Questions
Integrative Paper Guidelines
Learning Objectives:
1. Identify core issues that a person struggling with mental health issues is experiencing
2. Determine goals and objectives in addressing core behavioral issues
3. Distinguish which theory/techniques would best meet the needs of each client
4. Integrate class/text materials in your approach to providing treatment to the client
5. Demonstrate your understanding of a practical application to real world scenarios
Guidelines:
Choose Two of the eight cases provided on Titanium for your paper. Review the questions at the end of each case to provide you with the guidelines for addressing and providing competent treatment for each specific case.
The paper will be well thought out with specific examples of how/why you would apply counseling techniques learned in the course. The questions at the end of each case are guidelines: You may be as creative as you wish.
You may also integrate any techniques or theories you have learned from work experience, personal experience in counseling or other courses.
Be sure to present a professional grade paper in APA 7 format that is grammatically correct with no spelling errors. Attach the provided grading sheet at the end of your paper.
Length 6 pages.
Use psychosocial evaluation for both cases
Integrative Paper
Case Scenario Two
The selected case scenario involves a client, Stan, who exhibits some symptoms of mental health issues. Notably, Stan resents himself, an aspect that appears to affect his emotional wellbeing. As such, the objective of the planned experiment is to address Stan’s attitudinal issue of resentment so at to help restore his emotional wellbeing. While several techniques could be utilized to assist Stan, I would use the gestalt experiment because his mental health issue is embedded in past unfinished business and couple the method with respect for cultural values to help Stan overcome his resentment.
The intended therapy session would begin with a psychosocial assessment of the client to determine their health status. As scholars suggest, psychosocial evaluations help assess the risk and needs of individuals who visit healthcare centres by evaluating the precipitating factors that lead to an episode of harm, identifying demographic risk factors, and psychiatric comorbidities to help plan for subsequent care (Carroll et al., 2016). Therefore, a psychosocial assessment would be done on Stan to help evaluate his mental health, social status, and emotional wellbeing to determine his health status and develop a proper intervention for his present issues.
After evaluating all the necessary factors, I would proceed with the session by attending to whatever issue that becomes figural, as it would be the critical aspect that is most relevant to Stan. For instance, based on the information provided by Stan regarding his mental health status, unfinished business, which leads to anger and hurt, are the significant figural aspects he experiences in present times (Corey, 2015). Notably, the client resents himself and his ex-wife for the emotional pain inflicted on him by the latter. As such, these past emotions that Stan holds for himself and his wife would be the primary focus of the planned therapy.
In response to the identified mental health issue, I would propose the use of a gestalt experiment to help Stan understand his reluctance to express his feelings and how it affects his behaviour in present times. Notably, an experiment, which is described as spontaneously created activities that fit what is happening in the therapeutic process, would be ideal compared to an exercise in this case scenario because of the need to have the client understand and resolve their unfinished business (Corey, 2015). For example, through an experiment, it would be easier for Stan to have a fuller awareness of impasses, such as failing to express his emotions, that prevent the completion of his resentment towards his wife. In turn, this awareness would help the client overcome internal conflict and restore his mental health status.
Among the gestalt counselling techniques that would work best in Stan’s scenario is the empty-chair technique. Scholars define an empty chain technique as a counselling strategy where the client literally talks to an empty chair, expressing his unsolved feelings that affect his wellbeing (Conte, 2009). Now that it is apparent that Stan’s resentment for this ex-wife is the primary cause of his mental health issues, I would invite him to try this technique to help solve his unfinished business, and restore his emotional wellbeing. Notably, I would encourage him to re-experience his past situation and express his feelings as if talking directly to his wife, to help relieve the unfinished business that keeps him tied to his past, and consequently interfering with his present behaviour.
Furthermore, I would work with Stan’s cultural message by respecting his cultural values while encouraging him to evaluate how the latter affects his current wellbeing. As is evident from the case scenario, some of the cultural introjections that govern Stan’s behaviour include “don’t show your vulnerabilities and hide your feelings and weaknesses” (Corey, 2015). Undoubtedly, such cultural values are some of the elements that adversely affect Stan’s mental health because failure to express his feelings caused a build-up of unsolved emotions, which eventually led to the feeling of resentment towards himself. Despite the adversities of these cultural values being blatant, confronting Stan about abandoning them would only lower the chances of success of the proposed solution, as the client would perceive such an action as a form of disrespect to his cultural background. As such, I would choose to work with the cultural message in a strategic way that involves respecting Stan’s cultural values while encouraging him to analyze how such values had adversely affected his mental health. This approach would yield better outcomes as Stan would be in charge of undertaking the activity voluntarily and suggesting a compromise that can be made in some of the values to prevent his culture from affecting his health.
Conclusion
In summary, Stan’s resentment is a result of unfinished business, which affects his mental wellbeing. As such, I would apply a gestalt experiment to help restore the client’s wellbeing. Also, I would conduct a psychosocial evaluation to determine the needs and health status of the client and decide on the best approach to offer treatment. Furthermore, I would utilize an empty chain counselling technique to help Stan re-experience his past and express his feelings to help solve the unfinished business. To ensure the success of the proposed therapy and counselling strategy, I would ensure that I respect Stan’s cultural values while inviting him to assess how they affect his wellbeing.
References
Carroll, R., Metcalfe, C., Steeg, S., Davies, N., Cooper, J., Kapur, N., & Gunnell, D. (2016). Psychosocial assessment of self-harm patients and risk of repeat presentation: An instrumental variable analysis using time of hospital presentation. PLOS ONE, 11(2), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0149713
Conte, C. (2009). Advanced techniques for counselling and psychotherapy. Springer Publishing Company. ISBN: 0826104517, 9780826104519.
Corey, G. (2015). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy (10th ed.). Cengage Learning. ISBN: 978-1-305-85746-9.
Case Scenario Two
The selected case scenario involves Gwen, who has been experiencing pain in her left hip for a week. Based on her interview with the therapist, Gwen has had a similar problem in the past, but an MRI revealed negative results about her hip having any trouble (Corey, 2015). Given that there lack medical connections to Gwen’s problem, the therapist proceeds to explore Gwen’s bodily sensations and physical symptoms, which is important in identifying whether there are underlying emotional aspects that trigger the pain and to develop the ideal counselling technique for the client such as the gestalt experiment.
Based on an assessment of the case scenario, exploring bodily sensations and physical symptoms with Gwen are vital to help determine whether there exist underlying mental health issues that facilitate the problem and enlighten the client on such matters. For instance, when asked about her bodily sensations, Gwen mentions that the pain feels uncomfortable in the crease of her hip, with a dull sore feeling (Corey, 2015). On the other hand, when the therapist enquires about the physical symptoms, Gwen explains that a previous MRI revealed negative results (Corey, 2015). Variation of the results in the two explorations helps determine that there are other underlying factors, such as emotional suppression, that trigger the pain in Gwen’s hip.
Notably, it is determined that the failure of Gwen to solve unexpressed emotions are the real cause of the discomfort in her hip. For instance, Gwen gets caught up in past experiences that she feels may have gone wrong but fails to complain about it, which leads to a build-up of unexpressed emotions and, subsequently, body discomfort (Corey, 2015). As such, the initial analysis of Gwen’s bodily sensation and physical symptoms is vital as it helps establish such critical findings and raise awareness to the client about how suppressed feelings harm their physical wellbeing.
Findings from the exploration of bodily sensation and physical symptoms led the therapist to adopt a gestalt experiment that involved asking Gwen to “become her hip” and speak from it, an activity that has a therapeutic value in the counselling session. As observed by Corey (2015), gestalt therapy aims at helping “clients to become more aware of the subtle signals and cues they are sending through body language” (p.217). Therefore, asking Gwen to “become her hip” and speak from it adds the value of helping the client communicate vital information that may not, otherwise, be captured through physical exploration. Also, the exercise helps the client to connect with her body. For example, when asked to exaggerate how her hip feels, Gwen uses statements such as “I am so tired of the mountain of things I have to do and never getting anywhere” (Corey, 2015, p.223). This information is significant as it helps Gwen acknowledge the root cause of her body discomfort and subsequently shift her attention to her current situation with a more relaxed mindset that leads to a relief of the pain.
In my opinion, the approach used by the therapist to introduce the idea of Gwen carrying out an experiment is considerate of the client’s feelings and suitable for promoting the success of the exaggeration technique in counselling. As noted by Corey (2015), counsellors should not try to push an agenda; instead, the client should feel free to try something new and determine the outcomes of the experiment. Likewise, the therapist demonstrated this consideration by acknowledging that the experiment may be strange, but still encouraged Gwen to try it and evaluate lessons that she may learn from the exercise. The fact that the therapist invited Gwen to participate in the experiment voluntarily exhibits the therapist’s considerate approach that eventually facilitates the success of the intervention.
If I were in Gwen’s position, I might have felt uncomfortable at first about the experiment but eventually, agree to undertake the exercise upon the establishment of trust with the therapist. As scholars suggest, it is vital that therapists establish a relationship with the clients, so that the latter develops the confidence to indulge in the learning resulting from Gestalt experiments (Corey, 2015). Likewise, the therapist’s effort to establish a relationship at the beginning of the exercise, by acknowledging that the experiment may seem strange, would have driven me to develop trust and participate in the task.
Conclusion
In summary, the approach utilized by the therapist in dealing with Gwen’s case scenario is essential as it not only helped identify the underlying issues that affected the client but also fostered the adoption of a suitable counselling technique. Notably, it was important for the therapists to explore bodily sensations and physical symptoms with Gwen to help establish any underlying mental issues that may cause body discomfort. Also, implementing the exaggeration exercise was of therapeutic importance as it helped Gwen connect with her body and eventually facilitated the success of the counselling session.
References
Corey, G. (2015). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy (10th ed.). Cengage Learning. ISBN: 978-1-305-85746-9.
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