Did your findings change your perception about the intervention?

As a counselor, you have the potential to work with a variety of client populations and mental health issues. Even the most seasoned clinicians have an ethical responsibility to stay abreast of the most current trends in the field. A great source of information is professional counseling literature. It gives you access to up to date empirical evidence and treatment options.

For this Discussion, you will make your first effort to review a peer-reviewed, scholarly article and consider how the information can help you shape the course of treatment for an identified client.

To Prepare

  • Review the four Final Project Case Studies found in the Learning Resources for this week and select a case study for this Discussion based on your counseling specialization You will have the option to use the same case study for your final project or choose a different one.
  • Choose one client in the case study and one mental health issue that you would address in counseling.
  • Choose one intervention you are interested in learning more about to work with the issues you identified in the case study you selected.
  • Review the Learning Resources related to research and how to search the Walden Library for specific information related to your topic.
  • Search the Walden Library and select one article specific to an intervention for your case study. Note: You will use this article to create a citation in your post as well as a reference for the article.

Post by Day 3

  • The case study you selected, the client and mental health issue you identified, and the intervention you selected for treating the issue in counseling.
  • Explain the findings of the article and how the research article results match or were different from what you expected to find.
  • Did your findings change your perception about the intervention?
  • Would you choose to use this intervention with your client in the case study based on the contents of the article?
  • Cite content from the article you identified to support your post. Also, include a reference for this article in your post.
  • Attach a PDF of the article to your post .

Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources and identify current relevant literature to support your work.

COUN 6626: Research Methodology and Program Evaluation

Final Project Case Studies

 

Case Study 1 Chloe, an 8-year-old African American female, has been brought to counseling by her foster mother. Cloe was removed from her biological mother’s home after reports of physical and sexual abuse were substantiated by an investigation by the Department of Human Services. Law enforcement became involved after reports that Chloe’s biological mother was allowing adult men to sexually abuse Chloe for drugs. Initial concerns of this behavior started when Chloe was just 5 years old. It was only recently that these concerns were able to be substantiated, resulting in Chloe’s placement into foster care and the parental rights of her biological mother terminated.

Chloe currently lives in foster care and is available for adoption. Her foster mother indicates that she tends to withdraw from interpersonal interaction with adults. Chloe is a highly sensitive child and cries easily. The foster mother, Elaine, has noticed that Chloe is demonstrating distress anytime she is separated from her foster parents.

When Chloe is dropped off at school, daycare, or swimming lessons, she is tearful and chews her fingernails until they bleed. Her teachers indicate that the distress tends to resolve within about 30 minutes, but Chloe often isolates herself and will not participate in any learning or social activities until after this time passes. As a result, Chloe’s teachers are concerned because she is falling behind in her schoolwork and she has difficulty socializing with her peers. Her teachers are worried about Chloe’s academic achievement as well as her social and emotional development.

School Counselors: Chloe’s teachers have reached out to you for interventions to help Chloe become successful in school.

Case Study 2

Jim is a 14-year-old Caucasian male whose parents have requested services. Jim’s sister, Helen, died suddenly 5 months ago in a car accident. Since then, Jim’s behavior has changed and his parents are worried about him. His parents assumed that he was exhibiting these behaviors as a result of shock and grief. However, Jim’s behaviors have escalated and his mother discovered several empty beer bottles and empty compressed air cans hidden in his bedroom. Jim’s parents believe he is drinking alcohol and huffing, and this has prompted them to bring Jim to see a counselor.

Jim claims that he has only tried drinking or huffing on a couple of occasions, and that he does not have a problem. Prior to Helen’s death, Jim was on the A-B Honor Roll at school. During the past couple of months, his grades have started slipping and his academic achievement is being impacted. During the last month, he has been hanging out with new “friends” who his dad describes as “goth”. He no longer spends time with his childhood friends and recently was caught skipping class and received in school suspension. Jim’s teachers are worried about his academic achievement and his social and emotional development. Jim’s teachers indicate that he has become more introverted in his behavior in recent weeks and no longer engages in classroom discussions and is somewhat uncooperative during group activities.

Jim has always been cooperative at home so his parents are worried about changes in his attitude. He is not verbally disrespectful to his parents at this time, though he has become more secretive putting passwords on his phone and locking his bedroom door. When his parents ask him to unlock the door or remove the password, he does so, but only temporarily. Jim’s father is in recovery for alcoholism and is very fearful that Jim will develop an addiction to substances. Jim’s mother is adamant that this is just a “stage” and that Jim is just “being a teenager.” Jim’s parents do not talk about his sister’s death which has left Jim to find his own way of coping with his grief. Mom is an enabler who ignores Helen’s death and Dad goes to AA meetings to get support in maintaining his 7 years of sobriety, leaving all members of the family to hurt in isolation.

School Counselors: Jim’s teachers have reached out to you for interventions to help Jim become successful in school.

 

Case Study 3

Natasha is a 40-year-old Latina woman who is self-referred to counseling. Natasha reports that she is in love with a woman, Nicole, and she is afraid that if her family finds out she is a lesbian they will disown her. She describes her family as “die-hard Catholic” that views homosexuality as a sin. Natasha has lost 20 pounds worrying about what will happen when her family finds out she is gay. She experiences nightly sleep disturbances and frequently tosses and turns and gets less than 2 hours of sleep. She has stopped participating in activities and spends most of her time at home isolating herself. She reports that she is no longer able to enjoy being with friends or participating in things she enjoys such as yoga or bicycling because she can’t think about anything but her family. Because she is not eating or sleeping well, her performance at work has deteriorated and her boss has put her on a performance improvement plan.

In addition to her concerns about her family, she is now also worried about losing her job. Her partner, Nicole, has a very accepting support system and has never experienced the anxiety of being rejected for her sexual identity. Nicole’s family is accepting of Nicole’s identity and her family has been a safe place for the two of them to be themselves. Nicole is angry at Natasha’s parents for not being accepting of Natasha and because of Nicole’s protectiveness of Natasha, their relationship is strained. Natasha feels torn between the woman she loves and her family who has raised her. This has caused conflict in the relationship because Natasha feels that Nicole is being insensitive toward her circumstances. Their communication has deteriorated and Natasha fears “losing everything” including her family, her partner, and her job. Her daily functioning is impacted by her inability to find joy in activities and her sleep and appetite disturbance. She doesn’t know what to do.

Case Study 4

Jared is a 37-year-old African American male who is referred to counseling by his girlfriend, Sheila. Sheila is worried about Jared because he is short-tempered and on edge, shouts at his girlfriend, and loses his cool with his kids, ages 13 and 15. Jared was served with divorce papers upon his return from deployment and now only sees his children every other weekend. Jared reports that he “can’t think straight.” He describes wanting to lock himself away and draw the curtains. Jared cries openly when describing that he served four years in Operation Iraqi Freedom as a marine. He also expresses reluctance to enter into counseling because he fears being labeled.

In the 12 years since returning home from his deployment, Jared has struggled with his divorce and homelessness. He reports believing that people with mental problems are wimps or fakers. Jared also explains that when he was a medic, he coped with the horrors that he had seen in war by having a few beers or smoking marijuana to try and block out the horrific memories. Jared then describes one event that plays over and over in his head. He became emotional when he described the scene of a young child who had been mutilated but left alive. Jared’s daily thoughts are filled with images of homes being burned, or people screaming with bloody injuries, or people in anguish over the dead bodies of their loved ones. These memories have impacted his daily functioning and interpersonal relationships because of the feelings and thoughts that are triggered. Neither his girlfriend nor his kids want to be around him, and he is worried that he is losing his mind.

Stimulus Equivalence

Consider an intervention that uses stimulus equivalence training to help a brain-injured woman to be able to remember a name by speaking the name, visually seeing it written down, and then seeing a picture of the person whose name they are learning.

– Describe in detail which example of stimulus equivalence this intervention is using and explain why you chose that option.

– Provide one example for each of the other two ways to test for stimulus equivalence.

Existential and Gestalt Theoriesxistential and Gestalt Theories

Week 4: Existential and Gestalt Theories

Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.

― Viktor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning, p. 86

Consider your thoughts about the following statements:

· People are generally good, trustworthy, productive, and able to make positive changes.

· The responsibility for change and growth lies with the client.

· We should focus on the “here and now,” not so much on the “then and there.”

These statements reflect humanistic/existential theories developed by theorists such as Carl Rogers, Rollo May, Victor Frankl, and Fritz Perlz (i.e., including person-centered, Gestalt, and existential).

This week, you will explore the key components of existential and Gestalt theories and apply either the existential or Gestalt approach to one of the case studies used in this course (see this week’s Learning Resources).

Learning Objectives

Students will:

· Identify theorists, timeframes, and major constructs of individual theories

· Analyze techniques/interventions associated with individual theories

· Evaluate theories in relation to cases

 

Learning Resources

Required Readings

Frank, M. L. (2016). Existential theory. In D. Capuzzi & M. D. Stauffer (Eds.),Counseling and psychotherapy: Theories and interventions(6th ed., pp.147–168). Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.

Haley, M., Golden, S.H., & Nate, R.D. (2016). Gestalt theory. In D. Capuzzi & M. D. Stauffer (Eds.), Counseling and psychotherapy: Theories and interventions(6th ed., pp. 195–226). Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.

 

Document: Psychoanalytic Case Conceptualization Example (Word document)

 

 

Document: Case Studies (Word document)

 

Required Media

 

Psychotherapy.net (Producer). (2008b). Existential-humanistic psychotherapy [Video file]. Mill Valley, CA: Author.

 

 

Discussion: Existential or Gestalt Counseling: Case Conceptualization

For this Discussion, you will write a case conceptualization as though you were an existential or Gestalt counselor. Be sure to incorporate the feedback from your Instructor on your previous conceptualizations into this week’s.

As you review this week’s Learning Resources and media file, note techniques and interventions, and consider the role of an existential or Gestalt counselor in planning treatment. Further, reflect on existential and Gestalt therapy with respect to developing your own theoretical orientation. In what ways do you find that these approaches may resonate with your own point of view?

To Prepare:

· Review this week’s required readings about existential and Gestalt theories.

· Review the existential-humanistic psychotherapy video from this week’s Learning Resources. Take note of language and techniques used by the counselor that are specific to this theory.

· Review the Freudian Case Presentation document found in this week’s Learning Resources, and use this document to prepare your initial Discussion post.

· Select one of the four case studies presented in this week’s Learning Resources, and answer the following points as if you were an existential OR Gestalt counselor. Use your Learning Resources and the notes you took on language and technique from the existential-humanistic psychotherapy video to support your conceptualization, and integrate examples from the case to support your post. Include the following:

· Presenting Problem

· Treatment Goals

· Identify your chosen theory (i.e., existential or Gestalt) and explain at least two techniques and interventions from that theory.

· Expected Outcome

By Day 3

Post your existential OR Gestalt conceptualization.

Be sure to support your main post with specific references to the Learning Resources using proper APA format and citations. Your response posts may be more conversational and less formal.

Your responses may be more informal than your main post.

Read your colleagues’ postings.

By Day 5

Respond to at least two of your colleagues’ posts and explain whether you believe the proposed case conceptualization is the most beneficial for the case selected and why.

Your responses may be more informal than your main post.

Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any insights that you have gained as a result of your colleagues’ comments.

Submission and Grading Information

Grading Criteria

 

To access your rubric:

Week 4 Discussion Rubric

 

Post by Day 3 and Respond by Day 5

 

To participate in this Discussion:

Week 4 Discussion

 

 

Week in Review

This week, you analyzed both existential and Gestalt theories and considered how a person’s awareness and responsibility can impact behaviors.

Next week, you will review all of the theories presented to this point and complete the Mid-Term Exam

 

Photo Credit: [shironosov]/[iStock / Getty Images Plus]/Getty Images

Week 4: Existential and Gestalt Theories

Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.

― Viktor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning, p. 86

Consider your thoughts about the following statements:

· People are generally good, trustworthy, productive, and able to make positive changes.

· The responsibility for change and growth lies with the client.

· We should focus on the “here and now,” not so much on the “then and there.”

These statements reflect humanistic/existential theories developed by theorists such as Carl Rogers, Rollo May, Victor Frankl, and Fritz Perlz (i.e., including person-centered, Gestalt, and existential).

This week, you will explore the key components of existential and Gestalt theories and apply either the existential or Gestalt approach to one of the case studies used in this course (see this week’s Learning Resources).

Learning Objectives

Students will:

· Identify theorists, timeframes, and major constructs of individual theories

· Analyze techniques/interventions associated with individual theories

· Evaluate theories in relation to cases

 

Learning Resources

Required Readings

Frank, M. L. (2016). Existential theory. In D. Capuzzi & M. D. Stauffer (Eds.),Counseling and psychotherapy: Theories and interventions(6th ed., pp.147–168). Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.

Haley, M., Golden, S.H., & Nate, R.D. (2016). Gestalt theory. In D. Capuzzi & M. D. Stauffer (Eds.), Counseling and psychotherapy: Theories and interventions(6th ed., pp. 195–226). Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.

 

Document: Psychoanalytic Case Conceptualization Example (Word document)

 

 

Document: Case Studies (Word document)

 

Required Media

 

Psychotherapy.net (Producer). (2008b). Existential-humanistic psychotherapy [Video file]. Mill Valley, CA: Author.

 

 

Discussion: Existential or Gestalt Counseling: Case Conceptualization

For this Discussion, you will write a case conceptualization as though you were an existential or Gestalt counselor. Be sure to incorporate the feedback from your Instructor on your previous conceptualizations into this week’s.

As you review this week’s Learning Resources and media file, note techniques and interventions, and consider the role of an existential or Gestalt counselor in planning treatment. Further, reflect on existential and Gestalt therapy with respect to developing your own theoretical orientation. In what ways do you find that these approaches may resonate with your own point of view?

To Prepare:

· Review this week’s required readings about existential and Gestalt theories.

· Review the existential-humanistic psychotherapy video from this week’s Learning Resources. Take note of language and techniques used by the counselor that are specific to this theory.

· Review the Freudian Case Presentation document found in this week’s Learning Resources, and use this document to prepare your initial Discussion post.

· Select one of the four case studies presented in this week’s Learning Resources, and answer the following points as if you were an existential OR Gestalt counselor. Use your Learning Resources and the notes you took on language and technique from the existential-humanistic psychotherapy video to support your conceptualization, and integrate examples from the case to support your post. Include the following:

· Presenting Problem

· Treatment Goals

· Identify your chosen theory (i.e., existential or Gestalt) and explain at least two techniques and interventions from that theory.

· Expected Outcome

By Day 3

Post your existential OR Gestalt conceptualization.

Be sure to support your main post with specific references to the Learning Resources using proper APA format and citations. Your response posts may be more conversational and less formal.

Your responses may be more informal than your main post.

Read your colleagues’ postings.

By Day 5

Respond to at least two of your colleagues’ posts and explain whether you believe the proposed case conceptualization is the most beneficial for the case selected and why.

Your responses may be more informal than your main post.

Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any insights that you have gained as a result of your colleagues’ comments.

Submission and Grading Information

Grading Criteria

 

To access your rubric:

Week 4 Discussion Rubric

 

Post by Day 3 and Respond by Day 5

 

To participate in this Discussion:

Week 4 Discussion

 

 

Week in Review

This week, you analyzed both existential and Gestalt theories and considered how a person’s awareness and responsibility can impact behaviors.

How do you plan to develop your portfolio?

1. How do you plan to develop your portfolio? Are there specific learning tools you have found helpful? Be specific.

2. Agencies utilize a wide variety of treatment theories, strategies, and modalities. To attract an employer, how would you present yourself in order to avoid being too vague in your clinical approach (e.g., glossing over the differences in approaches on the one hand), and being too narrow on the other hand (e.g., being a committed behaviorist in an agency administered by psychodynamically oriented clinicians)?

Each questions is to be answered by itself and have 150-200 words and a cite in the answer.

So should look like

Questions

Answer

Question

answer