Case Study: Colin

Introduction

Colin is a 54-year-old male seeking counseling for what he describes as being in the benefits trap: he has gotten used to having free time and pursuing hobbies due to time off work related to a physical accident. He is reluctant to return to work, citing issues of stress and anxiety, but he also knows he needs to return to work in order to enhance his income and repair his relationship with his wife. The most important psychological issue within the case study is the gap between Colins cognitive understanding of his situation and his behavior, which he wants to modify so that it is more positive and less harmful. He cites drinking, depression, a difficult relationship with his wife, and social anxiety as the main problems he faces. The general issues raised within the case study are his lack of self-confidence and motivation to return to work in spite of the apparent recognized need to return to work. The primary issue affecting Colin is depression.

This paper will discuss how counseling psychology theory might be used to explain Colins current psychological experiences by focusing on a cognitive understanding of depression, a psychodynamic understanding of depression, and a humanistic understanding of depression. It will then provide the recommended counseling psychology interventions for Colin.

How Counseling Psychology Theory Might Be Used to Explain Colins Current Psychological Experiences

1. Cognitive Understanding of Depression

As Ellis shows, the cause of unhappiness and negative thinking patterns are important in establishing a cognitive understanding of a clients condition (Cruickshank, n.d.). Common irrational thoughts that hinder a clients progress include performance perfectionism, fear of failure, and conflict phobia. Colin exhibits each of these irrational thoughts, as he avoids going back to work for fear of the stress he might experience when the work becomes too challenging for him. He also fears that he lacks the social skills needed to interact effectively with others. These fears underline his lack of confidence in himself. What has to be remembered for a cognitive understanding of Colins depression is that a person creates his own world view. People have free will, responsibility and control. Colin has the tools to move forward in a positive and healthy way; he only needs to recognize them and implement them.

2. Psychodynamic Understanding of Depression

As McLeod (2013) notes, The aim of psychodynamic counselling is to help clients to achieve insight and understanding around the reasons for their problems, and translate this insight into a capacity to cope with current and future difficulties (p. 81). While this is the aim of all counseling, psychodynamic understanding places special focus on the idea that behavior is deterministic and shaped by experience. Unconscious thought, as Freud notes, is repressed because it is considered unacceptable. Selfish needs are often a character of the unconscious. In Colins case, he desires time to pursue his own hobbies and interests. He is in his mid-50s, which is often when one begins to dream of retiring from work and pursuing a life that is more his own. Colin fears returning to work because he believes he will be unable to manage a balanced work-life ration wherein he can work but also have time for personal hobbies. According to Freuds structural model of personality, the EGO, which is governed by the reality principle, must govern the needs and wants of the ID, which is the pleasure principle. Colins EGO is unable to govern the ID effectively from the standpoint of this model. The SUPEREGO, which is the moral angel that uses guilt to regulate behavior, is working to make Colin feel guilty, which is why he is...

…it to his actual selfthe self he presents to the world. By doing this, Colin should be able to see where he is and where he wants to be. Gradually the steps he needs to take to bridge the gap will appear to him, as he adopts a more objective view of his own life. The key is to get him thinking objectively about his situation rather than through the subjective experiences and feelings that guide the discussions initially. Once these are voiced and understood, and Colin feels that they have been validated by the counselor, he can begin to think about the person he wants to become.

Conclusion

An integrative approach to counseling can help Colin deal with the primary issue of depression that prevents him from returning to work, that has harmed his relationship with his wife, and that has exacerbated his tendency to drink. His problems of depression, social anxiety, alcohol misuse, difficult relationship, avoidance, and denial stem from his inability to manage triggers, assert his EGO, and embrace his ideal self. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help him to deal directly with depression and social anxiety by providing him with the sense that he is in control and can act as he likes by identifying triggers and imagining himself in a position where they no longer have control over his life. The point is to give him the confidence to be able to implement new thought and behavior patterns that move him in a positive manner towards regaining a sense of responsibility and the ability to perform effectively. The psychodynamic approach can be used to help Colin to understand the role that guilt and anxiety play in his life and how the EGO can assert itself to better manage the impulse of the ID and the SUPEREGO. The humanistic/person-centered approach…