Psy 305 Week 1

Phase One (Sessions 1 through 3)

• The session 1 and 2 consists of the assessment of the client’s clinical problems and background information. Questions relate to her clinical problems, including (a) the nature of her problems (depression and difficulty with making decisions), (b) reason of seeking psychotherapy, and (c) previous attempts to deal with the problems. For the background information, the client’s histories are assessed in the areas of intimate/family relationship, educational/vocational activities, past history of psychological treatment, and physical condition. Session 3 primarily consists on the further functional assessment around her coping skills (e.g., avoidance) in the areas of interpersonal relationships.

Phase Two

Additionally, the counselor will encourage the client to work on her own personal struggles (i.e., private experience). Session 5 consists of the brief value assessments in the various domains of her life (e.g., intimate/family relationships, friendship, vocational activities). The value assessment will be administered to identify the costs of cognitive rigidity and avoidance. Session 6 deals the legal crisis related to her financial problems. Session 7 consists of (a) ACT creative hopelessness and (b) brief introduction of control as the problem. Next, the treatment contract is reviewed. Additionally, a metaphor along with her current interpersonal struggles are used to help her become oriented to the paradoxical nature of her previous attempts to deal with her problems. The workability and rigidity of her attempts to suppress her difficult feelings and thoughts and her avoidance pattern in the context of interpersonal relations are also included in the exercise. Following the metaphor, the ACT control as problem are introduced to identify the paradoxical effects of her previous coping

One is to help the client notice the futility of previous controlling attempts (e.g., emotional avoidance). A second goal is to generate therapeutic contexts where willing to experience her struggles without the attempts of suppressing, distracting, or getting rid of them. The paradoxical effect of controlling strategies is discussed along with a metaphor, and the willingness to contact with her private events as an alternative are briefly introduced. In addition, session 8 and 9 are designed to help her discriminate contexts where controlling strategies work and where they do not work. Session 9 focuses on the discriminating training. Session 10 and 11 include "Acceptance as an alternative agenda". Session 10 consists of “willingness exercises” and “self-as-context”. The session consists of (a) ACT willingness exercises, and (b) a brief ACT experiential exercise. In the willingness exercises, Two Scales Metaphor is used to direct her attention from her psychological struggles to willingness to experience the struggles. A brief ACT Observer Exercise is provided to the client in order to enhance her willingness and to change the function (meanings) of her private experiences (thoughts, feelings, and memories). Session 11 continues the ACT willingness exercise. The session includes the overview of willingness and normalization of human struggles. Another metaphor is