You have started working as a counsellor for a new up and coming counselling organisation called “Comfort Within”. The therapeutic approaches adopted by this organisation are cognitive and behavioural therapy (CBT) and mindfulness. You are well practiced in both therapeutic approaches and feel they complement each other well for most presentations.

On your second day working for Comfort Within, you are presented with a 32 year old client who is accompanied by his father. The clients presenting concerns are social-related. He explains that he has no friends and finds it difficult to relate to others of his own age. He goes on to share being confused by people in general. After discussing his previous social experiences, the client identifies creating a circle of friends as his main goal; and a second goal of finding a romantic partner. The client also shares that he feels he is more suited romantically to someone around 16-17 years old. He explains finding people that age more attractive and thinks they would have more in common than someone his own age.

How would you approach working with this client’s goals? What therapeutic interventions would be suited for this client and how would you implement them?