...to the DSM, Dependent Personality Disorder (DPD) is characterized by a pervasive and excessive need to be cared for by others that usually lead to clingy and fears of separation. In professional counseling it is critical that clinicians understand the root causes of DPD and how this disorder can manifest in women. This disorder can be found in both men and women, but research seems to suggest that women are more likely to suffer from this disorder. Therefore, understanding the pathology of DPD and its diagnosis and treatment will be critical to professionals working with women. This paper will also discuss how clinicians should be cautious when making diagnosis in women who present with DPD and knowing what gender and culture factors that exists. Dependent Personality Disorder in Women Clinical Definition of Dependent Personality Disorder According to the DSM-IV-TR (2000), Dependent Personality Disorder (DPD) is characterized by a pervasive and excessive need to be cared for by another person that usually lead to clingy and fears of separation. DPD as outlined in the DSM-IV-TR is considered the formal diagnosis of DPD needed for insurance, research, and communication between mental health professionals. When diagnosing this disorder, clinicians want to pay particular attention to the diagnostic criteria that may include the following: a) extreme difficulty in making everyday decisions with others’ suggestions or input, b) allowing others to take responsibility for most...
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...The legal aspects of professional psychology covers a large area; such as assessments, HIPPA, confidentiality, testing, written consent, competence, and diagnosing. It is a large part of the psychology that most struggle with just to make sure that they do not break any laws and at the same time, giving the right treatment to every patient. The clinicians and patients have guidelines set forth according to the American Psychological Association (APA) that protects both parties from unethical and legal decisions. In this paper, the importance of informed consent and refusal, the legal issues within assessments, testing, and diagnosis, confidentiality in the therapeutic relationship, the impact of legislation and the role of competence in professional psychology will be discussed in detail. Legal Issues Related to Informed Consent and Refusal The informed consent is the agreement between two parties to work collaboratively (Pope & Vasquez, 2007). In psychology, the client signs the consent form to allow treatment from the psychologist who may include testing, treatment, and initial psychological assessment. The patients have the right to their information; in terms of benefits, alternative treatments and about the risks. If the patient does not understand what he or she is giving permission to, he or she can allow an authorized decision-maker. The law requires that all persons take reasonable steps to clarify and communicate adequately with their patients about their risks and...
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...Health care communication is a specific and narrower form of communication that takes place between the health care professionals and patients regarding health. Communication Human Communication Health Communication Figure One: Relationship among three kinds of communication (source: Northouse &Northouse, 1998, p. 2) Many organization has defined health care communication in different ways. Just like any other human communication, it is person specific. This is a skill health care professionals need to learn by practice. According to The United States Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (2010), "the art and technique of informing, influencing, and motivating individual, institutional, and public audiences about important health issues. The scope of health communication includes disease prevention, health promotion, health care policy, and the business of health care as well as enhancement of the quality of life and health of individuals within the community" (Terminology, para. 4). Communication is a skill that professional needs to learn and practice to be an effective communicator. While practicing, they should employ the four basic communication skills: Engage, Empathize, Educate, and Enlist. Proper communication is an essential aspect of health care service. To be effective, clinicians needs to have specific skills such as how to open an interview with the new patient, how...
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...OVERVIEW Dr. Susan Johnson’s book entitled The Practice of Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFT), is a standard therapeutic manual useful for clinicians in training and providing step by step guides to the practice of EFT, including transcripts of client therapy sessions, role play and suggested approaches. In almost every chapter of the book are examples of in session dialog, which provides the clinician with a clear picture of what tasks are expected and the possible response of clients and the interpretation of the response. This is helpful to clinicians in training as it provides a road map to follow when practicing this dialog with clients in session. CHAPTERS 1: The Field of Couple Therapy 1. The emergence and growth of EFT 2. The EFT approach 3. How is EFT different from other approaches 4. Where does the EFT Theory of Change come from 5. What does EFTY look like 6. The process of change 2: An Attachment View of Love: The EFT Philosophy (the relationship is the client) 1. The EFT perspective on adult love 3: The EFT Theory of Change: Within and Between 1. Integrating systemic and experiential perspectives 2. Summary: The primary assumptions of EFT 4: The Basics of EFT: Tasks and Interventions. Expanding Experiences and Shaping Dances 1. The key role of empathy 2. Task 1: the creation and maintenance of a therapeutic alliance 3. Task 2: the accessing and reformulating of emotion 4. Which emotion to focus on? 5. Skills and Interventions: assessing...
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...would require a style that would make the client believe he or she is safe and understood. By the client knowing his or her therapist or counselor does understand him or her then he or she will believe he or she is safe and accept the help offer by the therapist or counselor. One could possibly set his or her on goals for change or except those of the therapist or counselor. “Person-centered therapy holds an optimistic view of human personality and focuses on present rather than past experience. Focusing on the inner experience of persons rather than on observable behavior, it holds that behavioral change evolves from within the person rather than through the manipulation of the environment” (Parrott III, 2003). View on Helping Developing a personal theory for the way one would want to understand human nature and provide him or her with the help he or she needs takes careful consideration. From what I have learned from this model of effective helping course is that the human service profession is a complex and overwhelming process, and one has to understand the methods one uses. My view on professional help is that, it was created for a reason and that reason is to service those who are in and to offer the best guidance for individuals who need it. One has to understand all the therapeutic theories and which one will be the most effective for his or her client. If at any time a counselor is not familiar on how a therapeutic theory works, he or she should not use...
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...Information gathering is important on how one conducts the screening and assessment. Screening and evaluation are usually the initial contacts between a substance user and the treatment system. It is important to create a trusting relationship or create an environment that is not conducive to services. Self-administered tools may be more likely to get honest answers; this is especially true regarding questions related to drug and alcohol use. Face-to-face screening interviews have not always managed to detect any disordered use in the substance user, especially if the clinician is uncomfortable with the questions. Substance abuse screening and assessment tools, in general, are not as sensitive in identifying the content user as having substance...
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...potential reactions one can have when engaged in assisting someone who is traumatized by an experience. Clinicians need to gauge what are healthy and normal responses when hearing another person’s trauma and what is considered as “compassion fatigue” or “secondary traumatic stress” or “vicarious traumatization” or “secondary traumatic stress disorder or countertransference. When exposed to this type of trauma, people need to identify and deal with their own emotional reactions and how this relates to their own experiences. As well as modulate their feelings and organize their thinking (Geller, Madsen, & Ohrenstein, 2004). The capacity to empathize, to feel with another person is the focal point of psychotherapy (McCann & Pearlman, 1990). That being the case, clinicians need to learn how to think clearly, modulate their emotions, feel effective when working with clients and maintain help that they are going to be effective. But, if the clinician is put into these states of stress by virtue of listening to others, they may feel inclined to withdraw from their clients (Geller et. al, 2004). When creating a psychotherapeutic relationship between a therapist and a client one approach that is considered as compatible with our theories and clinical foundations is that of the mindfulness based approach. According to Germer (2005), there are two general approaches that clinicians have applied in their clinical work. That of being mindful in psychotherapy and mindfulness – based...
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...approaches taken to get to the end of a clinical relationship in a successful manner. The ultimate goal of therapy is to remove any barriers within the range of the therapists’ education and skill, thus making the linchpin of recovery a split responsibility between the client and clinician. However, in order to assist a client in restoring purpose and meaning to their life; the clinician uses many strategies, approaches, and techniques to begin the process. Using an array of tools from different systems and models does not hinder but helps the process move forward in a successful direction. The model most likely to be used personally is the Reality Therapy model. Choice Theory is a personal favorite because it can assist a client or participant in living a happier, healthier, and constructive lifestyle in a short period of time. Within this model it is noted that most cases of misery or dysfunction are directly related to the unhappy relationships that individuals carry with other people. Because of this, it is important to learn how to give up the external locus of control and only controlling themselves. In return, this opens up several doors in different aspects of living a satisfying lifestyle triumphantly, giving treatment an opportunity to become a win-win situation. Personal Viewpoint The aforementioned personal viewpoint was formulated after researching different models in therapy. Reality therapy is a model that is client-centered and uses many similarities from other...
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...Other relationships provide more advice not therapy, therapy is providing clients with tools to solve things for themselves by establishing goals and objectives. Other relationships are more optional and usually more long term. The client is the focus of the therapeutic relationship. Pain is more acceptable in therapy, client is more concerned with how someone they know feels about their situation versus a therapist, making conversation more goal oriented. There are usually more personal boundaries in a therapeutic relationship. Clinicians diagnose mental health disorders because they see symptoms of the diagnosis. Most insurance companies require a diagnosis in order to pay for treatment. The main text for the diagnosis is the DSM-V. Self-disclosure can promote immediacy in a counselor-client...
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...Personal Model of Helping Existential Therapy Model BSHS/312 Therapy is a tool that is used everyday. It helps individuals and families sort through problems that one may be going through. A clinician can use several therapeutic models as a tool. There is the person-centered theory, which increases congruence between self and experience by reducing conditions of self worth. The Psychoanalytic model makes the unconscious conscious through free association. The Behavioral model positively reinforce desired behaviors and negatively reinforce undesired behaviors and to use modeling for behavior change. Gestalt enhances awareness by focusing on polarities and boundary disturbances, and by being in the here and now. The Adlerian model helps the client overcome feelings of inferiority in a socially useful way so that the client has a sense of belonging. The Reality model helps the client discover new ways to get our needs met so that we are able to get along with important people in our lives. The model I choose as my personal model of helping tool is the existential model. The Existential therapy goal is to help create a clients meaning of life by making them realize that they have the freedom of choice and the responsibility for his or her life. This theory looks at independent choice, personal responsibility, self-determination, and freedoms. We as humans have control in our lives and must take responsibility for our actions. This theory creates the question; who...
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...mental health services drew the shortest straw. Ironically, it appears that due to our economic down turn mental health issues are on the rise. These services are being eliminated or decreased at a time when the issues are more prevalent than ever and very much needed. The Department of Health is understaffed, overwhelmed and in dire need of equipment to provide adequate care for our community as a whole much less those in need of mental health services. Our Mental Health services are dormant and our government is incapable of handling the number of cases of mentally ill patients visible and undiagnosed around the community. Consequently, one must look towards the private sector for help in this matter. There is a need for a joint relationship between the public and private sector to provide a valued mental health care system. In Antigua, there is an agency that has stepped up to the challenge, to ensure that people with mental health issues have the opportunity to receive services that they are in need of. This agency is INSIGHT Psychological Services, LLC. At INSIGHT, their premise is “A moment’s...
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...founder of client-centered therapy, which asserts that childhood experiences affect an individual’s feelings, thoughts, and behavior (Rathus, 2004). The therapist must see the world from that of the client to be effective in treatment. Rogers has influenced many psychological theories and therapies present today, especially positive psychology. Despite this fact, many who practice positive psychology do not, or are not willing to, accept the influence of past theories. Client-Centered Therapy In 1959, Rogers asserted that the therapeutic relationship is used differently with different clients and “it is not necessary to manipulate the relationship in specific ways for specific kinds of clients” (Moon, 2001, p. 45). This means that when a client enters the therapy room, treatment using psychotherapy can begin if the therapist is warm, available, open, accepting, and seeks to understand and follow the client’s needs (Moon). Therefore, client-centered therapy asserts that when a clinician is successfully embracing the attitudinal conditions with a client, the relationship becomes therapeutic and psychological transformation occurs. In essence, Rogers believed that all humans are free to make choices and control their destiny, despite what has occurred in the past. Therefore, client-centered therapy’s goal is to provide insight into the client that has been discarded or disowned in order for the client to feel whole or complete. When the therapist accepts the client as a whole...
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...been diagnosed with schizophrenia. His mother has brought him to the day center saying she hopes that “somehow he will be able to get back to college.” Assessment This is the stage when elaboration and exploration skills are used in assisting in assessing the story from the client. “Gathering and analyzing of information about a client is done at this stage in order to tackle the problem” (Murphy, B. C., & Dillon, C. (2011). It is also good for clinicians to do a structured assessment formally and reasonably to fulfill the purpose of diagnosis, plan treatment and carry out research on the best specialized services that are needed by the client. Assessment The purpose of an assessment is to get a vast amount of adequate information about the client. This can include basic information such as name, age, birthdate, address, and telephone number. It is also essential to gather vital demographic information such as, culture, family history, gender, health history, and emotional state in order to help establish the kind of help that is needed and to formulate a plan that is the right fit for the participant. My assessment will start at the first level with me asking myself some questions about the client and why he/she is seeking help. I also...
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...Self-Therapy for Mental Health Professionals: As to research into the specific area of therapy for counsellors, there has been more attention paid to this recently. The ground breaking book by Geller, Norcross and Orlinsky (2005) The Psychotherapist's Own Psychotherapy: Patient and Clinician Perspectives’ considers the role of therapy that therapists themselves undergo. One of its aims is to “provide clinically tested and empirically grounded assistance to psychotherapists treating fellow therapists, as well as to those clinicians who seek personal treatment themselves” (Wong, 2007). Therefore the EPT will not fulfil the empirically grounded and objective approach, because it is more experiential and subjective in nature. However, the work by Hill (2005) indicates that a therapist who is undergoing therapy has a far better understanding of the process of the individual finding their self and managing their mental health (Hill, 2005). This is because the subjective is the central criteria; rather than an objective and unrealistic ideal of good mental health. The move away from the objective is one of the reasons that Hill et al (1993) revisited dream therapy not to have it interpreted objectively by a therapist, but by the individual in therapy themselves in order to have a better understanding of their self. This understanding will lead to an increased ability for the individual to resolve their mental health issues: Interpreting one’s own dream was superior to interpreting...
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...MODULE: PP0613 PROFESSIONAL BOUNDARIES BOUNDARIES BETWEEN NURSES AND PATIENT. As health care professionals, nurses strive to inspire confidence in their patients and their families, treat all patients and other health care providers professionally, and promote patients independence. Patients can expect a nurse to act in their best interests and to respect their dignity. This means that a nurse abstains from obtaining personal gain at the patient’s expense and refrains from inappropriate involvement in the patient’s personal relationships. "Boundaries are mutually understood, unspoken physical and emotional limits of the relationship between the patient and the nurse." (Farber, 1997) When these limits are altered, what is allowed in the relationship becomes ambiguous and possibly unethical. The health and well being of patients depends upon a collaborative effort between the nurse and the patient. Patients are extremely vulnerable to boundary violations because they trust us as their health care providers. They come to us in a time of need, presenting with physical, and often emotional, distress. Some patients demand continuous attention but are unaware of their insatiable neediness. (Muskin and Epstein, 2009) A nurse enters a therapeutic relationship with skills and knowledge that include a great deal of personal information about the individual in their care; and the authority to provide the care required by the individual. The community trusts that nurses...
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