San Pedro College

De Guzman St., Davao City

COUNSELING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY II

PhD GC 608

Requirement Paper: Counseling Case Initial Plan

Submitted to:

FLORDELIZA C. POSADAS, Phd, RGC, RPsy

Professor

Submitted by:

DESIREE O. LABIO, LPT,RGC

Student

January 2021
 COUNSELING CASE EVALUATION

BASIC CLIENT INFORMATION:

 The counselee is a 17-year old female, single and a resident of the Philippines. The counselee is
a Grade 12 high student.
 The counselee submitted herself for a voluntary counseling.

PRESENTING Problem:

The counselee recently went to school to get her modules. She went to see the guidance
counselor for some life chit-chats. Further, the counselee talks about the difficulties of the new
mode of learning. But the issue of excessive use of online gaming came up that affected her late
submissions of the school tasks.

The counselee decided to get counseling help and has agreed to film the counseling process.

TREATMENT HISTORY:

A. COUNSELING HISTORY ISSUES

 The counselee has a previous counseling sessions. Issues of family concerns, gender and
sexuality concerns and academic concerns.
 The counselee has no reported substance and alcoholic abuse.
 The counselee has tried to limit the use of her smartphone but it was ineffective due to the
COVID19 pandemic that leads to more time at home playing.

B. COUNSELING SESSIONS/SCHEDULES AND COUNSELING GOALS

 The counselee has been a committed client ever since. But due to COVID 19, the counselee has
limited social movement that hampers her from going to the counselor’s office.
 Previous counseling sessions was short-term counseling sessions depending on the counseling
issues being resolved at that time.
 With this new counseling issue, EXCESSIVE USE OF ONLINE GAME that affects her school works
submissions, the counseling goal is moderate the use of gadget and technology, limit the online
game time and to address the underlying issues of this excessive use.
 Intake interview has been conducted to facilitate the counseling work plan.

C. OTHER CONTEXTUAL ISSUES:

 She grew up in an environment where domestic violence is severely and consistently occurring.
Her father and mother used to have physical violence with each other.
 Her mother is a drug addict before and after the end of the marriage.
 She was 13 years old when her parents separated. She was cooped by the paternal grandmother
since then until she was 17 years old.
 Currently she is living with her father. Her father has his own new family. Nonetheless, the
counselee’s stepmother is quite okay with it.
 The counselee’s mother has new partner in life, both are drug addicts.
 The counselee earns her keep by online selling, making rags and hammocks and working side-
line at the automobile service in her neighbourhood.
 The counselee is into a same-sex relationship for almost 3 years now.

D. CASE CONCEPTUALIZATION:
Although gaming addiction is not yet officially recognized as a diagnosable disorder by
the American Medical Association, there is increasing evidence that people of all ages, especially
teens and pre-teens, are facing very real, sometimes severe consequences associated with
compulsive use of video and computer games. Nevertheless, compulsive Internet use is a
serious problem thus it is recognized as a mental health concern.
Internet Addiction is a “Process Addiction” – disorder of behaviour. Therefore Cognitive
Behavioral Therapy and Choice Theory of Reality Therapy will be used with its complementary
counseling techniques for excessive use of Internet and online games.
These therapy models uses a brief structured approach with active collaboration
between the counselor and the counselee because emotions, physiological reactions, thoughts
and actions significantly interfere the way the counselee evaluates her own experiences.
The CBT-Internet Addiction usually takes 3 months of treatment or approximately 12
weekly sessions.

4 TRIGGERING FACTORS:

1. APPLICATIONS
The counselee has downloaded the Mobile Legend (ML) game app that consumes her
most of her time.
2. EMOTIONS
The counselee has reported feeling of boredom that leads to playing ML. The counselee
also seems to love the euphoria of a winning game.
3. COGNITION
The counselee seems to view online gaming as a platform of socializing with others. She
seems to view it as an extension of her offline character or the character she wanted to
be on real life.
4. LIFE EVENTS
The counselee seems to play excessively to avoid unpleasant daily family repercussions.
The counselee also plays ML as a bonding time with her girlfriend and peers.
3 PHASES OF THE COUNSELING TREATMENT PLAN:

FIRST PHASE: Behavior Modification

 In the beginning of implementation of this phase, the counselor will assess the client’s present
use of the Internet.
 Examination of the counselee’ computer and non-computer activities using the Daily Internet
Activity Diary or Daily Internet Log Sheets as a means of evaluation of the counselee’s behavior
and develop a plan for treatment. This diary will include date and time of playing the ML,
situations that leads her to play ML, duration or how long has she been playing ML , feelings that
trigger excessive playing of ML and outcome of the online game.
 Assist the counselee to do favourable non-computer activities. This may involve the answering
of the modules and other school-related tasks. This may also involve socializing with classmates
face to face to encourage non-computer socialization and peer learning as well.
 Time Management goals will be utilized by using external stoppers, setting goals, abstinence,
reminder cards and support groups.

SECOND PHASE: Cognitive Restructuring

 In the phase cognitive restructuring will be applied to identify, challenge and adjust cognitive
disruptions and negative beliefs that causes compulsive playing of ML.
 In application of this phase of treatment, many methods are used including assessment of the
type of disturbance, problem solving methods, coping techniques, modelling, support group,
and self-thought monitoring.
 The counseling process will classify the maladaptive cognitions that are employed as triggers for
excessive playing of ML.
 Online game addicts have a cognitive bias that they are treated with respect in their virtual
world, but they feel unhappiness and lack of satisfaction with real lives. These thoughts
encourage them to engage in the online.
 Cognitive restructuring is used to breach this pattern of behavior. In this stage, the counselor
puts the counselee’s thoughts “under the microscope,” and the counselee will be challenged to
rewrite the negative thinking related to her.
 Cognitive restructuring will help the counselee re-evaluate the rationality and validity of these
interpretations.

THIRD PHASE: Harm Reduction Therapy

 The third phase is harm reduction therapy (HRT), this will be used for continuation of recovery
and prevention of relapse. The HRT will be used to recognize and cure problems related to
Internet addiction and treat social problems in relationships with families, peers, and friends.
 During this stage, the counselor will identify and address the factors related to development of
excessive playing of ML including personal, situational, social, psychological, or other issues.
  The HRT is considered as an important method for the counselee to indicate the main issues
leading to the excessive playing of ML. It is necessary to explain to the counselee that the
excessive playing of ML is just a manifestation of some deeper counseling issues. That the
counselee may be doing this as an urgent and acceptable means of temporarily avoiding of
psychological or situational problems.

Choice Theory of the Reality Therapy will be used to address the surfacing counseling issues of the
counselee that leads to the excessive online gaming. Reality therapy is intended to let the counselee
identify her unmet needs and guide her through making plans and setting goals to fulfil these unmet
needs. It aims to anchor the counselee in the reality of their world and help her navigate that world
through making responsible decisions that bring her closer to their goals.

CLIENT STRENGTHS AND RESOURCES:

 The counselee seems to be resilient despite her living conditions.

 The counselee seems to be an optimistic person. She exhibits a jolly nature.
 However, the counselee cannot make use of the family support therapy because of the
dysfunctional in the family systems.

THERAPEUTIC ALLIANCE/OUTCOME PROGRESS:

 The counselee came for a voluntary counseling and it as appositive sign that the counselee
wants to be helped.
 Since the counselee is a frequent guidance office goer, she has confidence on the counseling
service of the school.
 The counseling process is on the early stage, we are yet working on the initial phase. We are on
our 3rd session as of this writing (1st:January 4,2nd: January 6, 3rd January 20, 2021)
 She has been presenting and working on her counseling home works.
 There was a slow progress but it is a good start.
 Along the counseling process, other issues surfaces. This will be included on the 3 rd phase plan
to avoid relapse.