Case Study on Domestic Violence: Chloe's Case Scenario

Introduction

Chloe's case is an excellent example of the effect of domestic violence on the growth and development of an individual and how such acts affect the behaviors and development of the children or the minors in the society. Her story is a confirmation that domestic violence is a threat and therefore an issue that needs to be addressed with high levels of sobriety to initiate therapeutic programs and the corresponding treatment plans that can transform the lives of the affected individuals.

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Presenting Issues

There are various vital issues noted in the narration given about Chloe's case which needs to be taken into consideration before devising programs or interventions that can enable Chloe to live normal life ones again. Some of these issues include domestic violence especially verbal attacks from Chloe's past relationships. Chloe separated from Tim because he was extremely violent and also their relationship with Brian never lasted because of internal conflicts which were common behind the curtains and were also replicated on the children. Brian was a strict disciplinarian. Chloe's frustrations can be traced back to her upbringing in a family where her father was an alcoholic and therefore did spend much of her time with her Mum who seems to have been the sole provider for the family. Chloe's third partner, Sam, was also verbally abusive. Generally, these cases of violence can be said to have contributed to the current condition of Chloe.

Another issue noted in Chloe's case is the need to protect the children from the violence noted. It is important to note that the exposure of children to verbal attacks can negatively impact on their behaviors and their relationships in the future. The children need to be protected and also it is important for Chloe to avoid discussing her past relationships in the presence of the children. Family support is also a concern in this case. The separation of Chloe with her previous partners leaves her with the burden of providing for her children, yet she does not have a proper job. The incarceration of her last partner has indeed left her with much pressure in supporting her children, and she sounds fatigued by the demands of work and the children. Substance abuse and addiction is another critical issue in Chloe's case. Her husband (Sam) was jailed because he was dealing with drugs and she has also stated that their father was an alcoholic. The act of Chloe sleeping with a knife under her pillow is a clear indication that she has fear which might be due to delusion. Chloe's children future education and support regarding sustainability due to her current condition and the overall impact on their future behaviors and relationship is a great issue too.

Areas Where Further Information Will Be Beneficial

Based on the case study, there are missing links in the information given that are beneficial in addressing the problem. A detailed family background information with a critical focus on the relationship that exists between Chloe and her other siblings and the parents to ascertain the impact of the family on her upbringing would be beneficial. It would also be important to identify the nature of the relationship then and whether such a tie still exists. The information about the contacts from the ex-partners and their contribution to the upbringing of Chloe's children if any.

The information pertaining to the family medical history and the substance abuse would also be beneficial to determine any possible linkage from her past and also to ascertain whether a member of the family had been subjected to drug addiction therapies in the past. It would also be important to note all the relevant medical conditions and the corresponding interventions taken in the past.

Child protection is important in this case, and therefore it would be beneficial to gather more information about the past child support services, if any, to determine whether Chloe would be willing to take her children to the children's home or other child support centers while on medication. This would also help in exploring different ways of supporting the children when Chloe will be on treatment.

Treatment Options

The treatment options for Chloe case requires a comprehensive approach consisting of medication and lifestyle changes. It is also important to note that the effectiveness of either program depends on the general goodwill of the client (Chloe) to embrace the programs. The change depends on the need and how it resonates with her condition. According to Collins, (2008), getting the right treatment can take some time and therefore the need to learn more about the underlying medical condition to establish the manner in which the procedure will be administered according to the priority. The information on the treatment duration needs to be well communicated and with emphasis that it is a process that requires time and commitment (Fijan & Turk,2012). Chloe needs to be enlightened on the ups and downs of the whole program.

Some of the lifestyle changes programs include regular physical exercise to improve brain cells growth and connection and also to reduce the anxiety through proper blood flow. Social support is also instrumental in minimizing isolation which is a significant risk factor for stress and anxiety (Marcum,2012). The program requires a substantial help from the families and friends. Proper nutrition to boost the body's energy and also to minimize mood swings.

Assessment and Case Formulation

Case formulation is described as the connection existing between clinical assessment and the process of intervention. According to Hershenberg and Davison (2015), the case formulation plays the role of pointing out the elements to be focused on during intervention. Therefore, case formulation is focused on the behavior of an individual in question and the resulting consequences.

In the case of Chloe, I begin my case formulation by examining the factors both intrapersonal and interpersonal and their impacts that have led Chloe into feeling tense, stressed, and anxious and over thinking of her past. To begin with, the actions of other people have forced Chloe to evaluate herself. For instance, she believes her father was an alcoholic who was drunk and often came into their room. In addition, the choice of men she chose was either abusive, aggressive and drunkard. The situation was further accelerated when her first son became abusive to her and later decided to go stay with his father. Thus, this is a possible reason why she is getting tension and cries all the time she starts expressing herself. According to Herpertz et al., (2016), emotions is a huge indicates of hidden problems. No matter how small an emotional injury is, one needs to attend to it as soon as possible, otherwise, the inconvenience or the pain will get much stronger and stronger. In most cases, most individuals tend to ignore most of the soft indicators of psychological issues and emotional pain which is not supposed to be ignored.

Furthermore, Chloe lacks self-affirmation and confidence. Rendering (Beck, Davis & Freeman, 2015), lack of self-confidence causes stress and anxiety. Chloe does not believe that she can handle life by herself and she is always seeking affirmation from other people. Despite Sam being a drug dealer and an abusive man, Chloe still felt that she was better off having him around than staying by herself as she believed she could manage. She states that she has been feeling "flat" and "numb" since Sam was arrested and she has to sleep with a knife due to fears of an intruder. As a result, she has refrained from going out unless she could be attending to her children's school needs or on a job obligation due to her anxiety. Moreover, her lack of confidence is displayed when she reports that she barely has job experiences since her ex-husbands prevented her from going. Lastly, she is afraid to face her past which involved being raised in a home with an alcoholic father, a mother who was not present and getting associated with abusive and aggressive men. This was not a positive picture for her thus accelerating her situation.

Treatment Plan for Therapy

In the treatment plan, I will rely on the strengths and the corporation of Chloe to implement the therapy. Having assessed and formulated Chloe's case, I have the knowledge on the presenting problems which makes it easy for me to formulate the therapy suitable for her case. Then, I will work together with Chloe in identify and listing the major problems. This will give me a chance to prioritize the issues being faced and how we can tackle them during a therapy session. In addition, the issues will be outlined with their presenting behaviors for proper comprehension.

Chloe's strengths are an essential asset in executing the therapy. The major strength is that she is willing and motivated to take part in the therapy. The willingness indicates that an individual will be committed to the course for better results (Davidson, 2016). Also, she has been attending sessions where she can speak out about her struggles freely without fear as well as involving her children. Moreover, Chloe has been getting along with her family, thus, getting support from them over the therapy process.

The techniques used involve behavior examination and how best they can be dealt with to manage a situation involving stress and anxiety (Meichenbaum, 2017). Most individuals normally experience anxiety and stress from time to time. Technically, stress is recorded as one of any demand that is placed on an individual physical body or brain. Just as Chloe, individuals tend to report issues with stress when various multiple demands have been placed on them. This feeling of one getting stressed can most of the time triggered by an event that makes one be nervous or frustrated at the same time. The intervention will involve a proper psycho-education on better parenting by Chloe to deal with cases exhibited by Scott and Jade. Secondly, material support will be provided for Chloe to help her document all the activities happening in her house and how the system is effective. Thirdly, Chloe will be helped in the job market to secure a good job that will help her maintain her family without relying solely on her husband and ex-husbands. Lastly, as a therapist, the progress of Chloe will be supervised to ensure she upholds consistency throughout.

References

Beck, A. T., Davis, D. D., & Freeman, A. (Eds.). (2015). Cognitive therapy of personality disorders. Guilford Publications.

Collins, A. S. (2008). Preventing healthcare-associated infections.

Cardoso, T., Almeida, M., Friedman, N. D., Aragao, I., Costa-Pereira, A., Sarmento, A. E., & Azevedo, L. (2014). Classification of healthcare-associated infection: a systematic review 10 years after the first proposal. BMC Medicine, 12(1), 40.

Davison, G. C. (2016). Some Reflections on the Evolution of Behavior Therapy During ABCT's First 50 Years. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 23(4), 420-425. (Davidson)

Fijan, S., & Turk, S. S. (2012). Hospital textiles, are they a possible vehicle for healthcare-associated infections?. International journal of environmental research and public health, 9(9), 3330-3343.

Hershenberg, R., & Goldfried, M. R. (2015). Implications of RDoC for the research and practice of psychotherapy. Behavior Therapy, 46(2), 156-165.

Marcum, J. A. (2012). An integrated model of clinical reasoning: dualprocess theory of cognition and metacognition. Journal of evaluation in clinical practice, 18(5), 954-961.

Meichenbaum, D. (2017). Stress Inoculation Training: A preventative and treatment approach. In The Evolution of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (pp. 117-140). Routledge.

Pascual-Leone, A., Herpertz, S. C., & Kramer, U. (2016). Experimental designs and the 'emotion stimulus critiq...