Ana Case Study: Person-Centered Therapy
Introduction
Professional therapists encounter clients with diverse needs. For a counselor to administer the right treatment to a client, he or she needs to first understand the applications of different therapy theories so as to make the right choice as per the patient’s problem. In this scenario, person-centered therapy will be applied in resolving Ann’s depression and anxiety issues.
What concepts of the theory make it the most appropriate for the client in the case study?
According to (Saul, 2019), person-centered therapy adopts a non-authoritative approach where clients are allowed to take more of a lead in discussions where they discover their own solutions in the process. In terms of use, person-centered approach suits for clients who suffer from depression, stress, and anxiety- disorders which Ann the client suffers. (Myers, 2000). Currently, Ann feels hopeless, a situation that requires a simpler, warmer, and optimistic therapy practice. The use of this theory will help a counselor in encouraging Ann to focus on her subjective understanding other than the unconscious motives or interpretations provided about her case by other people.
Why did you choose this theory over the others?
In this case, the counselor had three theories to choose from- gestalt, existential, and person-centered. Gestalt therapy concepts are almost similar to the ideas of existential theory. Gestalt and existential are schools of thought that analyses the human mind and behavior as a whole. (Cain, 2001). In these two approaches also, the counselor leads the sessions, and plays a major role in changing a client’s unconscious to conscious mind. The choice to use person-centered therapy and not these two is based on the fact that, the counselor will create a warmer, simpler, and more optimistic environment for Ann’s self-recovery. In this client-centered approach, the counselor will only monitor Ann’s progress to recovery as well as providing the desired mental support.
What will be the goals of counseling and what intervention strategies are used to accomplish those goals?
The counseling goals in Ann’s case will be guided by the person-centered theory concepts and purpose in therapy. These include: To increase or boost Ann’s self-esteem and perception about herself, to enhance….Middle of Paper….
Is the theory designed for short- or long-term counseling?
Research by (Hazler, 2016) shows that person-centered therapy can fit in both short and long-term counseling practices. The choice of whether to use this approach for short or long-term counseling or not lies in the hands of the counselor. According to (Hazler, 2016), the counselor acts as the compassionate facilitator and monitor of the client in her process to self-recovery. In the case of Ann, the speed of a response to recovery will assist the counselor in determining the duration that her counseling session will take. If she responds slowly to self-recovery, then long-term counseling is advocated for and vice versa. However, the counselor must be genuine and empathetic when deciding the duration of the counseling sessions for the client.
What will be the counselor’s role with this client?
In the case of Ann, the counselor has the role of setting clear boundaries in terms of counseling duration and charges. The counselor will also act as a compassionate facilitator by listening without any judgement and accepting Ann’s experience without altering the information. (Saul, 2019). Also, the counselor will encourage and support Ann by guiding her in the therapeutic process until she reaches self-discovery and recovery. Additionally, the counselor will act as the sounding board by carefully listening to everything that the client says. Finally, the counselor will ensure that all the goals set get achieved by providing a supportive environment to the client.
What is the client’s role in counseling?
Under this counseling case, the client has the role of respecting all professional boundaries set by the therapist in acts of paying counseling fee and adjusting herself to the set duration in the exercise. The other role of the client is communicating all personal problems to the counselor in a way that helps the therapist grasp all details about her current situation. (Kahn, 1999). Also, she will play the role of being judgmental about what they feel and their response to self-recovery, and this need to be known by the counselor for purposes of comparison and proper monitoring.
For what population(s) is this theory most appropriate? How does this theory address the social and cultural needs of the client?
Person-centered therapy is appropriate in treating patients who have attained the major age. According to Carl Rogers, this theory suits people who have the mental power to control and monitor their recovery to fitness and changed behavior to consciousness. (Hazler, 2016). This concept disqualifies clients aged below 18 years. In the case of Ann, person-centered therapy fits since she is aged 24, and thus able to undergo self-recovery.
In this case, the client presented has unique social-cultural needs where her social needs range from lack of family and friends support, loss of employment, and to her husband’s deployment to overseas. Her cultural needs range from Ann’s desire to stay with her husband for this is their cultural norm given that her parents have been together for 27 years. Person-centered therapy helps a counselor in giving Ann time to think about change, diversity, and cultural flexibility; and this will help her to recover alone. (Saul, 2019).
What additional information might be helpful to know about this case?
To begin with, the counselor needs to explore the relationship between Ann, her friends, and family. This information will be very helpful and informative for the counselor in that he understands the reason why Ann is not getting the desired support from them. A Therapist needs to be concerned about understanding if any form of abuse runs through the client’s family ties and friendship lines that could be affecting her depression, anxiety, and isolation. (Hazler, 2016). Information about the source of Ann’s poor anxiety management, any history of family violence and abuse is also necessary in this practice. All unhappy childhood happenings to Ann should also be communicated.
What may be a risk in using this approach?
The application of Carl Rogers’s client-centered theory in therapy poses various risks. First, the counselor is prohibited from being judgmental, meaning that the input of a counselor is limited during the client’s recovery process. (Kahn, 1999). A counselor is also denied the right to offer advice and guidance on a client, and this prolongs the treatment period. The increased control of a client in whose counseling process is detrimental for it gives the patient the right to control and process information, identify their problems, and make judgements without a counselor’s insight. (Kahn, 1999). Lastly, the notion that a client is able to cope and adapt with the recovery process has a huge likelihood to fail.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Carl Rodgers’s person-centered therapy gives the client more power than the counselor during the treatment period. In this approach, a counselor acts in a more genuine, simpler, warmer, and emphatic manner by providing a client with a supportive environment for self-recovery.
References
Cain, D. J. (2001). Humanistic Psychotherapies: Handbook of Research and Practice. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Hazler, R. J. (2016). Counseling and Psychotherapy Theories and Interventions: Chapter 7 Person-Centered Theory (6th ed.). New York: American Counseling Association.
Kahn, E. (1999). A Critique of Nondirectivity in the Person-Centered Approach. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 39(4), 94-110.
Myers, S. (2000). Empathic Listening: Reports on the Experience of Being Heard. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 40(2), 148-173.
Saul, M. (2019). Person Centered Therapy. Simply Pyschology, 1-8. Retrieved from https://www.simplypsychology.org/client-centred-therapy.html