Introduction
The major problem of the given case study is that Brittany, who may come to my office in the Family Support Center, will have to deal not only with the consequences of her husband’s traumatic brain injury but also with her psychological problems, mostly connected with the relationships with her parents. Since the brain injury that Brandon received was classified as mild, its effects are unlikely to be profound. He will not be left in a prolonged unresponsive state and will not demonstrate any non-typical behavior. Neither will he need any long-term rehabilitation therapy to return to his normal state. Yet, the consequences of his being at war can still be dramatic for Brittany as their family relationships can be deeply affected by her fear of the change.
Test Question
Thus, the major counseling goal is to convince her that, even though her husband is likely to return rather different from what she remembers of him, it is not connected with any clinical distortions of his brain. The counselor must make her understand that Brandon needs psychological support on her behalf. Moreover, since the woman has childhood issues that make her think that alcohol-addiction is one of the expected outcomes for her husband (since her father drank a lot having returned from the war), it is also necessary to explain to her that this assumed outcome is grounded but preventable.
Thus, in this case, it seems that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy will be the most suitable for helping Brittany deal with her current state of mind. The approach has been selected because its major underlying idea is that our deep thoughts cause our feelings and emotions. This implies that external events do not play such an important role as they are typically supposed to (Dobson & Dobson, 2016). In the case with Brittany, it does not matter to her, how severe the injury of her husband is–she is still afraid of the fact that the situation from her childhood may repeat in her own family. She does not need logical arguments to persuade her out of this idea. What she needs is some assistance to change the way she views the situation.
As far as the actual utilization of the approach is concerned, I would start with identifying negative thoughts and emotions of the patient. I would try to identify the key fears of the woman and their origin. Secondly, I will analyze which of her fears are grounded (in her current relationships with her husband) and which appeared owing to her negative childhood experiences. After that, I will try to teach Brittany to manage her panic and separate what she knows about the condition from what she feels about it. When she learns to cope with her current state, the next step will be to teach her to overcome difficulties that may arise when her husband returns home. Even if his trauma does not affect his physical capabilities, it is quite probable that the nature of their relationships will change since his participation in battles could have made him aloof and restrained in emotional expression. It is highly important to explain to Brittany that this reaction is not connected with the fact that he is disappointed in their marriage. She may think so since for a long time she lacked parental love and career satisfaction. Placing too much emphasis on the marriage may make her hypersensitive.
As for the interview questions that I will ask, the major two will be:
- Do you still have any grudges against your parents? If yes, what are they?
- What makes your husband so different you from all the other people you met before?
Reference
Dobson, D., & Dobson, K. S. (2016). Evidence-based practice of cognitive-behavioral therapy. New York, NY: Guilford Publications.