources.

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is setting realistic, achievable goals after a traumatic event. After a disaster, self-blame is a common emotional and cognitive reaction, and it often persists for a while as the person processes what happened. Expecting someone to stop blaming themselves completely right away is not realistic. A more attainable aim is to reduce self-blame to a manageable level while continuing to work through the event with coping strategies and support.

This is why the goal of completely stopping self-blame is least realistic. In contrast, goals like discussing feelings about the loss, identifying support resources, and accepting responsibility for actions within one’s control are more aligned with typical, constructive steps in recovery. Discussing feelings helps with emotional processing; identifying resources provides practical help; and accepting responsibility for controllable actions can promote agency without demanding an immediate erasure of blame.