A good example of this can be seen with the fact that she has limited intimate relationships with men. This can be linked directly to her relationship with her father. As she would be close with him and then when she was arguing with her mother, he would become withdrawn. This is important, because the disconnection with her father, when she was having these issues would cause her to feel abandoned. When combine this with the feelings she would have at early age in school, this event would help Julie to view men from a distance. As she wanted to be close to them, yet because of her relationship with her father she would often become withdrawn.
To create change, the trained mental health professional must encourage Julie to overcome these emotions, by discussing the underlying meaning of what is taking place. At which point, they would begin to talk about how she can be able to improve these relationships by: taking the initiative and showing more feelings of love. This is important, because creating this kind of a shift requires examining the issues of the past. At which point, you can begin interrupting the pattern to create a change in perceptions.
The major techniques that would be utilized as a part of this therapy includes: aversive conditioning and behavior modification. Aversive conditioning is when you are examining the unwanted behavior of the individual and are comparing it certain actions. ("Aversive Conditioning," 2010) in the case of Julie, the therapist would highlight how the way she responds to different situations, is helping to make the situation worse. As people try to become close with her, yet they are unable to do so, which causes them to become more distant with her. The reason why, is they are unsure about how to handle Julie, which is forcing these people to become more withdrawn from her (leading to the sense of isolation / abandonment). This will help ensure that Julie understands the root causes of her problems.
Behavior modification is when you are changing the behavior of individual through various forms of positive and negative...
("Behavioral Modification," 2010) in this situation, you would use this as way to show how Julie can change the situation in her life, by becoming more open and involved. This means, that she would have to disassociate the meanings of past events, by becoming more open and friendly. At the same time, she must not appear to be critical or judgmental of friends / colleagues, as these thoughts will often contribute to the underlying challenges that she is facing. If this objective could be reached over the course of time, it will help Julie to understand the meaning and how to use the events from the past in a constructive way. Once this occurs, is when she can be able to reach out to others and feel the sense of belonging as well as intimacy that she is wanting.
The best way to understand how change is occurring would be through: an improving mental state. At the same time, Julie would become more excited about her life and the opportunities that they are presenting. When put these elements together, they will provide an accurate assessment as to the effectiveness of the therapy.
Bibliography
Aversive Conditioning. (2010). Psychological Techniques. Retrieved from: http://psychologicaltechniques.com/aversive-conditioning/
Away Point. (2010). Psychological Techniques. Retrieved from: http://psychologicaltechniques.com/away-point/
Behavioral Modification. (2010). Psychological Techniques. Retrieved from: http://psychologicaltechniques.com/behavioural-modification/
Humanistic Theory. (2010). Hub Pages. Retrieved from: http://hubpages.com/hub/Humanistic-Theory-Hierarchy-of-Needs
Positive Unconditional Regard. (2010). Psychological Techniques. Retrieved from: http://psychologicaltechniques.com/positive-unconditional-regard/
Reframimg. (2010). Psychological Techniques. Retrieved from: http://psychologicaltechniques.com/reframing/
Theory and Application of Adlerian Psychology. (2007). Adler Graduate School. Retrieved from: http://www.alfredadler.edu/overview/adlerian.htm
