Reference no: EM133879251
Discussion Thread: Solution Focused Brief Therapy or Narrative Therapy
Consider the two theories you studied this week (Solution Focused Brief Therapy and Narrative Therapy) and apply them to the Case Study: Olivia listed under the Discussion: Solution Focused Brief Therapy or Narrative Therapy Resources below. Then answer the following questions in your Video Discussion Thread.
What interventions/techniques/procedures might be helpful for this client from a Solution Focused Brief Therapy approach?
Case Study: Olivia
Olivia is a 33-year-old biracial (African American and White) cisgender female. She has three children ages 9, 6, and 18 months who all live with her in a two-bedroom rental home. Currently she is separated from her husband, Miles, who is a White cisgender male. They are in a lengthy and emotional court battle over her request for a divorce. Miles is suing her for custody of their children. Olivia states that he has "a drinking problem" and at times has been physically and verbally violent, none of which has been reported.
Olivia has her associate degree in cosmetology, but because Miles has been financially successful, she has not sustained meaningful employment since the birth of their first child and instead has focused on being a stay-at-home mother. She presents to counseling for symptoms of anxiety and depression. She is still nursing her 18-month-old, reports sleeping 2-4 hours per night, and wakes up feeling exhausted. She repeatedly dreams she is falling down a large hole in the ground, but she never hits the bottom. She wakes up sweating and feeling panicked. Her food intake mainly consists of fast-food meals and eating leftovers from what she fixes for her kids, but often she skips meals during the day and engages in binges on foods like potato chips and miniature candy bars late at night. She seldom leaves the home, which is kept dark much of the time.
She reports she has a short temper with her children and often experiences feelings of guilt about her divorce, and "not being good enough" as a mom. She reports feeling lonely, isolated, and has a desire to "be loved by someone who understands and cares about me." She reports that she grew up attending Church, but has not been to church in some time and feels disconnected from the community of believers. She feels that if she had more faith, she wouldn't be struggling with feelings of depression and anxiety. Her primary care physician has prescribed an antidepressant medication, which she has been taking as prescribed for the past month.
Olivia's social history indicates she is the second of three children in what she reports was a generally healthy and high-functioning family of origin. She is close with her mother and speaks with her every day. She reports her father died five years ago and that they always struggled with their relationship-she notes she "never felt good enough in his eyes" and "my older sister was clearly his favorite." Olivia reports a history of having seen a counselor once "a long time ago" but does not elaborate. She refused to respond to questions about history of emotional, physical, or sexual abuse outside of what she has noted about her husband. Her primary concern for seeking treatment is, "I want to feel better about myself, be a better mom, and get my life back."