Name: Victoria Smith
Age: 29
Sex: Female
Behavior during the Interview and Physical Description
Victoria is a 29-year-old Caucasian female who was interviewed for an hour on 24 February 2014. Victoria is an attractive woman with long dark hair. She was neatly dressed, and her manners are pleasant. Victoria demonstrated an active interest in conversation while providing a lot of details and accentuating the important moments.
Presenting Problems
Nature of Problems: Victoria suffers from obsessive thoughts which prevent her from falling asleep; the woman also wakes up each night at approximately 03.00 a.m., and she cannot sleep anymore. The problems are observed for three months.
Historical Setting Events: Victoria is the eldest child in a large family with 5 children. Victoria always demonstrated excellent academic results, and she received a Master’s Degree in Business Communications. The woman works in a multinational corporation, and she performs as the leader in several projects. Victoria lives with her boyfriend in his apartments and plans to purchase her apartments. Victoria is engaged, and the couple plans to be married in five months. The first obsessive thoughts and problems with sleep became observed after Victoria’s moving to the boyfriend’s department.
Current Situational Determinants: Victoria rejects going to sleep on time and spends much time watching TV or reading. She is inclined to go to bed when her boyfriend is sleeping.
Relevant Organismic Variables: Victoria is inclined to always control the situation and her behavior. She also needs a lot of individual space to perform any activities perfectly or to feel safe.
Dimensions of Problem: Victoria states that she suffers from obsessive thoughts and sudden awakenings each night, and the impossibility to have enough sleep makes her anxious and frustrated.
Consequences of Problem: Victoria feels that her career and personal life can be influenced by the problem negatively because at work, she cannot concentrate on her daily duties, and at home, Victoria has no energy to concentrate on her relations and daily routines. Furthermore, Victoria tries to avoid communication with her boyfriend.
Other Problems
The other problems are not observed.
Personal Assets
Victoria has a lot of power to control her thoughts and life, as it can be seen from her experience. Thus, Victoria orients to finding the answers to her problem, and she is expected to overcome the discussed behavior’s effects.
Target(s) for Modification
Targets for modification include Victoria’s obsessive thoughts, sudden awakenings, and problems with sleeping.
Recommended Treatment: It is important to combine the methods of existential therapy with relaxation therapy (Barlow, 2007, p. 23; Coon & Mitterer, 2010, p. 515).
Motivation for Treatment: Very high.
Prognosis: Very good.
Expectancies: Victoria is expected to become less focused on the desire to control every aspect of her life and to become more open in her relations.
Other Comments
The treatment can be effective to overcome Victoria’s problems which are associated with free will and choice (Sahler & Carr, 2007, p. 53; Weiten, 2012, p. 11). She would understand that she cannot control everything, her fears are groundless, and her boyfriend is her friend, but not an enemy. Victoria needs to become more relaxed and less focused on the idea of the marriage which seems to be frightening for her.
References
Barlow, D. H. (2007). Clinical handbook of psychological disorders: A step-by-step treatment manual. USA: The Guilford Press.
Coon, D., & Mitterer, J. (2010). Psychology: A journey. USA: Cengage Learning.
Sahler, O, J. & Carr, J. E. (2007). The behavioral sciences and health care. USA: Hogrefe & Huber Pub.
Weiten, W. (2012). Psychology: themes and variations. USA: Cengage Learning.