Psychological Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Psychological Case Study - Essay Example Prior to the age of 13, her parents describe her as "well-behaved and doing well in school". Up to that time, she had no problems academically or behaviorally in school. The trouble began when Client S began eighth grade. At that time, her behavior began to change. Client S was born in Australia and her parents both work. It is not clear why the parents stated that she was born in Australia. Her mother works as a receptionist and her father is a supervisor for an electrical whole sale firm. It appears from what they have stated that they have traditional values and want her to abide by their rules. The client does not seem to think that these rules are necessary since she is now 15. Presenting Problems/Symptoms During the counseling session, the client presents as very positive and confident. She is dressed very clean. During the counseling session, she talks about her parents and feels that they are being too strict with her. She states that she hates doing chores and homework. She has been doing many things to show signs of rebellion: she snuck out of the house and stayed out late, complains about her parents to let her go out and hang with her friends. She states that her friends always get to do things that she does not. Evidence Based Theories and Models Client S does not seem to be exhibiting behavior that is inconsistent with being a teenager. In looking at theories and models, it was important to describe developmental theories and models that work well with teens. Although Sigmund Freud had many things to say about adolescence, it was Erik Erikson who took Freud's theories and advanced them. In Erikson's theory, Client S represent's Erikson's fourth developmental stage which is ego identity vs. role confusion. In this stage, the peer group is more important than family and the peer group acts as role models. During the time between ages 12 and 18, Client S will be struggling to be herself and to identify what that means to her. The psychosocial values that she will possess will be fidelity and loyalty (Boeree, 2006). In applying Erikson's theory to Client S, it becomes clearer that she is in the phase of wanting to be with her friends and they are making up a large part of her life. The challenge can be that the friends she has chosen may not be the best friends for her and they may be influencing her behavior. This would be something to explore in sessions. Piaget took a more cognitive approach in his developmental stages saying that children are able to reason in the abstract after the age of 12. Adolescents may become more self conscious about their appearance and that they are always being criticized for who they are at any given moment (Resource Center for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention, 2009). Physical development is very important at this age as well. The hormones in the body are changing and the adolescent can be going through physical and emotional changes. The child is moving from being a child to maturing into adultho od. Although this happens differently for different children, all children go through this change at some time. In addition to the physical maturing of growing breasts and hair under the arms and in the pubic area, teens also experience their first menstrual periods and they begin to worry about their bodies. Emotionally, the teen may be experiencing mood swings, or pushing away from the parents in an attempt to create their own identity (U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2011). All of these changes are