Cognitive & Psychodynamic Theories: Exploring the Case of Ruth - Essay Sample

Introduction

Two theories can be used in conceptualizing the case of Ruth. The two theories include cognitive theory and Psychodynamic theory. Aaron Beck developed the cognitive theory, and it is a counseling theory which focuses on how the thoughts of individuals can change their feelings and characters. The therapy which is based on this theory is usually brief and focus on solving a particular psychological problem. Cognitive therapists generally concentrate more on the present situation of clients and distorted thoughts as compared to their past. Cognitive therapy can be blended with other therapies as one form of theory practiced by therapists. Therefore, cognitive therapy is often used to assist with different mental illnesses such as anxiety, personality, and abuse disorders.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

On the other hand, a psychodynamic theory which is also referred to as "historical perspective" was developed by Sigmund Freud who said that there were unconscious forces which drive characters of individuals ("Psychodynamic Perspectives on Personality | Boundless Psychology," 2019). He established different techniques such as free association which include talking to a therapist concerning the issue that affects you devoid of censoring, dream analysis and transference where the feelings of an individual concerning the life of others are being redirected to the therapist. Therefore, therapists must focus on reviewing the past relationship and traumatic childhood experience in relation to the current life of an individual.

From the perspective of the cognitive theoretical orientation, I would conceptualize Ruth's presenting issues by trying to explain her behavior by analyzing her thinking process concerning matters that have lead to her behavioral change. Markedly, her thoughts concerning her family are considered to be the determinants of her emotions and behavior. Therefore, with cognitive therapy information processing will be a common illustration of the cognitive process and how her mind functions will be compared using a computer ("Cognitive Learning Theory - Using Thinking to Learn," 2019). We have noticed changes in her behavior toward people and her feelings toward her father and mother and how this has affected her behavior because she claimed that she is 39 and does not understand who she is. Cognitive theory will thus be used to treat her anxiety.

Her behavior, interaction with the environment, her beliefs, thoughts and cognitive competencies were influenced by external factors which in this case include her parents and how she was brought up by a father was she considered as tough, and her mother who she said was a housewife. When it comes to personal behavior interaction, her cognitive processes affected her behavior and the performance of such characters influenced how she thought. On the other hand, the environment-behavior interaction and other external factors such as how she interacted with her friends and people around her also changed her behavior. Her change in behavior is what made her change and move to another church and not going to the same church with her father ("Can Cognitive Theory Really Help Alleviate Your Phobias?", 2019). Therefore, she needs to develop positive thoughts about herself and her family in order to change her behavior and stay in a supportive environment. Via cognitive therapy, she needed to evaluate new experiences by analyzing her experience with just the same determinants. She is supposed to learn new things which would probably change her mindset about everything and how she perceives other people.

On the other hand, her case can also be conceptualized using a psychodynamic theory which is also used by therapists to treat psychological issues. While using this theory, therapists usually focus on the past relationship of an individual and how they affected their current behavior. Therefore, the past relationship of Ruth with her father, mother and siblings will be reviewed to determine why she has developed anxiety in her life and what measures should be taken to cure the anxiety. Since she experienced traumatic childhood because she believed that her father was too strict and with the high standard that she was forced to adhere too she, however, did not like the idea. Therapists believe that when past issues are brought to the table, it will be simple to treat and heal individuals.

Many intellectuals have been trying to find out how this theory can have a positive impact on the rain of a client. Besides, while counseling using this theory, enough time is taken to study the behavior of the client and to listen to their problems as compared to other theories as it encompasses transforming deeply ingrained characters and needs important work on comprehending oneself. Therefore, there are three elements of the mind which are believed to have affected her behavior and hey include id, ego, and superego. Therefore, conflicts in her mind regarding the life that she was living is what shapes her behavior and personality because the conflicts are said to be unconscious ("Five Counseling Theories and Approaches - Blog," 2019). This theory also suggests that personality develops from childhood and is often shaped via a series of different stages that lead to the name psychodynamic theory of development. This means that the current personality being displayed by Ruth is as a result of her childhood, and it has been developed from childhood. As a child, he was presented with conflicts of biological drives and social anticipations, and since there was no successful navigation of these internal conflicts during every stage of development, she then started developing anxiety that completely changed her behavior.

There are different important information that should be considered in Ruth's story which supports the case conceptualization. The first information includes her problem now that she is suffering from anxiety and some other somatic issues. The other information that should be considered includes the fact that she is a married woman with kids and maybe his anxiety does not just come from her relationship with her parents but also her marriage. Despite being the oldest child of four, she is worried because she has never attained her goals in life. She believed that she has been giving more than necessary in all her relationships and she now feels empty. However, she does not like herself, and she does not even love the way she looks ("NIMH >> Psychotherapies," 2019). This means that she is also suffering from esteem issues and self-denial which accounts for her depression which should be treated using the two theories. She is more concern about what the family expects of her rather than what she needs to achieve for herself and thus thinking of other people more than of herself and this can be the reason why she is 39 and feels like she has not attained any of her dreams and that she is wondering how she even reached that age. Her college mates were the one who informed her that she was limiting herself because she was behaving as if everyone depended on her.

My chosen theories will present different intervention which will be very effective to her. The cognitive theory suggests attention bias which is an intervention that will permit her to focus on the negative signals rather than the positive ones when she experiences anxiety. This means that she should not expect her father to change his standards rather live by them or choose her way of life. The cognitive theory also suggests interpretation bias which is an intervention that will focus on how she interprets issues. She is not supposed to interpret issues with negativity but rather train herself to be positive which will also lead to positive results that will assist her in attaining her goals and living a stress-free life ("NIMH >> Psychotherapies," 2019). On the other hand, some intervention can also be analyzed from psychodynamic theory. She is not supposed to have too much ego as this will ruin her personality and lead to anxiety, depression and unhealthy behaviors.

There are different goals and outcomes that I will anticipate for Ruth using this theory. I will expect her to start developing a positive mindset toward her life because this will be the key to a happy life. Besides, she is not supposed to give too much to people without considering herself but rather to balance what should be given to people and what she is supposed to remain with ("Cognition: Theory, Overview - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com", 2019). She has to begin loving herself and accepting who she is and she should not worry too much about what people expect of her. She should focus on her career and work toward achieving her objectives while considering what she was told to by therapists.

References

Psychodynamic Perspectives on Personality | Boundless Psychology. (2019). Retrieved from https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-psychology/chapter/psychodynamic-perspectives-on-personality/

Cognitive Learning Theory - Using Thinking to Learn. (2019). Retrieved from https://explorable.com/cognitive-learning-theory

Can Cognitive Theory Really Help Alleviate Your Phobias?. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/cognitive-theory-2671570

Five Counseling Theories and Approaches - Blog. (2019). Retrieved from https://counseling.northwestern.edu/five-counseling-theories-and-approaches/

NIMH >> Psychotherapies. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/psychotherapies/index.shtml

Mcleod, S. (2019). Psychodynamic Approach | Simply Psychology. Retrieved from https://www.simplypsychology.org/psychodynamic.html

Cognition: Theory, Overview - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com. (2019). Retrieved from https://study.com/academy/lesson/cognition-theory-lesson-quiz.html