Theories

Case study

Kerenie Spencer

Psy645

Dr. Felch

June 28, 2018

Case study

Write a detailed description of your uncensored personal observation of the patient depicted.

The case study chosen is the case of Frank who is a 45-year-old man who is a gay. The main reason why Frank sought psychotherapy is that his boyfriend was no longer willing to have sex with him. One of the observations that I made about the patient is that he was frustrated. In this, Frank was used to previously having sex with his partner at least once every week. This depicts the average amount of sex that the couple has been having but he was so frustrated by the fact that his boyfriend was not there for him. All that he wanted at the moment was just to get intimate with his boyfriend. From the information, it is clear that sex was not the main cause of the problems that Frank was seeking therapy. It appears that Frank was going through some periods of anxiety and depression. He attributed all his feelings to the failure to have sex but it appeared that he has a poor approach to handling his problems. Although he was well groomed and with a logical thought, Frank did not have a better way of addressing the problems that he was experiencing and this contributed to anxiety and maybe depression although he denied having symptoms.

Describe at least one theoretical orientation you would use to conceptualize your view of the patient’s problem and how it may have developed.

One of the theoretical orientations that I would use to conceptualize my view on the problem of the patient and how it may have developed is the cognitive theory. It is imperative in the sense that it focuses on how the feelings of the people are capable of changing their behaviors as well as their feelings. The therapy is usually by nature brief and focuses on solving the problem that the client is facing. I would use this theoretical orientation and focus more on the present situation of the client rather than dwelling more on their past. The approach is very imperative in dealing with mental illnesses for instance anxiety and personality disorders among others (Akhtar, 2009). The other theoretical orientation that I would use is the psychoanalysis or the psychodynamic theory. Through the use of this analysis, I would use the free association technique where I would give Frank the opportunity to freely talk about anything that comes to his mind without censoring and transference so that he can redirect his feelings towards his partners in his life towards me as the therapist. The approach would to a great extent aid in ensuring that focus and energy are laid out in the analysis of the client's past relationship. Revealing and bringing all the issues as the surface will play a great role in ensuring treatment and healing. The theoretical orientation would also assist in changing the behaviors of the client which are deeply ingrained and also change their understanding of one’s self (Tasman, Kay, & Ursano, 2013).

Identify the issues you might focus on in treatment with this patient.

One of the issues that I would focus on in the treatment of Frank is on their present situation and their distorted thinking. In this, I would come up with cognitive approaches to helping Frank to deal with anxiety. I would encourage Frank not to dwell so much on the negative things that are happening around him and to consider desensitization as it is imperative in ensuring the development of an incredible adaptive ability in the mind. The other issue that I might focus on in the treatment of the patient is distortive thinking. In this, I would try to make Frank believe that his boyfriend is not denying him from having sex since on normal times they only have it once in a week on average. Distortive thinking occurs when the mind of an individual convinces them of something that is not true in reality (Morrison, 2017). The thoughts are inaccurate and tend to reinforce negative behavior and emotions and this is one of the reasons why Frank was feeling bad. I would thus focus on it to ensure to reinforce positive emotions and feelings.

References

Akhtar, S. (2009). Turning points in dynamic psychotherapy: initial assessment, boundaries, money, disruptions and suicidal crises. London: Karnac.

MORRISON, J. (2017). DSM-5 MADE EASY: the clinician's guide to diagnosis. S.l: GUILFORD.

Tasman, A., Kay, J. & Ursano, R. (2013). The Psychiatric Interview: Evaluation and Diagnosis. Chichester, West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons.