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Assignment 2 Instructions
When working with clients/students it is important that we as counselors are purposeful with our words, use of skills, use of techniques, and our exhibited behaviors. Theory is what helps to guide how we conceptualize client situations and work with our clients and students.
Each week, we will introduce you to a small handful of different theoretical approaches. For each weekly assignment (weeks 1-4) you will be provided a case scenario. You will also be offered the opportunity to choose which theoretical approach (covered in class that week) to apply to the case scenario.
Make sure to fully respond to each question and to use the rubric to guide your writing (the rubric is used to determine your grade). Your assignments should be written in accordance with APA 6th edition guidelines and contain two professional sources (your text-book may count as one of your resources). Although there is no minimum page length requirement for this assignment, you will likely write a minimum of five pages to full address all of the prompts. See the assignment template to help you organize your writing.
Presenting Concern/s:
Identify which of this week’s theoretical approaches you will use to conceptualize the case and why.
What do you see as the client’s presenting concerns/basic conflicts?
Based upon the concerns you identified, discuss which you would address first and why based upon the theoretical approach.
One Central Concept of the Approach:
Identify one central concepts of the approach (other than any you previously used to answer the above question) and describe the central concept.
Explain how the central concept is relevant to working with the client or understanding the case.
One Technique:
Identify one strategy or technique you could use with the client and describe the strategy or technique. How would you implement this strategy or technique.
Discuss why you chose the technique for use with this client.
Clarification Note: In your last assignment, I clarified what is considered to be a counseling approach as well as a central concept. Now you are being introduced to the term techniques. Techniques in counseling are formal strategies, often associated with specific theories, in which you may use to assist your clients grow and make changes. For example, if you selected Gestalt therapy as your approach this week, one central concept of the approach is helping client resolve unfinished business. One strategy (a.k.a., technique) you might use to do that could be an empty chair technique (for example, a client with unfinished business with their deceased father may benefit from the empty chair technique to help them resolve their unfinished business).
Strengths and Limitations:
Analyze one strength of the approach for working with the client.
Analyze one weakness of the approach for working with the client.
Reflection:
Provide at least one example of how you could apply any strategy, technique, or concept of this theoretical approach to an area of your life to learn something about yourself personally. Also, explain what you learned.
What challenges did you encounter when attempting to apply an aspect of this theoretical approach to your life? Provide at least one example.
Did you notice any cultural limitations/obstacles to applying this approach to your life? Describe the cultural limitation or explain how the approach is culturally responsive.
Case Scenario
The Case of Sherry
Sherry is a 26-year-old female that comes to see you due to problems she is having living at home with her family. She tells you that she feels dependent both financially and emotionally on her parents and that although she would like to move out and live on her own or with a friend, she is scared. “The world is a scary place and I people are cruel. Everyone is just out to step on everyone else to move up in the world. As long as I am living at home, I am safe, anywhere outside of this house, who know… It is not that I don’t want to leave and get my own place, I do, but there is no way I could find an apartment on my budget in a neighborhood that is safe.” Sherry further explained that she tried moving out once when she was 23, but her apartment was broken into. She was not home during the break-in, she feels that she would never be safe living anywhere on her own again.
Sherry also explained that she currently works as a bar tender. This means that she wants a safe place to come home to, because her shifts often end between 2-4 am. Sherry explains, “I really wish I could get another job. Although the money is good, the hours are horrible, and I know bar-tending can never be anything more than a dead-end job. I have become a flawed human being. I am afraid to sleep anywhere other than my parent’s house, I am stuck in a job with no future, and I am 26 with no skills other than pouring drunk people drinks. I feel worthless, and I will always be a worthless bar-tender that is afraid to move away from home.
Assignment Rubric
Criteria Well Developed
(A to High A) Developed
(B to Low A) Emerging
(C to Low B) Undeveloped
(Less than a C)
Presenting Concern/s: 15 pts
Identify which of this week’s theoretical approaches you will use to conceptualize the case and why.
What do you see as the client’s presenting concerns/basic conflicts?
Based upon the concerns you identified, discuss which you would address first and why based upon the theoretical approach. 15 points
A theoretical approach was clearly identified. Evidence of using the approach to conceptualize the presenting concern/s was clearly presented. Evidence of using the approach to indicate how concerns should be prioritized was clear. 13-14 points
A theoretical approach was identified. Evidence of using the approach to conceptualize the presenting concern/s was mostly clear. Evidence of using the approach to indicate how concerns should be prioritized was mostly clear and sufficiently explained. 11-12 points
A theoretical approach was identified. Evidence of using the approach to conceptualize the presenting concern/s was unclear in some areas. Evidence of using the approach to indicate how concerns should be prioritized was unclear in some areas or lacked explanation. 0-10 points
Three areas of this section or less were addressed (a. b. c.). Descriptions contained insufficient depth and/or were incomplete.
One Central Concept: 15 pts
Identify one central concept of the approach (other than any you previously use to answer the above question) and describe the central concept.
Explain how the central concept is relevant to working with the client or understanding the case. 15 points
One central concept was thoroughly described. The explanation of how the concept was relevant to working with the client or understanding the case was thorough and clear. 13-14 points
One central concept was adequately described. The explanation of how the concept was relevant to working with the client or understanding the case was sufficient. 11-12 points
One central concept was partially described. The explanation of how the concept was relevant to working with the client or understanding the case was unclear in some areas. 0-10 points
Two areas of this section or less were addressed (a. b.). Descriptions contained insufficient depth and/or were incomplete.
One Technique: 15 points
Identify one strategy or technique you could use with the client and describe the strategy or technique.
Discuss why you chose the technique for use with this client. 15 points
One strategy or technique was thoroughly described. A strong rationale for the selected strategy or technique was provided. 13-14 points
One strategy or technique was sufficiently described. An adequate rationale for the selected strategy or technique was provided. 11-12 points
One strategy or technique was partially described. A rationale for the selected strategy or technique was unclear in some areas 0-10 points
Two areas of this section or less were addressed (a. b.). Descriptions contained insufficient depth and/or were incomplete.
Strengths and Limitations: 15
Analyze two strengths of the approach for working with the client.
Analyze two weakness of the approach for working with the client. 15 points
Strengths and limitations were thoroughly described. The explanation of how the strengths and limitations were relevant to working with the client or understanding the case was thorough and clear. 13-14 points
Strengths and limitations were adequately described. The explanation of how the strengths and limitations were relevant to working with the client or understanding the case was sufficient 11-12 points
Strengths and limitations were partially described. The explanation of how the strengths and limitations were relevant to working with the client or understanding the case was unclear in some areas 0-10 points
Two areas of this section or less were addressed (a. b.). Descriptions contained insufficient depth and/or were incomplete.
Reflection: 15 points
Provide at least one example of how you could apply any strategy, technique, or concept of this theoretical approach to an area of your life to learn something about yourself personally. What did you learn?
What challenges did you encounter when attempting to apply an aspect of this theoretical approach to your life? Provide at least one example.
Did you notice any cultural limitations/obstacles to applying this approach to your life? Describe the cultural limitation or explain how the approach is culturally responsive.
15 points
One example of how to apply a strategy, technique, or concept was thoroughly described, and well connect to a description of what was learned. One example of a challenge was thoroughly described. One cultural limitation of the approach was thoroughly discussed in reference to application to the student’s life OR strong rationale was provided for how the approach was culturally responsive when applied to an area of the student’s life. 13-14 points
One example of how to apply a strategy, technique, or concept was sufficiently described, and connected to a description of what was learned. One example of a challenge was sufficiently described. One cultural limitation of the approach was sufficiently described in reference to application to the student’s life OR a sufficient rationale was provided for how the approach was culturally responsive when applied to an area of the student’s life. 11-12 points
One example of how to apply a strategy, technique, or concept was partially described, and somewhat connected to a description of what was learned. One example of a challenge was sufficiently described. One cultural limitation of the approach was partially described in reference to application to the student’s life OR a partially rationale was provided for how the approach was culturally responsive when applied to an area of the student’s life. 0-10 points
Three areas of this section or less were addressed (a. b. c.). Descriptions contained insufficient depth and/or were incomplete.
Writing Mechanics and APA Format: 15 points 15 points
No more than three grammatical, spelling, punctuation, and/or APA errors. Clarity of paper was not influenced by the errors. 13-14 points
More than three grammatical, spelling, punctuation, or APA errors. Clarity of paper was not strongly influenced by the errors. 11-12 points
More than three grammatical, spelling, punctuation, or APA errors that had a negative influence on the clarity of the paper. 0-10 points
More than three grammatical, spelling, punctuation, or APA errors that had a strong negative influence on the clarity of the paper.
Sources: 10 points 10 points
2 professional sources or more are used throughout the paper as appropriate to thoroughly support ideas, and are documented in the references list. 9 points
1-2 professional sources are used to adequately support ideas and are documented in the reference list. 7 points
1 professional source is used to partially support ideas and is documented in the reference list. 0-6 points
1 source or less was used. Ideas were insufficiently supported.
Total: 100 points