The client decided to seek professional help because she was suffering from a mental disorder. June, a 26-year-old African American lady, reported having cases of self-injury. The proof of the disorder had manifested on her thighs and biceps accompanied by the two suicidal attempts. The first case was reported when she was an adolescent after trying to overdose. She used the same technique six months ago in the second case. The patient was described to have chronic suicidal ideation, which would act as a relief to her.
Symptoms and Reasons for Referral
The symptoms were the main reason why she opted for professional help. The signs comprised the anger she felt against her partner despite being in a healthy romantic relationship (Şavk, 2022). The anxiety manifested as she thought of how her partner would leave her because of the habits she portrayed. The two suicidal attempts fall in the same category as they could be used as a confluence for seeking professional assistance. The different moods she experienced with her partner signify that she had emotional dysregulation.
June was not satisfied even after the engagement with her partner. Impulsivity manifests through her actions, making it necessary to ask for help. The mood cycles that made her change hobbies, attire, and job could be identified as a symptom requiring attention. Throwing objects at her partner and overdosing twice showed she engaged in risky behaviors which would require further attention. The cuts on her arms and legs were assurance that she needed a therapy session. Suicidal ideation shows she required immediate care and a way out of the situation she could have been going through.
Objects Relation Theory
According to Jalali (2018), the objects relation theory is less concerned with one’s biological features as it stresses more on interpersonal relationships. The object theory could be observed in a situation where one would show a mother’s intimacy and nurturing. The idea primarily focuses on the need to establish relationships and contact. The view does not focus on sexual pleasure as the pre June focus. The two aspects manifesting within the theory are personality development and factors that motivate human habits. The term object, in object theory, could be viewed as a reference to a significant person who would influence a relationship. The persons would involve a priJune caregiver, father, or mother.
There would be instances where the word would be used to reference parts of an individual whose interaction would create a particular type of relationship. The details include a mother’s breast or a mental representation of the significant other. The theory explains how humans are influenced by the need to make contact. Object theory was derived from the psychoanalytic theory, giving it a base that could be referenced when catering to biologically related issues. The psychoanalytic theory manifested from a divergence from Sigmund’s belief of how humans are motivated gave birth to the object theory (Jalali, 2018). The difference between the two beliefs was that Freud focuses on aggressive and sexual drives while the other dwells on the need for contact.
Theoretical Case Conceptualization
June’s case aligns with the theory of the object because her condition shows her relationships influenced her. Notably, she could change her hobbies, job, and clothing depending on the person in her social group. June appears to lack a sense of self-awareness because other people, including her peers, easily influence her (Şavk, 2022). The influence is alarming because it shows she could go extra to give up a job just to fit within her social circle. June is attached to the objects her peers work with, motivating her to change her attire to be accepted. A change in hobbies indicated that she had reached a level where she could not find happiness alone. Recreation such as surfing could be simple, which one would not quit relating better with their friends. Individuals would be expected to be themselves among their friends without fear of expression.
A change in how one dresses shows discomfort in their previous style. June shows she would be uncomfortable hanging out with a group that is not used to her dress code. Her decision to change her attire to match her friends shows she would be willing to sacrifice her comfort for contact. The object theory is evident in her relationship because she regrets her behavior towards her partner, thinking he would leave her. The context shows that she clams down because she feels she would be overreacting, making her man uncomfortable, and abandoning the relationship. The fear of being left was the motivation for the habits she portrayed, proving that the need for contact could shadow sexual attraction.
June indicated that stress makes her less attentive and causes her to lose herself. The incident happens during an interaction or even at work, making the issues unpredictable. June reported that people could influence her to change her lifestyle based on their experiences. June could vary her hobbies, work, and clothing depending on the people in her environment. Moreover, she admires her partner and expresses it to him by sending lavish gifts and adorable texts. The thought of having him makes her think he is the best thing she has ever experienced in her life. There are others when she thinks of attacking him because she can no longer bear his presence. June would lash or ignore him, followed by throwing objects and yelling. Alternatively, she regrets everything after concluding her partner would leave her because of her behavior.
Transference and Countertransference Issues
One of the transference issues that would be present during the session would be idealization (Jenks & Oka, 2021). June would think the therapist is better than her, which could have psychological effects. The tension could make her leave out important questions believing her service provider would be correct at all times. The following issues would issue would be a comparison between the two. June would make a mistake if she were to compare herself to the other lady disregarding her professional skills. The problem would be assuming that all women may be going through the issues with their partners and omitting data that would be obvious to her. The session would experience opposition from June, believing that the therapist would be unable to figure out her problem because she lacked understanding.
Countertransference issues could emerge during the interaction as time passes. June could develop anger issues from the fights with her partner and manifest them during the session. Additionally, she would be easily distracted by how the therapist would have dressed because she is keen on such details. She might go further and try to dress as the therapist to make herself more compatible with the program. The event could be driven by her need to be understood better because dressing similar could reference she could use her fashion sense to understand her problem. June would be attracted to the therapist because they would be offering solutions to their disorder which could register as caring. The need to strengthen the relationship would lead to misconduct or sharing more information than needed.
Multicultural Issues
Racism contributes to June’s situation because she is a black woman. There is a likelihood that she changed her clothing to show she could be like others. An attire communicates specific ideas such as religion, occupation, and exposure (Davis et al., 2018). June indicated she would change her dress code based on her social circle indicating she wanted to fit within a particular culture. Her hobbies should not have changed regardless of the people she interacted with, as she could influence them too. Religion should be viewed as a vital aspect of one’s life because it would create psychological problems for people as they grow and move to different locations.
The case would have involved Muslim friends whose attire is dictated by their religion. June changing her clothing to fit their activities would mean she would be new to their design and turn to be uncomfortable. June may be trying too hard to ensure she would not be marginalized. The effects of such an effort would lead to mental disorders arising from the stress of keeping up. The skin color puts June at a disadvantage because she might assume her different style would make her receive further treatment from her friends. June should uniquely express herself that she enjoys and feels proud rather than trying to keep up with every social circle she experiences.
References
Davis, D. E., DeBlaere, C., Owen, J., Hook, J. N., Rivera, D. P., Choe, E., Van Tongeren, D. R., Worthington, E. L., Jr., & Placeres, V. (2018). The multicultural orientation framework: A narrative review.Psychotherapy, 55(1), 89–100. Web.
Jalali, F. (2018). Comparison of relationship theory from perspective of Freud and Klein in Ian McEwan’s works. Journal of Applied Linguistics and Language Research, 5(5), 153-160.
Jenks, D. B., & Oka, M. (2021). Breaking hearts: Ethically handling transference and countertransference in therapy.The American Journal of Family Therapy, 49(5), 443-460. Web.
Şavk, C. (2022). Investigating the role of family-of-origin risk factors in the prediction of current intimate partner violence: Testing a proposed model based on object relations theory (Doctoral dissertation, The Department of Psychology). Ted University.