module 8 Signature Assignment
The Signature Assignment should be 8-10 pages in length (double
spaced, size 12 font). Please include a title page with your name, date,
class name, and the title of your paper. Paper must contain at least 5
citations from course content.
Submit a Signature Assignment, which will revisit the Case of John
and Carla (see below) using a modality from the course of your
choosing (e.g., Gottman, Emotionally Focused, Imago). It should
clearly demonstrate both the use of the material presented in this
course and your own additional investigation of the subject of the
course using academic and other authoritative sources. Show that
you understand the basic concepts necessary to do a couples
assessment. Apply concepts from the texts and our course to the case
study. Then discuss what interventions or treatment you would
provide.
Please include what model(s) of therapy you would use in your
therapy. You may wish to use “tools” from a number of different
theories. Reference professional sources, in terms of why you have
chosen your particular interventions or treatment.
A key to success with the Signature Assignment: Approach this case
not as an academic exercise or a research paper, but as a real-world
application of theoretical concepts. Rather than a review of theories,
this paper should be a specific and in-depth application of a specific
theory and clinical interventions. Whichever your chosen modality,
show that John and Carla can rely on you for the guidance and
support they need.
***
COUPLES COUNSELING CASE EXAMPLE
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John and Carla: A Case Example
John and Carla have been married for 7 years. They have two children,
aged 5 and 3. John is a computer technician and Carla has been a
homemaker since the birth of their first child. They live in a nice
neighborhood in one of the suburbs of a big city in the United States.
John and Carla were introduced to each other in college. They fell in
love immediately and after dating for about four months, moved in
together. They got married a year later. John liked Carlas openness
and sensitivity. He used to describe her as a free spirit, someone
who could do the wildest thing on a whim. He loved her spontaneity
and genuineness. Carla admired Johns brain and the way he made
her laugh. She felt safe with him and believed he was very
dependable. In the beginning of their relationship they got along really
well and were very happy.
The first time they both started feeling that the relationship was not
working well was after the birth of their first child. Initially, both
wanted to have a baby, and both were thrilled when their first
daughter, Charlotte, was born. However, in the months following the
birth they started arguing a lot about small things. Soon after, they
started blaming one another for various things. Carla blamed John for
not taking on a fair share of the babys care and house chores, and
John blamed Carla for criticizing him and for always nagging him
about stupid little things. Things had gotten so bad that they started
thinking about separating. However, they still wanted to give it a try
and, in an attempt, to mend things, they went away on a holiday, only
to discover a couple of weeks after their return that Carla was
pregnant again. At first, they were both overwhelmed by the news, but
then they talked it through and agreed that it had probably been a sign
that they should stick together and raise their family. The next few
months went fairly well. Carla felt that John was taking care of her and
making sure she was comfortable and safe. Carla was mostly in a
good mood and tried to minimize her requests from John. Things were
looking up.
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However, shortly after the birth of their son, Sean, they started fighting
again. The tension in the house was getting worse every day. They
were both very tired and drained. Carla was feeling overwhelmed with
taking care of two children and she felt abandoned by John. She
started begging him to come home early, or not to go to work at all.
For his part, John was working more hours than ever. He often missed
dinner and when he did not, he would often say he was exhausted and
go to bed immediately after dinner. The bitterness and anger in the
relationship grew more and more until John told Carla one day that he
had rented an apartment and was moving out. Carla was devastated.
Even though she was very unhappy in the relationship, she did not
expect that John would leave her. She was desperate and begged him
to reconsider. They came to therapy as a last resort.
In therapy, it became clear that both Carla and John were not taking
care of their own needs. They were both exhausted and were feeling
completely tied down. Neither of them, especially Carla, was getting
any breathers. One of the first things that Carla and John learned in
therapy was to give each other some space and enable each other to
take care of themselves. They have worked out a plan whereby each of
them gets some time for themselves, 3 times a week. After 3 sessions,
the fighting has diminished but the couple was still feeling alienated
from one another.
In the next few sessions, we uncovered Carla and Johns cycle. It
looked somewhat like this: Carla or John would make a comment
about the kids, the house or a chore that needed to be done. The
partner would react to it resentfully and would make a nasty remark.
John would tend to withdraw and avoid Carla by going to bed or
taking off. Carla would get irritated and pursue John, wanting to settle
the matter on the spot. John would withdraw even further and would
not speak to Carla, sometimes for days. At some point Carla would
withdraw as well and they would not speak to each other for a few
days, until one of them would mention something trivial to the other
and they would start talking again.
In therapy, Carla and John were able to identify their insecurities
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about the relationship. Carlas pursuit of John was motivated by her
fear of abandonment; she feared he would leave her and was worried
that if they did not resolve their differences immediately, he would
leave. Each time John left the room or the house she interpreted it as
him leaving her and would get even more desperate. John was
withdrawing and avoiding Carla because he could not take the
conflict. It was just too much for him. It meant that they were not
getting along and that indeed there would be no alternative but to split
up. John admitted that he dreaded a split up too. Carla and John
learned that both had deep feelings for each other, and that both
valued their relationship and wanted to stay together. Carla learned to
give John some space and not pursue him when he was asking for a
time-out. John learned to give Carla a sign that meant that he was not
leaving her but just taking a time-out. With time, they also learned to
listen to each other in a way that validated each others feelings,
thoughts, hopes and wishes. They learned to work out their
differences in a respectful and non-defensive way. Possibly, the most
important thing they learned was that they had the tools, the ability
and the desire to make their relationship a safe and comforting place,
a sort of safe haven that couples can create for themselves and for
their families.
Courtesy: http://www.drregev.com
***
Writing Guidelines:
Cover page and reference page
Must be double-spaced with 1-inch margins and typed in
12-point Times New Roman
Paper should be proofread for spelling and grammar mistakes
Essays should be in APA style
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You must cite all texts used, including page numbers to avoid
plagiarism
Your paper must have a thesis statement and conclusion
