Psychology

This assignment provides the opportunity for you to demonstrate your ability to apply the concepts covered throughout the course. This assignment MUST be typed, double-spaced, in APA style, 7th edition, and must be written at graduate level English. You must integrate the material presented in the text and cite your work according to APA format. Please use all chapters in the text to add depth to your responses.

Culture, Diversity and Legal/Ethical considerations are required. Please integrate factors relevant to culture and diversity in your discussions of each vignette. Identify and discuss legal and ethical issues present in each vignette. [This information can be found in Part I as well as in chapters throughout the course text]. You are also encouraged to use outside cultural resources to enhance your understanding.

Use the Case of Stan and Case of Gwen as a guide to theoretical application, referencing in APA style.

Your response to each vignette should be 1-2 pages per vignette for a total of 5-6 pages for the entire assignment plus a title and reference page.
Do not copy and paste the vignettes into your written response

Vignette Five
Fourteen-year-old Candy, her father, and her mother are sitting with you in your office for an initial counseling session. Her father begins: “I’m just at the end of my rope with my daughter! I’m sick and tired of what I see her doing to disrupt our family life. I’m constantly wondering what she’ll pull next in her long line of antics. She’s gone to the Colorado River with some guys who are older than she is, in outright defiance of my order not to go. She’s done any number of things she knows I disapprove of, and the result is that she’s suspended from school for three weeks or until she gets some counseling. This was the last straw. Candy knows what my values are, and she knows that what she’s doing is wrong. I just don’t know how to convince her that if she doesn’t change, she’ll come to a bad end.” Candy’s mother is rather quiet and does not list complaints against Candy. She generally agrees that Candy does seem defiant and says she does not know how to handle her. She says she becomes very upset at seeing her husband get angry and worried over the situation, and she hopes that counseling will help Candy see some of what they see. Candy appears very withdrawn, sullen, and not too eager to open up in this situation with her parents. She is in your office mainly because she was brought in by her parents.

Assume that Candy and her family comes to you for counseling and that all you know about them is what they told you above. Answer the following questions on how you might proceed with Candy and family within an Choice Theory/Reality Therapy frame of reference:

1. Assume that in an individual session with Candy she does open up with you, and you find out that her father’s presentation of the problems is correct. In fact, matters are worse than he imagined. Candy tells you that she has recently tried marijuana and is considering having sex with her 18 year-old boyfriend. Using the Choice/Reality Therapy framework, how might you proceed in working with her? What might you want to say to her? . What would you be inclined to tell the parents? What would you not tell the parents?

2. Your central task as a reality therapist is to guide Candy toward making an honest assessment of her current behavior and to help her evaluate the results of her behavior. Show how you will attempt to do this. How will you respond if she resists looking at her own behavior, insisting that her problems stem from her demanding and moralistic father, who is driving her to rebellion?

ANSWER

Vignette Five

Candy’s case calls for the incorporation of the Choice/Reality Therapy framework to accelerate appropriate behavior change. As her therapist, it is essential to inform her about the expected consequences of the intended actions. Candy’s decision to try Marijuana and sex with her 18-year-old boyfriend might have significant repercussions. The therapist’s role is not to demand her to change her thoughts but enable her to examine possible consequences and make the right choice. Reality therapy aims at helping people view life realities (Jusoh & Hussain, 2015). They are in a better position to make autonomous and informed decisions. As for Candy, informing her about the action she takes and possible outcomes puts her in a better position to make the best decision. For the parents, offering moral and psychological support to their daughter would be an integral move to help her deal with the challenges. However, revealing the intention to use Marijuana and have sex is not recommended as it interferes with confidentiality.

Candy needs to make an honest assessment of her behavior and actions to assist her in examining the consequences. Honesty, integrity, and objectivity are crucial elements in the self-assessment process (Kabir, 2017). As the therapist, it is essential to help Candy see where she is wrong and the repercussions. The parents have her interests and welfare at heart and are effectively guiding her to become a better person. Everything they do is for her benefits and well-being. Therefore, she should do as per her parent’s desires. Upon resistance and the assumption that her father is demanding and moralistic, Candy needs to understand that she can make amends to build her relationship with her parents. Following the parent’s instructions will help to eliminate the prevailing issues with her parents. She is a teenager and under her parent’s guidance, and she should not view them as demanding.

Overall, the case integrates confidentiality as a major ethical challenge. The successful handling of the case may prompt the exposure of Candy’s information regarding an attempt to try Marijuana and engage in premarital sex. The therapist is expected to observe confidentiality since Candy has not disclosed her intentions to the parents.

References

Jusoh, A. J., & Hussain, S. P. (2015). Choice Theory and Reality Therapy (CTRT) group counseling module. Asian Journal of Humanities and Social Studies, 3.

Kabir, S.M.S. (2017). Essentials of Counseling. Abosar Prokashana Sangstha Publishers. Banglabazar, Dhaka-1100.