Park Unit 8 Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy Case Study Questions
I’m stuck on a Psychology question and need an explanation.
Which theory of counseling that we have studied this term provides you with the best frame of reference in understanding yourself? Specific concepts of the theory need to be identified and discussed as to why these concepts are particularly useful for you? Support your observations.
What ethical code violation do you think would be the most destructive to the therapeutic process in a counseling relationship? The specific code needs to be identified and support provided for why this violation would be disruptive to the therapeutic process.
What issue would bring the greatest challenge for you in the guidance and/or counseling process. How would you address this problem? Referring to another counselor is not an option.
Read the following case study and select 1 model that would be the most effective model in addressing the person’s problems. Answer the questions below the case study by applying concepts and terms from the model. Answers need to utilize specific terminology and techniques from the model you have selected and reflect a solid understanding of this model.
There are 2 case studies in this essay part of the final exam and a different model needs to be used for each case study.
The questions need to be answered individually and each question needs to be numbered: 1, 2, 3.
Case Study:
Jake, who is middle-aged, is seeking therapy because he wants to learn how to deal with his anger. As long as he can remember, he has felt anger toward someone: his mother, his wife, his children, his boss and his few friends. He says that he is frightened of his anger and of what he might do, so he keeps it all bottled up. He reports that as a child he was always given the message that anger is a bad emotion and that you should surely never show angry feelings. Jake also realizes that he fears getting close to people and he would like to explore his fear of intimacy as well as his fear of his anger.
- Identify a model and techniques from that model that you think would be most appropriate for this case if you were providing counseling for this client.
- Describe how you would apply this model and the techniques.
- Discuss why this model and these techniques would be particularly useful and the best choice for this client?
Read the following case study and select 1 model that would be the most effective model in addressing the person’s problems. Answer the questions below the case study by applying concepts and terms from the model. Answers need to utilize specific terminology and techniques from the model you have selected and reflect a solid understanding of this model.
There are 2 case studies in this essay part of the final exam and a different model needs to be used for each case study.
The questions need to be answered individually and each question needs to be numbered: 1, 2, 3.
Case Study:
Herb comes to therapy to help work through his feelings about his divorce. He feels that the divorce was his fault and that if he had been different his wife would not have left. He keeps bemoaning the fact that she left him. He feels devastated to the extent that he can hardly function. He is preoccupied with getting her back.
- Identify a model and techniques from that model that you think would be most appropriate for this case if you were providing counseling for this client.
- Describe how you would apply this model and the techniques.
- Discuss why this model and these techniques would be particularly useful and the best choice for this client?
The Williams Family
The Williams family includes Angelica, who is 68 years old, her daughter Maria, who is 48 years old and her four children Tamara, Chandra, Sharon and Brandon (ages 12, 10, 6 and 4 respectively). Angelica, the matriarch, has four other children, Terrance, who is 49 years old, is married and has two children, Michael and Tina (ages 10 and 6). Veronica, who is 45, is married and pregnant with her first child. Sheila, who is 41 years of age, is divorced with two children. Sheila’s children, Thomas and Beverly (ages 7 and 6), are close to their father and see him every other weekend as well as two nights a week.
Angelica was divorced when the youngest of her children was 6 and has been a single mother most of her life except for the time she was married to her ex-husband, George. After the divorce, he was emotionally cut off from the children. She relied on her extended family for support and was also very close to her church community. Her father, a minister, never approved of her marriage to George, who died of a heart attack 2 years ago. Two years prior to George’s death, George’s mother died in an accident which brought George and the children together. Although that relationship was tense, they were able to resolve some of their issues and a sense of connection was established.
Angelica, on the other hand, never resolved her conflict with her ex-husband. They were distant and always had bitter words for each other. Angelica is very close to her children and her mother’s family. The Williams family is African American and family members are proud of their cultural and family heritage. They have strong spiritual beliefs and practicing their faith is an important aspect of their lives. In the last therapy session, Angelica told the family therapist, “God helps me deal with anything in life. He is my strength.”
Maria separated from her husband 8 months ago. After this separation, Angelica allowed Maria and her children to move in with her until she was “on her feet” financially. Angelica has been working two jobs to make ends meet. The children seem to be struggling academically with the exception of Tamara who excels in school. There are conflicts about disciplining the children because Angelica finds her daughter to be too lenient. Maria feels that she has to protect the children from Angelica’s disapproval. Angelica complains that Maria has become totally dependent on her and cannot make a decision about anything. Maria got her mother to agree to family counseling to help deal with the issues in the new family makeup. Angelica is skeptical about therapy.
Answer the following questions from the Bowen Systems perspective—specific Bowen concepts need to be identified.
Each of the 4 questions need to be answered separately and each one needs to be numbered–1, 2, 3, and 4.
- Bowenian therapists are interested in family patterns that go back several generations. In this family, discuss what patterns (positive and negative) you see that have been passed from one generation to the next?
- If you were completing a Genogram for this family using the patterns identified in Bowen theory (triangles, emotional cutoff, etc.), what relationship patterns would you observe that are creating problems for this family and would be important to address in therapy?
- What levels of differentiation do you observe in the Angelica and two of her four children? What information supports your observations?
- In order to get Angelica to engage in therapy, how might the family therapist integrate the cultural and religious background in a way that is respectful?
Your Answer:
