Using the vignette below, students will demonstrate their conceptual understanding of various theories as well as their more focused knowledge of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy with children. This paper should be 5 pages in APA format. The paper should have 3 clearly defined sections. Headings are required. Subheadings within the subsections are also required, as needed. Students are encouraged to use the course textbooks as references throughout the paper, when relevant. In addition, four (4) peer-reviewed journal article references are also required.
Vignette:
Kevin is a 12 year-old Asian-American boy. His family is of Korean heritage but has lived in America for several generations. Kevin and his immediate family all speak English in the home. His family consists of his two parents (42 and 41) and younger sister (9). His parents bring Kevin to your therapy office because he is showing increased signs of social anxiety. He is having difficulty making new friends at his middle school, and he has panic attacks when he is called on in the classroom. He rarely talks with his family about his struggles, and his parents are becoming increasingly concerned. The family is involved in a megachurch in Southern California and consider themselves conservative evangelical Christians. Kevin professes himself to have faith in God, but he is unsure of God’s love for him and feels shy about prayer.
Section 1: THEORETICAL OVERVIEW
The paper should begin with an overview of how each of the following theories would conceptualize Kevin’s presenting problems: CBT, reality therapy (choice theory), and person-centered therapy. For each theory, offer a description of the way Kevin’s functioning might be explained/understood within that model (using that theory’s language) as well as a few common techniques/skills that could be used to help improve Kevin’s specific concerns. You do NOT need to summarize the theory. Please focus on how you conceptualize/understand Kevin’s problems from the framework of each therapy. Please remember to use Kevin’s story as the basis for examples throughout the discussion of these theories. Students are required to use subheadings for each of the treatment orientations (i.e., CBT, Reality Therapy, Person-Centered Therapy). Using a combination of headings and subheadings will help with organization of the content. Please provide in-text citations to support assertions where necessary.
Section 2: TREATMENT APPROACH USING CBT
In this section, please provide a rationale and treatment plan for Kevin’s concerns within a Cognitive-Behavioral model. Provide a thorough rationale for why Cognitive-Behavioral therapy is a good choice of treatment to help Kevin with his presenting concerns. For example, considering Kevin’s presenting problem, why will CBT provide a good framework? Please be thorough in explaining the rationale for using CBT. Next, provide a comprehensive treatment plan that details the following and is aligned with Cognitive-Behavioral methods: 1) how rapport will be built within a CBT framework, 2) recommended length of treatment in CBT, 3) treatment plan, including long-term goals & short-term objectives and the techniques/interventions necessary to reach the goals/objectives for the client’s improvement/recovery. Students should use the Treatment Plan assignment (and instructor feedback) from earlier in this course as a guide for how to approach goals, objectives, and interventions for Kevin’s treatment plan. Subheadings are strongly encouraged in this section. Please provide in-text citations to support assertions where necessary.
Section 3: FAITH INTEGRATION IN THERAPY
Kevin’s family considers themselves to be conservative evangelical Christians. 1) Please offer a general discussion about how a child’s/family’s (like Kevin’s) religious/spiritual background, belief system, and associated values can play a role in the child’s presenting problem. 2) Also, please include ideas about how, for example, Kevin’s family can use their faith constructively to help him to improve in therapy and feel strengthened/hopeful. You should also comment on possible challenges that faith could be introducing into a child’s life and, specifically, how how Kevin’s family’s faith could be contributing to his challenges with anxiety. 3) Lastly, students should comment on any ethical principles that should be considered when deciding if/how to incorporate faith into Kevin’s treatment.
In summary, your paper has 3 sections and 3 subsections within each of those sections. Papers should be organized with headings and subheadings and look something like this (headings/subheadings can have different names – these are just examples):
THEORETICAL OVERVIEW
-CBT conceptualization
-Reality therapy (choice theory) conceptualization
-Person-centered conceptualization
TREATMENT APPROACH USING CBT
-How rapport is built
-Recommended treatment length
-Treatment Plan/Goals/Interventions
FAITH INTEGRATION IN THERAPY
-General discussion
-Benefits and challenges of faith
-Ethical principles for faith integration
