The theory application paper is an opportunity to demonstrate your ability to apply each of two different theoretical counseling approaches to a single case situation:
*I would like to focus on cognitive behavioral therapy and person-centered therapy please
1. The student will choose two theories. One each from two different groups listed below (for example: Gestalt Therapy and Feminist Therapy, Behavioral Therapy and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, etc.) :
a. Group # 1: Psychoanalytic Therapy, Adlerian Therapy, Existential Therapy, Person-Centered Therapy, or Gestalt Therapy
b. Group #2: Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy, or Reality Therapy
c. Group #3: Feminist Therapy, Social-Constructionism, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, Narrative Therapy
d. Group #4: Family Systems Theory
3. For each theory selected, you will also select one of the client cases to which you will be applying one of the theories: The client cases you may choose from are listed at the end of this document.
4. Your paper will include:
a. An Introduction to the main assumptions and tenets of both of the selected theories. Contrast and compare their basic principles, how they view pathology and how the theory approaches or believes that change occurs in the client(s). In this section of your paper you are encouraged to utilize a minimum of two outside sources (peer-reviewed, professional journals, textbooks, or websites ) for each theory in addition to the information in your textbook.
b. A brief (do not repeat all of the information) summary of the two cases selected and the theory that you have chosen to apply to each case and why.
c. For each case and theory combination explain what you see as 1-2 primary problems (using the language of your theory), 1-2 techniques that your theory might recommend using with the client(s), and why you selected that particular theory for that client(s).
d. After having applied the two selected theories to their designated cases, which one would you feel most confident or comfortable using and why? Which one appears to have the most likely chance of a successful outcome with the selected client and why? Once you began applying your selected theories to an actual case, were there any difficulties that you encountered?
e. Did the experience of applying a theory to a case change your opinions at all about what theories fit you or may be the best theories to utilize in the area in which you plan to practice? Did you research into the theories provide any claims of effectiveness or success? Summarize this experience in your own words.
5. Papers will utilize graduate-level writing skills, grammar, free of colloquial writing, and be formatted using the most current guidelines and standards of the APA publication manual. This includes using 12 point font in New Times Roman, and double-spacing papers.
6. You will be required to seek appropriate outside resources beyond the materials used in class. Papers must utilize empirical, scholarly resources to support the original discussion of the theories and their application. Correct APA citation format must be used both in the body of the paper and in the references section. Unless the reference is a seminal work, all references must be no older than 5 years.
7 Papers should be between 8 to 15 pages (excluding title page and references)
Select two of the following clients to illustrate how your selected theories might be applied:
Clients #1 – John and Chevon – John is 40 and Chevon is 40. They have been married for seventeen years and have decided to divorce. They have four children, two sons ages 15 and 12, two daughters ages 10 and 6. John is a Sargent specializing in Weather Forecasting for the U.S. Air Force. The family has moved around a great deal. They have lived in their current city for two years and John is scheduled to go to his final base in one year. Both acknowledge having had extramarital affairs in the past and neither is interested in staying in the marriage.
The presenting problem is custody of the children. Chevon was raised in a family, the third of four children, that is Conservative, religious, and traditional in its views of family. John was an only child; his parents have been divorced for many years and he has minimal contact with them. John’s suggestion is that they split up the children and he takes his two sons to live with him. Chevon, with the strong support of her family of origin, states that a family should stay together and that a mother is the most important parent. She plans to move back in with her parents in another state and will have the support of her extended family.
Client #2 – Harold – age 52. Harold is a high school math teacher and a swim coach. He has taught for 22 years at the same high school. He had an early marriage that produced two children but he gave up his parental rights when his first wife remarried; that family lives in another state and he has no contact with them. His current wife of six years (age 49) is an English teacher at the same high school; this is her first marriage. Harold’s mother is deceased and his father, age 75, is retired but still very active in the community. Harold’s father was a banker and served on the local school board. Harold was recently accused by one of his swim team members, a 15 year old male, of inappropriate sexual contact. Harold is devastated. He is on paid leave from his teaching position. He has always been a bit of a loner and has few friends who support him. He feels like his wife is very distant right now as are his work colleagues. His father is very angry and believes that something must have happened. Harold remembers hugging the young man after a victory in an important meet but denies anything inappropriate. Harold is significantly depressed, is having doubts that perhaps he isn’t as secure with his sexual identity as he could be, and is wondering if he could have possibly given the young man unintended encouragement. Harold is devastated and fears that his teaching/coaching career is over.
Client #3 – Maroli – age 27. Maroli moved to the United States about eight months ago from an African country to escape persecution. Her husband is a pastor and local immigrant relief worker. They have two children, ages 2 and 4. Maroli states that she witnessed several members of her family and friends in the community be raped, tortured and/or executed. She is very confused by the culture of this new country and community. More seriously, however, she is having nightmares and flashbacks, she is rarely able to eat or sleep, she cries easily, she has lost weight and finds herself disinterested in spending time with her children or anyone else. She has no family in this city except for her husband. She has considered taking her life but fears what would happen to her children.
Client #4 – Markieff – age 23 – Was an outstanding Basketball player in high school and college and one professional team. He recently broke his ankle and leg in a car accident and his basketball career is over. He never completed college and was a marginal student at best. He is the oldest of six children; his mother (age 45) is a single parent. The family had looked forward to considerable financial help from Markieff once he got established in the NBA but that is not going to happen now. Markieff is very depressed and has extreme pain in his leg and ankle, making it difficult for him to ambulate. He states that old friends have pulled away and his family is very disappointed. He is tired of everyone depending on him and trying to be a role model for his younger siblings. He has had fleeting thoughts of self harm but says he would never act on them because of his religion.
Client #5 – Nikki – age 31 – has a B.A. degree in marketing and has had a job for four years with the local Chamber of Commerce in the town where she grew up. She has had an alcohol problem since high school but just recently she has experienced some blackouts and has missed work. She used to just drink socially (sometimes to the point of passing out) but now drinks only at home by herself. She begins drinking when she gets home in the evening and drinks until bedtime. Her parents and older brother live in the same city; Nikki is single and her brother is married with two children. Her father has been sober for 12 years after a 90 day inpatient program, continued work with AA, and participation by Nikki’s mother in ALANON. Nikki’s older brother, a heavy drinker also in high school and college, managed to stop drinking “cold turkey” four years ago. Nikki’s father is recommending a treatment program while her brother says to do it on her own – “there are too many people who will know your personal business if you go to AA”. Nikki fears that an inpatient treatment stay might jeopardize her job but also recognizes that she could lose her job if she doesn’t stop drinking.
Client #6 – Darius – age 22 – adopted at birth from Russia, the oldest of four children, all adopted from different European and Asian countries. His father, age 50, is a hospital administrator, and his mother, age 51, has an in-home day care center. Darius has been diagnosed with Paranoid Schizophrenia for the past six years. He takes medication on a daily basis but it does not completely eliminate his auditory hallucinations and paranoia. He completed high school and has a part time job as a night time stocker two evenings per week at a local grocery store. The parents feel that it is time for Darius to move into some type of transitional living program but Darius is resisting. He only feels really safe at home and he would be lonely without his family. Some of the day care parents who bring their children to Darius’ home have expressed concerns about him and Darius’ mother doesn’t want to give up her day care program.
Client #7 – Stephanie – age 41 – had breast cancer and is now diagnosed with inoperable Stage IV Ovarian Cancer. She has been married to her husband, age 43, for 21 years; she describes him as a person who is socially isolated and unemotional, travels a great deal with a commission sales job, is cut off from his extended family, and doesn’t like Stephanie’s parents. Stephanie’s parents live in a nearby Assisted Living facility; her father, age 74, is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, and her mother, age 78, has multiple physical health problems and is described as needy and clingy. Stephanie has three daughters, ages 18 (who is in her first year of college out of state), 16 and 13. Stephanie has one younger brother, never married, who is currently employed by an international company and lives in China. Stephanie expresses great concern about what will happen to her parents and children after she is gone and who will take care of them.
Client #8 – Laura – age 26 – Laura is single and completed her PhD in International Studies one year ago. She is bilingual and came from a South American country to attend graduate school. She has been unable to secure a job in the past year and recently applied for food stamps and began working in a coffee shop. Laura began experiencing panic attacks about halfway through her graduate studies but they have increased in frequency and intensity in the past year. Her parents want her to return to South America but Laura is reluctant because there would never be a job there in her chosen area of study and she would be embarrassed because of the sacrifices that her family made to send her to graduate school. Laura’s advisor and professors tell her that it is just a bad year to be looking for a job and that waiting another year or so might improve her chances. In the meantime she has run out of money, is experiencing panic at least once per day and is very uncertain what to do. She has been to the Emergency Room twice but can’t afford the medication that they have recommended. She has been told that she is physically healthy but needs “to learn to relax”.
Our Advantages
Plagiarism Free Papers
All our papers are original and written from scratch. We will email you a plagiarism report alongside your completed paper once done.
Free Revisions
All papers are submitted ahead of time. We do this to allow you time to point out any area you would need revision on, and help you for free.
Title-page
A title page preceeds all your paper content. Here, you put all your personal information and this we give out for free.
Bibliography
Without a reference/bibliography page, any academic paper is incomplete and doesnt qualify for grading. We also offer this for free.
Originality & Security
At Homework Sharks, we take confidentiality seriously and all your personal information is stored safely and do not share it with third parties for any reasons whatsoever. Our work is original and we send plagiarism reports alongside every paper.
24/7 Customer Support
Our agents are online 24/7. Feel free to contact us through email or talk to our live agents.
Try it now!
How it works?
Follow these simple steps to get your paper done
Place your order
Fill in the order form and provide all details of your assignment.
Proceed with the payment
Choose the payment system that suits you most.
Receive the final file
Once your paper is ready, we will email it to you.
Our Services
We work around the clock to see best customer experience.
Pricing
Our prces are pocket friendly and you can do partial payments. When that is not enough, we have a free enquiry service.
Communication
Admission help & Client-Writer Contact
When you need to elaborate something further to your writer, we provide that button.
Deadlines
Paper Submission
We take deadlines seriously and our papers are submitted ahead of time. We are happy to assist you in case of any adjustments needed.
Reviews
Customer Feedback
Your feedback, good or bad is of great concern to us and we take it very seriously. We are, therefore, constantly adjusting our policies to ensure best customer/writer experience.