Prior to beginning work on this interactive assignment, please review Cases 18, 19, and 20 in Case Studies in Abnormal Psychology (Gorenstein & Comer 2015) and any relevant Instructor Guidance.
In practice, clinical and counseling psychologists utilize psychoeducational tools (e.g., bibliotherapy, client handouts, worksheets, etc.) to enhance the client’s knowledge about mental health issues, coping strategies, and resources.
For this interactive assignment, you will create a visually interesting client handout based on the case study chosen for the Psychiatric Diagnosis assignment in PSY645 and your Week Six Psychological Treatment Plan in this course. You must attach your client handout document to your initial post in the forum.
The client handout will include the following required elements.
Education: Explain, with as much visual information as possible, the client’s cognitive or behavioral symptoms based on your selected theoretical orientation. You may choose to create diagrams, figures, or charts to illustrate the relationship between the client’s cognitions, affect, and behavior.
Intervention: Create a self-help exercise (e.g., a dysfunctional thought record, meditation, deep breathing, guided imagery, muscle relaxation, thought stopping, etc.) to assist the client in monitoring or reducing maladaptive cognitions, affect, and/or behavior outside of therapeutic sessions. Include an explanation about how the handout could be useful in reducing the client’s symptoms. You may choose to visually represent this exercise with charts, scripts, steps, or other media.
Resources: Assess current trends in psychotherapy, and list complete APA reference entries for five sources that would help the client learn more about his or her presenting problem(s), early warning signs of relapse, and managing symptoms. Please include hyperlinks if such exist for your resources.
PSY650Week Four Treatment Plan
Behaviorally Defined Symptoms: Karen displays extreme emotional reactions at the hint of perceived
abandonment in a relationship. There is a history of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships,
impulsive behaviors, and recurrent suicidal gestures.
Diagnostic Impression: Borderline Personality Disorder
Long-Term Goal: Terminate self-harming behaviors (substance abuse, cutting, and suicidal behaviors).
Short-Term Goal: Reduce the frequency of maladaptive behaviors, thoughts, and feelings.
Intervention 1: Dr. Banks will outline the process of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy.
Intervention 2: Karen will commit to attending group behavioral skills training and individual
psychotherapy.
Intervention 3: Karen will participate in imaginal exposure to trauma, until the memories no
longer cause marked distressed.
For additional information regarding Karen’s case history and the outcome of the treatment interventions,
please see Dr. Bank’s session notes under Case 15 in Gorenstein and Comer’s (2015), Case Studies in
Abnormal Psychology.