Case Summary
The case study presents a 24-year-old woman, Karen, who reports being depressed since she was 17, with intensifying symptoms within the last three months. This paper examines counseling techniques that can be applied, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Existential Therapy, and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. It is also evident that more communication is required with the client to identify potential causes of current symptoms, and other specialists should be involved.
Causes
There are a variety of possible causes that generate sadness and depression. In Karen’s case, she reports having similar emotions since the age of 17. Circumstances that may have contributed to current challenges are family problems, issues with interpersonal relationships, trauma, and other circumstances that are linked to depression in young adults (Gawrych et al., 2022). Hence, it is possible that in counseling, the client may reveal certain events or occurrences that occurred around that age, which may have impacted her.
Treatment Recommendations
Karen can benefit from a hybrid approach in counseling. For example, through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, the client will be able to identify negative emotions and generate a healthier behavioral response to feelings that may have previously negatively affected her (Nakao et al., 2021). Regarding the client’s thoughts about the point and meaning of life, counseling can utilize Existential Therapy. This will allow the individual to explore her existence and state of being (Terao & Satoh, 2022). To alleviate stress, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction can be applied with the goal of accepting the reality of present experiences and improving awareness (Querstret et al., 2020). As a result, Karen will have healthy stress-coping mechanisms to apply in her day-to-day life.
I would recommend that Karen consult a professional, as she engages in dangerous behavior, such as driving far beyond the speed limit. Additionally, she does not face concerns for her safety and inquires about her own well-being. Karen may benefit from working with a licensed therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist. She currently engages in attentional strategies to steer away from depressive symptoms and focus on the emotions correlating with dangerous driving (Gross et al., 2019). This directly puts her life in danger and is to be addressed through specialized care.
Based on the observation, Karen’s current state can be stabilized through counseling approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral and Existential Therapies, as well as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. The underlying cause of depression or sadness is challenging to identify. Yet, since it began when the client was 17, it is essential to examine the events or traumatic experiences that occurred during that time.
References
Gawrych, M., Cichoń, E., & Kiejna, A. (2022). Depression among young adults – risks and protective factors in the COVID-19 pandemic. Postępy Psychiatrii i Neurologii, 31(2), 52–61.
Gross, J. J., Uusberg, H., & Uusberg, A. (2019). Mental illness and well‐being: An affect regulation perspective. World Psychiatry, 18(2), 130–139.
Nakao, M., Shirotsuki, K., & Sugaya, N. (2021). Cognitive–behavioral therapy for management of mental health and stress-related disorders: Recent advances in techniques and technologies. BioPsychoSocial Medicine, 15(1).
Querstret, D., Morison, L., Dickinson, S., Cropley, M., & John, M. (2020). Mindfulness-based stress reduction and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for Psychological Health and well-being in nonclinical samples: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Stress Management, 27(4), 394–411.
Terao, T., & Satoh, M. (2022). The present state of existential interventions within palliative care. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12.