Case Conceptualization With Literature Exploration

Case Conceptualization Paper and Literature Exploration Student’s Name Institution Course # and Name Professor’s Name Submission Date . Introduction As a counselor, I am mandated to guide my clients through strategic steps to attain efficient psychosocial functioning. This paper presents a case and the rationale for the treatment plan, which will resolve negative patterns and reinforce positive ones. The paper begins by giving the client background information about who my client is to provide context. Secondly, the paper will analyze the theoretical framework that I will choose based on the prevailing symptoms. The work examines the rationale behind the selected therapy. The diagnostic assessment will objectively evaluate the client based on the symptoms presented. The assessment of symptoms will determine whether the symptoms meet the criteria for the diagnosis. The case conceptualization will provide the rationale for choosing the treatment plan. Literature exploration will analyze previous studies' empirical findings to support the treatment rationale. Therefore, the paper presents the rationale for treatment based on the client's symptoms and supporting evidence from the literature. Client Background and Context Sam, a 35-year-old restaurant owner and heterosexual male, is seeking counselling due to a recent conflict with his partner. The couple have been together for five years and have a restaurant together. The business could have been better during the pandemic, but they had to take side jobs to make ends meet. This season brought arguments about finances since they used their savings to cover expenses. Recently, as the restaurant has regained stability and become profitable, Sam has found himself excessively worrying about numerous things. His partner has noted this about Sam because he has been complaining about wanting things to be perfect. Sam fixates on details such as how toilet paper is placed in the toilet and the shine on forks. After realizing they had a spot on their shirt, Sam fired a staff member. Sam carries out activities in the restaurant excessively; for instance, he washes his hands excessively with bleach until they bled and cracked. He arrives home late because he has to countercheck if the stock is adequate. In his relationship, the restaurant is taking up much of his time, which has impacted his relationship with his partner. Sam is unwilling to go on vacation because he does not want to leave the restaurant. He fears that something might happen to the restaurant; hence, he is not willing to leave the restaurant even for a day. The unreasonable worrying has taken a toll on his relationship. Theoretical Framework/ Description of Relevant Theory Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) provides a theoretical framework from which Sam will benefit in the treatment plan. According to the American Psychological Association (n.d.), CBT can be theorized as a psychological therapy that deals with mental disorders by shifting faulty thinking patterns. The treatment guides people to eliminate avoidant behaviors by offering correction on negative thinking, hence promoting mental health. The therapy promotes a more balanced thinking, hence managing stress among individuals. Research argues that CBT provides a viable alternative to medication when implemented competently (Simoni & Dias, 2020). CBT is an essential form of therapy since inaccurate beliefs from analyzing inappropriate information impact one's mental health. Therefore, CBT offers interventions to correct negative thinking patterns, improving patient outcomes. CBT was formulated to help individuals who struggle with negative thinking and behavior develop healthier habits to improve their lives. The theory was formulated by Albert Ellis in 1952 and later advanced by Dr. Aaron Beck in 1964 (Nakao et al., 2021). CBT aimed to regulate irrational thoughts that led to dire consequences among depressed clients. The underlying philosophies stipulated that the well-specified techniques would change the negative thought patterns in clients that lead to problematic events (Simoni & Dias, 2020). CBT is effective in regulating psychosomatic events in clients by changing their negative thinking. The restructuring of cognitive thinking improves the outcomes for clients, hence leading to improved quality of life. The underlying philosophical foundations of CBT are Buddism, Taoism, Stoicism, and Existentialism. Taoism and Buddhism explain a problem's metaphysics, which leads to emotional disturbance. Existentialism advocates for choices we make leading to the outcome that we receive. When we choose to have negative thoughts, it impacts our mental health negatively since it compromises living an authentic life. The research argues that Ellis acknowledged the role of stoicism and Buddhism in influencing the development of CBT (Cavanna et al., 2023). Mindfulness serves as an effective tool in the treatment of mental conditions such as anxiety. CBT’s foundation proposes that psychological techniques are presumed effective when restoring the healthy state of the mind. The philosophical foundation portrays a nuanced approach to regulating emotions. The theory describes the person's distress as a highly stressful situation that elicits negative emotions and thoughts. The person might be in an overwhelming situation that causes symptoms like anxiety. When one is distressed, then they experience uncomfortable symptoms. In stressful situations, one might feel pessimistic and unable to handle the problem. The feelings affect the daily operations and activities that the person undertakes, negatively affecting their quality of life. As the counselor, I understand that Sam is undergoing excessive worrying, which has impacted his quality of life since he is experiencing conflict in his relationship with his partner. The client experiences negative thoughts that lead to compulsive behavior, such as returning to recount stock after counting. Based on CBT, as a counselor, I understand that negative thoughts can lead to irrational outcomes. I can better understand the condition the client is facing because the theory stipulates that those negative thoughts decrease one's quality of life. CBT is the best choice for my client, Sam, because it is an empirically supported form of intervention for clients dealing with different mental conditions. The techniques promote more adaptive thinking for the client to deal with stressful experiences. Research affirms that CBT is an efficacious treatment since it identifies dysfunctional parts in individual and unproductive behavior and provides better strategies (Curtiss et al., 2021). The theory stipulates that one’s emotional experience is dictated by their interpretation of a given situation. The intervention promotes adaptive thinking since the biased thought process produces adverse effects. As a counselor, I must be multiculturally competent to understand the belief systems that lead to specific thought patterns. CBT offers cultural inclusivity in the techniques incorporated; hence, it will be an efficient method. Diagnostic Impression and Assessment Diagnostic Impression Sam’s symptoms indicate a preliminary impression of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Research by Geller (2022) affirms that the symptoms depicted by Sam align with those of OCD. Sam experiences excessive worrying over everything, which is similar to a patient with OCD. When individuals have this condition, they experience unwanted thoughts that impact their lives. Research argues that an individual with OCD conducts repetitive behavior such as cleaning, counting, and checking on things (Singh et al., 2023). Similarly, Sam has to recount the stock repeatedly, depicting repetitive behavior. OCD leads one to have an obsessive tendency to do something, and if they do not, then it impacts their daily lives. Sam wants to always be at the restaurant to the point that he does not want to go on vacation, which he previously loved. The rationale for selecting this diagnostic impression is that Sam's symptoms align with those of someone with the condition. An individual with OCD experiences compulsion that drives them to perform specific repetitive patterns. For instance, Sam washes his hands with bleach to the point that they bleed. Research argues that individuals with OCD are concerned about being contaminated with germs, so they find themselves washing or cleaning up (Shavitt, 2022). Sam depicts this trait when he fires an employee because of a spot on his shirt. Individuals with OCD apply hard, rigid rules that impact their quality of life (Shavitt, 2022). Sam does not want to be far from the restaurant, even for a day, because he feels it will lead to the restaurant performing poorly; therefore, when one has OCD, one experiences unwanted thoughts, which leads to repetitive, compulsive b...