Develop a basic treatment plan.
Case Formulation Assignment – Clinical Psychology
choose one of the following case descriptions, conceptualize the case from a specific theoretical orientation (e.g., psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, etc.), discuss an assessment approach, and develop a basic treatment plan. You will need to integrate information from the lectures and the Trull textbook in order to help you develop an effective case formulation. The write-up of your case formulation should be 3 to 4 pages in length, double-spaced, and in 12-point font. Please do not turn in the write-up in any sort of bound form or report jacket; pages which are simply stapled in the upper left corner will suffice. The write-up will be due at the beginning of class on 12/3/12. Late papers will be penalized by 6 (out of 60) points (i.e., one letter grade) for each business day it is late (Monday through Friday are considered business days; Saturday and Sunday together will count as one business day for the purpose of this policy). I will not accept papers via email. Components to your case formulation should include: 1. An integration of the case history into a particular theoretical framework in order to better clinically understand the nature of the presenting complaints, any meaningful components of the history, etc.; 2. A plan for assessment (e.g., intake interview, diagnostic structured interview, intellectual testing, psychological testing, neuropsychological testing, etc.) and a rationale for that plan; 3. A basic psychotherapeutic treatment approach (psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, client-centered, existential, etc.) and a rationale for choosing that approach; 4. Your predictions for how therapy might progress, what the person does or talks about in therapy, what issues or problems might arise in therapy, how the person reacts to the therapist, etc. Be creative and imaginative, and utilize your understanding of that particular psychotherapeutic approach to inform your discussion.
Case #1: Allison H. Allison is a 22-year-old college senior. She is presenting for evaluation and possible psychotherapy at her university?s counseling center. Her recent history includes a marked decrease in her desire to socialize with others. She complains of not wanting to go to parties and not wanting to date romantically. She states that she has been ?burned? too many times in the social arena, and that ?it?s just not worth putting forth the effort anymore.? Her roommates are concerned about her recent tendency to stay at home on weeknights and during the weekend. Her mood around others has become volatile as of late, characterized by angry outbursts and an emotional coldness in interacting with her friends (when she is not isolating herself from others). Allison?s recent history also includes a marked increase in her anxiety about her future, career decisions, and life after graduating from college. She half-heartedly declared her major in biology at the beginning of her junior year (with the intention of applying to medical school), although she has recently questioned the value of that major, and her grades within her major have plummeted during her senior year. Allison was born and raised in the same town in which she currently attends college. She comes from a well-to-do and success-oriented family. Her father is an OB/GYN, and her mother is a political activist. She has one older brother who is finishing his last year at a prestigious law school. Allison?s early developmental history is best characterized by a relative lack of emotional and physical availability from her parents who were already busy with their careers at the time. Allison was raised primarily by the family?s nanny. Throughout school, Allison?s grades have been good, as she earned mostly A?s and B?s all the way through high school. She was an active student throughout her schooling, participating in sports, extra-curricular clubs, and social activities. She avoided using alcohol and/or drugs until college, at which point she began drinking quite heavily on weekends. Currently, she consumes approximately 3 glasses of wine per evening, usually tending to drink alone at home. She does not use drugs. Medical history includes being knocked unconscious in a car accident during her sophomore year in college. She reports hitting her head on the steering wheel (she wasn?t wearing her seatbelt) and experiencing loss of consciousness for approximately 30 minutes (according to those on the scene) as well as memory loss for events immediately preceding and following the accident. She has no psychiatric history. Allison is plagued by feelings of uncertainty and insecurity about herself, her future, and others around her. She is apathetic about her decreased social interests but is bothered by her anxiety regarding the future. She comes to the counseling center with mixed feelings regarding how helpful psychotherapy might be. A friend of hers who is a psychology major suggested that she seek testing and perhaps psychotherapy.
Case #2: Jack C. Jack C. is a 39-year-old male who works in residential realty. He is presenting to an outpatient psychiatric clinic after having recently developed an excessive fear of being contaminated by germs and diseases through touching everyday objects. This fear has greatly interfered with his social life and his ability to work effectively as a realtor (e.g., meeting new people, showing houses of strangers to clients, etc.). Recently, Jack has suffered several panic attacks, and he often has to leave a situation or go spend 10 minutes washing his hands before being able to regain enough composure to work with clients or re-join social activities. He denies any other anxieties or fears and until recently has simply tried to ?laugh off? these difficulties as simply a peculiarity about himself. However, his difficulties have become so severe that he is often late to appointments and social activities or has had to cancel them altogether. Jack is divorced from his wife of nearly 10 years. They have no children, and he currently is living alone. Regarding early development, Jack is an only child who was raised by his mother; his father left the family right after he was born. Jack?s mother is overbearing, prim, proper, and neat. Jack recalls early memories during which she would shame him for making a mess with his food or for having toileting accidents. Jack experienced occasional bedwetting until he was 9 years old. It was around this same time that Jack?s mother began dating a man with whom she is still involved (although they never married). Jack was always a mediocre student in school and into college. His aspirations have always exceeded his actual ability, and his life is marked by instances of disappointing failure. Medical history is significant for multiple illnesses experienced as a child, many of which resulted in him needing to be hospitalized. During one hospitalization at around the age of 8, he contracted a staph infection and had to remain in the hospital for two weeks, missing school and activities with his friends. Jack does not have any notable psychiatric or substance abuse history. Jack is eager to get relief from his symptoms so that he can function better socially and occupationally. He Googled his symptoms and discovered that he might have obsessive-compulsive disorder and that there is a clinic that treats OCD at his local hospital, which is where he is presenting.
Case #3: X.X. For this option, your formulation may focus on a fictional character from a book, film, or television program. Be sure to choose a character who at some point experiences some degree of apparent or reported psychological distress, discomfort, or dysfunction.