Introduction
Working as a counselor with adolescents, I take the treatment of self-harm behaviors very seriously. Brooke, a 16-year-old female, was referred to me for treatment to reduce cutting behavior. Brooke revealed that she self-harms when nervous, stressed, down, angry, or guilty. To gather data to determine baseline behavior, I would comprehensively assess Brooke’s history, current situation, and personal experiences based on written documents.
Discussion
This analysis involves gathering information on Brooke’s family dynamics, social environment, academic performance, peer relationships, and overall mental health. I could also ask Brooke to complete self-report measures to assess her current level of depression, anxiety, and stress. Moreover, Brooke must maintain a log of her cutting behavior, documenting each instance’s frequency, intensity, and triggers. This information will help me establish a baseline for Brooke’s cutting behavior and develop an appropriate treatment plan.
Depending on the assessment outcomes, various methods, and strategies could be recommended for Brooke. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can aid Brooke in recognizing and confronting negative thoughts and beliefs contributing to her self-harming behavior (Kazantzis et al., 2018). Brooke’s ability to handle her emotions and cope with distress can be improved with Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) (Kothgassner et al., 2021). Mindfulness-based interventions can assist Brooke in developing a greater level of self-awareness and self-compassion, which can help to decrease the urge to engage in injurious behavior. To assess the effectiveness of the intervention, I will administer the assessment measures again and ask the patient to track her emotional state in written form. I will analyze the patient’s notes about her progress in reducing destructive behavior and determine whether the frequency and intensity of her self-harming behavior have decreased.
Conclusion
If I were to publish a study on Brooke’s treatment, I would need to protect her privacy and keep her personal information confidential. This would necessitate obtaining informed consent from Brooke and her parents or guardians before conducting any assessments or interventions. Moreover, it would be essential to seek permission from Brooke and her parents or guardians to use her data for research purposes, and utmost care would be taken to avoid disclosing her identity in any published materials. Then, I would insist on detailed instructions for the patient to ensure she understands the actions she should take. The third step related to the study is collecting theoretical data from academic sources to support the hypothesis made while monitoring the progress.
References
Kazantzis, N., Luong, H. K., Usatoff, A. S., Impala, T., Yew, R. Y., & Hofmann, S. G. (2018). The processes of cognitive behavioral therapy: A review of meta-analyses. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 42(4), 349–357. Web.
Kothgassner, O. D., Goreis, A., Robinson, K., Huscsava, M. M., Schmahl, C., & Plener, P. L. (2021). Efficacy of dialectical behavior therapy for adolescent self-harm and suicidal ideation: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychological Medicine, 51(7), 1057–1067. Web.