Bruce is a 35-year-old African American male. He has recently lost his job as a factory worker and is having difficulty finding a new one. He fears he will soon be evicted because he can no longer pay his rent. His father is an alcoholic, and he has not seen his mother in over 10 years. He believes his mother may suffer from some mental illness, but he has no idea what it is. He reports that he believes he will always be a loser, struggling to make something of his life. He reports his father and mother never taught him how to make good decisions and that he has never learned how to feel good about himself. He wonders what he should do with his life and how he can make things better, as he does not think he is living up to his full potential.

Q. If you were a behavioral psychologist, which part of Bruce's story would be most important to you? What further questions would you want to ask Bruce?