Question

When a client’s remaining problems are better treated by a support group, being a therapist
how are you going to terminate a session.
and Formulate an intervention plan for the client along with rationale of each technique applied.
Case 1:
The client is a 43-yearold female. She is the eldest of 5 children and was raised in a large urban city.
She is a college graduate, has taught Math and Science in a high school for the past 4 years, and tends
to pour all of her energy in her students, which often causes a strained relationship with her own
children. She is divorced from her husband of 5 years; the divorce was very much opposed by her
parents and family. She has complaints of insomnia, not eating properly, frequent unexplained crying
spells, depression and lack of concentration. She has sought help from some Maulvi sahib, co-workers
and her mother. Other important information includes the fact that she took care of her brothers and
sisters growing up because of her parent’s busy schedules. She also describes a dream that she has
had on several occasions:
“I am always running and there are shadowy figures behind me. I am in a large warehouse.
There are boxes marked with arrows reading “Exit”. The arrows are all going in different
directions, therefore I never find my way out and the figures keep getting closer. I wake up in a
cold sweat, breathing rapidly, heart pounding and a scream stuck in my throat”.

Answer 1

It seems like the patient is trying to run away from her responsibilities in her dreams. She has been raising her siblings when she was a child and now being a single mother she is raising her kids as well. It seems like she is tired and want to get away from all the things that is why the depression and insomnia she is experiencing.

The complaints of insomnia, not eating properly, frequent unexplained crying spells, depression and lack of concentration, point towards Major Depressive Disorder.

Terminating a Session-

1. Understand The Process.
2. Bring It Up Early.
3. Pick A Final Session Date.
4. Ask Questions If You Have Them.
5. Knowing If the therapist and the client are Ready or not.

6. Termination Is Not The End- Although the word suggests an ending, termination really is the start of a new beginning for you. You are once again on your own in the world without the comfortable and safe weekly check-in with your therapist. And while that initially may be a little scary or sad, it marks another stage or transition in your life that you can embrace if you choose.

In a support group, members provide each other with various types of help, usually nonprofessional and nonmaterial, for a particular shared, usually burdensome, characteristic. Members with the same issues can come together for sharing coping strategies, to feel more empowered and for a sense of community. The help may take the form of providing and evaluating relevant information, relating personal experiences, listening to and accepting others' experiences, providing sympathetic understanding and establishing social networks. A support group may also work to inform the public or engage in advocacy.