The presented case describes a woman named Angelina, a middle-aged woman living with her family. She has constantly been anxious and has had nightmares for the past six months after she had an abortion. This client’s case suggests that she has a generalized anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In the case of Angelina, two assessment tools can be applied: the cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and the solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) models. The SFBT model helps individuals focus on possible solutions rather than issues, which allows individuals to escape negative thinking patterns (Juby et al., 2022). CBT assessment model is useful because it allows the therapist to ask open-ended questions (“Cognitive behavioral therapy,” 2019). Overall, SFBT and CBT can improve her anxiety and PTSD symptoms as well as should ensure that the client perceives her current unfavorable life circumstances differently.
CBT can help Angelina retell her story to a counselor, while SFBT should assist in ensuring the client that something good will happen so that she stops constantly worrying. For example, the therapist can ask Angelina to describe what happened and how she feels about those events. Furthermore, during the SFBT sessions, the counselor may ask how the client would feel and what she would do differently if all her problems suddenly disappeared. It is essential to make sure that Angelina stops feeling guilty and starts engaging in exciting activities. This approach helps the patient to understand that their problems primarily stem from their thoughts and perceptions, which can be changed if one assumes that any issue has a potential solution. Finally, Angelina should realize that she is not responsible for everything her family thinks or feels about her decisions if it does not affect them directly.
References
Cognitive behavioral therapy. (2019). Psychology Tools. Web.
Juby, B., Moore, M., & Casabianca, S. S. (2022). What is solution-focused brief therapy? PsychCentral. Web.