Health marriages are good for couples’ mental and physical health. Not leaving out children, health marriage is good for children too. Growing up in a health marriage and family helps children grow happily and avoid educational, social, physical and mental problems. However, survey findings show that about 40 to 50 percent of married couples in the United States divorce. Lacks of a happy family lead to emergence of a problem. This is clearly elicited in Janet’s case. She just completed her fourth divorce. I believe many people think that Janet is out of her mind already and that she is immoral. That should not be the case, in psychology you learn about the six principles of scientific thinking. One of then is correlation vs. causation. Not everything that relates causes the other to happen.
Personal Information
Counselors who are ignorant of social and cultural context of the client risk misdiagnosing and anthologizing that is very much the norm in the culture of that client (Oswald 2008). It is very important to know the background of the client, in this case Janet. The importance of this information is to enable me understand the cause of Janet’s problem while she was growing up. To win Janet’s trust, I would use the information to get me prepare my strategies of winning her.
Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs epics itself in Janet’s case, to start with her family background, Janet’s parents were alcoholic. This put Janet’s life in a dilapidating situation. Janet lacked the physiological needs like proper food, happy family, good shelters and proper parenting. She even seeks refuge in her uncle’s house. As if not enough, Janet lacked the need for security and protection. Janet narrates horrible things she went through while she was just a teen. Her uncle abused her sexually not once but severally while she used to live at his house at her teenage. This destroyed her life completely. She lost hope. She could only think abusing drugs to make her forget everything she went through. Her relationship was damage beyond repair. Therefore, it is very important to access such basic background information to enable you as a councilor prepares what to say and how to handle the case.
Personal Biases and Limitations
In every field, there are challenges; same case applies to Janet’s issue. Janet was not willing to be open at first to tell how her uncle abused her, she felt so bad and weak. Also, she was scared of revealing the secret she had kept for more than two decades now in fear of her safety. Lack of cooperation from the client is also another problem. When you experience such incidence, I think the best option is to seek for advice or refer the client to a more advanced stage for counseling. However, this must be done with caution because some clients are very sensitive and would not like to share their information readily and openly. This is because some clients think that they are taken as quinine pigs for experiment, some may think they will be looked upon while others may take it as a secret to their graves. Counselors are human being their attitude may change if the client fails to speak up openly.
Greatness exists in all of us despite our background life. Janet’s life was taken away from her while she was still young; I will not allow social factors to take her life again. I aim at making Janet to be a good mother to her three children, to report her uncles to authorities to face judges for raping and help her leave abusing drugs and lastly help her realize her potential in life because all is not lost, she can still make.
If Janet decline to take any of the goals that I believe will change her life. For example, leaving drug abuse, I will persuade her to limit to just one. If she grants me the opportunity to choose one, I will not hesitate to ask her to be a good mother to her children. I believe this is the most important thing Janet can create out of her miserable life. Raising her children not to live the life she lived, will the most important thing I believe. In doing so she will not add another problem to this world by burdening innocent kids, if she can manage to raise her kids well, God will grant her the blessing and her kids will bring blessings to her.
Theoretical approach
There are several approaches to uses when handling such case. For example, I would employ Adlerian Therapy and Behavioral Therapy. These theoretical perspectives emphasize on individual behavior and contribution to the society. Adlerian Therapy focuses on creating a therapeutic relationship that is practical, encouraging and co-operative. Behavioral Therapy is believed that behavior is learnt from the past experience. However, this behavior can be reconditioned or unlearnt. I believe these two models are the best in solving the case of Janet. Adlerian approach helps client like Janet to look at her lifestyle and most important her value. Realizing that will help her learn and question her usual patterns of behavior and hidden potentials.
Therapeutic Progress and Success
Janet’s case is an individual problem that requires both Adlerian Therapy and Behavioral Therapy. Janet will be able to realize her hidden goals. She will learn to move towards useful involvement and positive contribution to society. Behavioral Therapy will help Janet through her past experience to unlearn the past behaviors. This will work on her fears, addictions, phobias and obsessive behaviors
Reference
Cotoi .C & Holland. J, (2006): Second-order Peer Review of the Medical Literature for Clinical Practitioners, (2nd Ed.) New York, Cambridge University press
Dale J. & Norman. V (2007): The Ups and Downs of Peer Review. Advances in Physiology Education (2 Ed), London, McGrew Hill
Fang. P (2011): Peer Review and Over-Competitive Research Funding Fostering Mainstream Opinion to Monopoly,(3rd ed.) Colombia, Edwin and Sons ltd.
