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Case Conceptualization Using Individual Psychology Therapy
Kyra Pridgen
Liberty University
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Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to bring attention to the process that will be depicted on the
treatment plan of my client, Sister Mary Clarence. By addressing the presenting concerns Sister
Mary Clarence currently has with her personal relationships, personal functioning, and
occupational functioning, this counselor will highlight the specifics of the approaches that were
pivotal in the desired outcome for an increase in her self-esteem. Sister Mary Clarence is a 35-
year-old African American who was in an abusive relationship with her thuggish Italian long
term boyfriend until she entered protective custody posing as a nun. During previous sessions,
Sister Mary Clarence expressed interest in “changing around her life” to this counselor.
Navigating through the explorations of the Individual Psychology Theory, in the following
sections there will be a detailed explanation of the theory, a determination of the therapeutic
interventions being used during counseling sessions with Sister Mary Clarence, the purpose of
the interventions, and an example of how the interventions are going to be used; a spiritual
application where the compatibility or incompatibility of Christian Beliefs will be assessed while
noting the spiritual challenges of this particular case, the method for conducting sought out
assistance if Sister Mary Clarence was interested in having Christian Counseling as a part of her
treatment plan; and lastly, a conclusion on the expected outcomes of how using the Individual
Psychology Theory allowed Sister Mary Clarence to become empowered with the increase of her
self-esteem, and the most challenging aspects in her treatment.
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Case Conceptualization Using Individual Psychology Theory:
Who is the developer of the Individual Psychology Theory?
The Individual Psychology Theory was founded by Alfred Adler, who was born in Vienna
Austria. What motivated his interest in becoming a physician was attributed to him almost dying
due to contracting pneumonia at the age five (Murdock, 2017). Adler was determined to
overcome death, and fortunately at that time, he did. Adler’s bouts with early adversity
ultimately lead him to his medical career and the ideas behind his theories. More interestingly,
Adler and his wife had four children, two of which went on to further their father’s work as
psychiatrists (Murdock, 2017).
What did Adler believe about human nature and the counseling process?
Adler believed that there was an innate tendency for humans to be both good and bad as they
strive for belongingness, inferiority, perfection, and superiority, which encourages the behavior
(Murdock, 2017). Furthermore, Adler posited that “thinking, feeling, behaving, and even
physiological functioning are an integrated system directed toward pursuit of the individual’s
goals” (Murdock, 2017, p. 113). The psychological world of a holistic individual is influenced
by the behaviors and the ability to create their own personal life path, which can promote
changes within that path and set goals at any time. At one point, Adler believed the behaviors of
humans could be assumed through generalized laws and principles (Murdock, 2017).
Explain any research showing efficacy of the Individual Psychology Theory.
Research that shows efficacy of the Individual Psychology Theory indicate “Acceptance and
Commitment Therapy's view of psychopathology is an inherent paradox: Trying to change
negative content is a major source of the negative content” (Sharp, Wilson, and Schulenberg,
2004, p.948).
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What diagnosis has the Individual Psychology Theory been shown to be effective with?
The Individual Psychology Theory has been shown to be effective with psychological and
societal diagnoses such as depression and anxiety. As noted earlier by Murdock (2017), one
thing that can motivate an individual to shape the path they want to abide by is themselves.
“Adler believed that individuals’ perceptions, rather than some objective external criterion,
determine their views of reality” (p. 113).
Why is the Individual Psychology Theory appropriate for Sister Mary Clarence and her
presenting concerns?
The Individual Psychology Theory is appropriate for Sister Mary Clarence and her presenting
concerns because her issues are psychological and societal, as she suffers from depression, and
ideations that stem from influences in her environment. Furthermore, this approach is suitable
for Sister Mary Clarence because the focus is on the individual making the change. As Adler
states, each person is responsible for their own way in life. Sister Mary Clarence is willing to
make the sacrifices to make these changes. This counselor strongly feels that she would benefit
from the encouragement of her peers.
What are potential ethical issues that may arise when using the Individual Psychology
Theory?
Some potential ethical issues that may arise when using the Individual Psychology Theory when
counseling Sister Mary Clarence are the challenges of being a mandated reporter, having to
report any signs of abuse. Additionally, making sure self-care will not be a concern in order to
fully provide competent counseling services to Sister Mary Clarence as effectively as possible.
With the thought of having counselors in mind, Remley and Herlihy (2016) mentions that
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counselors should be reminded to take an interest in themselves in order to represent others to the
best of capabilities (Remley & Herlihy, 2016).
What are any multicultural issues that may arise when using this theory?
The multicultural issues that may arise when using the Individual Psychology Theory is the focus
it puts on the family entity, and trying to find the underlying issues of possible after affects that
could stem from the family system. “Parental and other family influences are very important in
the development of lifestyle” (Murdock, 2017, p. 115). With Sister Mary Clarence being of the
African American descent, it will not be easy for her to open up about the past, in regards to her
family.
According to Hays and Erford (2018), a privileged and marginalized counselor will attempt to
provide guidance in four areas of each multicultural competency, which include: attitudes and
belief, knowledge, skills, and actions. Therefore, this counselor will be sensitive in
understanding that forms of communication between Sister Mary Clarence and others may be
skewed. To aid in helping with this issue, this counselor will incorporate many interventions
relating to effectively opening the lines of communicate with others.
Can this theory be used in a crisis situation? Why or why not?
Crises occurs in all shapes and sizes. “An inherent paradox is produced by a functional
contradiction between the literal and the functional properties of verbal events and primarily
involves verbal constructions regarding events not readily rule-governed. In doing so, inherent
paradox refers to a process that cannot be entirely literal or verbal” (Sharp, Wilson, and
Schulenberg, 2004, p.947). The Individual Psychology Theory can be used in a crisis situation
because it helps to deal with psychological and societal issues. According to Murdock (2017),
those who portray themselves as being weak or helpless signal superiority as it makes people
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around them tend to those in despair. “Similarly, the display of depression, neglect of one’s
appearance, and extreme grief can create power for the individual because these behaviors
demand that others pay attention” (p. 117).
Client’s Presenting Concerns:
Personal Relationships
Sister Mary Clarence has problems with her relationship with her mother, as she does not
communicate with her mother at all. She also has problems with her romantic partners. Over the
past four years, she has frequently been in arguments and physical altercations with her
boyfriend Vince. This has escalated to many calls to the police and Sister Mary Clarence has
even made false reports of domestic abuse when Vince would go out and not come home for
days. Sister Mary Clarence did not dispute the fact that these were false claims during this
meeting, and stated it was the only way she could get Vince to return home.
Sister Mary Clarence has even jumped out of a moving car during an argument with Vince. Due
to these repeated calls and the physical condition that client has been left in at times, she has
been advised by the Reno Police Department to leave Vince and have a restraining order put
against him. However, since Vince is a known mobster, and has connections with the Reno
Police Department, nothing ever happens to him. Sister Mary Clarence states that she loves
Vince, and they spend a lot of time together while supporting each other the best that they can.
Personal Functioning
Sister Mary Clarence reports feeling down, depressed, anxious, irritable, and at times hopeless.
She has little interests or pleasure in doing things. Her appetite varies daily, from not having
one, to being poor, to overeating. Sister Mary Clarence reports having sporadic moments of
weight loss monthly. She frequently has feelings of being tired, or having little energy. Sister
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Mary Clarence often feels bad about herself, feeling like she is a failure, and feels that she is
constantly letting herself or others down. She reports feeling worthless, helpless, and sad on
many occasions.
Occupational Functioning
Sister Mary Clarence has trouble concentrating on things like work, reading, or watching
television. She loses focus, daydreams during tasks, leaves tasks incomplete, and is
insubordinate. Sister Mary Clarence has not been capable of keeping consistent employment
after leaving the stage as a lounge singer. Sister Mary Clarence has trouble with receiving orders
from others, as she still struggles with this at the convent. Even though she is happy where she is
now, Sister Mary Clarence does not foresee herself being here for much longer due to losing
interest.
Interventions:
Sister Mary Clarence reports that she has a difficult time believing that anyone loves her.
Furthermore, Sister Mary Clarence reports that she feels nobody, not even Vince will be there for
her during times of distress. Due to these alleged feelings of neglect, Sister Mary Clarence
channels her negative worldview by frequently arguing and being defiant towards people. She
presents with depressive symptoms and isolating behaviors, refusing to interact with her lounge
family during reunions, or distant cousins when she has opportunities to see them. Sister Mary
Clarence states that she spends most of her time in isolation due to being depressed.
Additionally, she reported getting picked on and bullied, in a way by those who she comes across
in public settings, which makes her feel bad about herself. Sister Mary Clarence presents
depressive symptoms that she has had for several years such as irritability, worthlessness, little
interest or pleasure in doing things, and feeling like a failure. Wanting to have a better outlook
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on life, she reports feelings of loneliness while at home because she does not live within close
proximity to others she can befriend.
Gaining encouragement to face life-tasks, and/or to develop social interests:
This counselor will explore with Sister Mary Clarence the interest in activities she has.
Counselor will encourage Sister Mary Clarence to be versatile and attempt participating in a
liked activity at least weekly in her community. Counselor will urge Sister Mary Clarence to
begin learning her neighbors or people in the community in order to find out the activities they
mutually enjoy. This counselor will implement self-esteem building activities for Sister Mary
Clarence to engage in during sessions in the community. Counselor will support Sister Mary
Clarence’s interests in extracurricular activities, such as singing and performing, dedicated to
enrich her sense of belonging. “Modern music therapy is examined in this article and is shown to
be a most useful adjunct to conventional psychotherapy” (Eriksson, 2017, p, 243).
Facilitating the development of positive aspects of the self in the context of the therapeutic
relation:
This counselor will facilitate and encourage a safe environment for open communication
between Sister Mary Clarence and her mother. With the hopes to promote trust in her mother,
counselor will assist Sister Mary Clarence in identifying the underlying reasons as to why she
feels she cannot turn to her mother for comfort. This counselor will engage in different role
playing scenarios with Sister Mary Clarence to demonstrate various healthy ways of addressing
others when experiencing heightened levels of emotions. The role playing may involve her
coming into contact with someone expressing their opinion on careers as a lounge singer.
Additionally, this counselor will advocate for the use of journaling the instances that make her
have negative thoughts about herself or others.
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Resolving earlier conflicts:
This counselor will actively listen to Sister Mary Clarence as she expresses the negative feelings
she experiences daily. This counselor will offer examples of ways to open lines of
communication for Sister Mary Clarence to talk about her emotions relating to her family, in
particular, her mother. Counselor and Sister Mary Clarence will brainstorm activities that
purposefully encourage relationship enhancement. Counselor will acknowledge the vulnerability
in Sister Mary Clarence by allowing her to reflect on the emotions in ways she deems relevant to
meet her needs. Counselor will suggest at least one positive moment of mother-daughter time
where Sister Mary Clarence and Anna (mom) are to engage with each other cordially. This
counselor will recommend to Sister Mary Clarence that she attempt to cook with her mother like
she used to do as a child.
Spiritual Application:
The spiritual challenges that I see in this case is Sister Mary Clarence’s profession as a lounge
entertainer, which ultimately makes her happy. However, the views on her “sinful” profession
will put a wedge in her overall achievement with her treatment. Although Sister Mary Clarence
is open to having Christian Counseling, caution will still need to be used when counseling her in
sessions. Once a few sessions have occurred, this counselor will carefully bring up the thought
of incorporating scripture into the sessions, just to gauge her reactions to the thought.
Conclusion:
Overall, my client, Sister Mary Clarence struggles with internal feelings of negative views on
herself and her environment. Through seeking counseling, she has been able to successfully
increase the levels in her confidence, which has provided her with a bright outlook on life going
forward. Through the interventions used during sessions with her, Sister Mary Clarence has
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reported feeling empowered to do anything, and no longer feels she has to be scared to live the
life she was given. These outcomes from using the Individual Psychology Theory are exactly
what were expected throughout this process. However, this counselor would like to see Sister
Mary Clarence become more autonomous and initiate some of the things she wants to do instead
of waiting to hear suggestions from others around her. Although it may not be a challenge for
her to want this transition to happen now, my struggle is accepting this challenging component
for her. According to Jones and Butman (2011) “as we develop a clear sense of identity, we have
an increasing ability to make conscious and deliberate choices and take accountability for their
decisions” (p. 309).
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References
Eriksson, C. (2017). Adlerian psychology and music therapy: The harmony of sound and matter and
community feeling. The Journal of Individual Psychology, 73(3), 243-264.
Hays, D. G., & Erford, B. T. (2018). Developing multicultural counseling competence: A systems
approach (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Jones, S. L., & Butman, R. E. (2011). Modern psychotherapies: A comprehensive Christian
appraisal (2nd ed.). Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press.
Murdock, N. L. (2017). Theories of counseling and psychotherapy: A case approach (custom
package) (4th ed.). Upper Saddle Creek, NJ: Pearson.
Remley, T. P., & Herlihy, B. (2016). Ethical, legal, and professional issues in counseling.
Boston: Pearson.
Sharp, W. G., Wilson, K. G., & Schulenberg, S. E. (2004). Use of paradoxical intention in the
context of acceptance and commitment therapy. Psychological Reports, 95(3), 946-948.
