Direction:

Part 1. Please identify the SOURCES OF ERRORS IN CLINICAL INTERPRETATION on the

case below. After identifying the sources of error, offer a possible alternative statement/s to make
the interpretation acceptable (50 points).

Part 2. Offer an alternative recommendation for the case of M.B. Make a short discussion of your
chosen Psychotherapy and explain how you think it will help the client (50 points).

PSYCHOLOGICAL REPORT

I. IDENTIFYING INFORMATION

NAME: M.B. SEX: Female

AGE: 27 years old SOCIAL STATUS: Married
ADDRESS: NATIONALITY: Filipino
RELIGION: Roman Catholic OCCUPATION:
DATE OF CONSULTATION:

II. REFERRAL QUESTION

M.B. was referred for psychological evaluation.

III. CASE BACKGROUND

M.B., a 27 years old woman is already married and has two children. She presently
resides _____________. She is working as staff in their municipality eight months ago.
In terms of her family background, her mother is business women and her father passed
away five months ago due to cancer. She is the eldest among three siblings. According to her,
she had good relationship with her siblings. On the other hand she perceived her mother as a
strict one and a nagger. As she stated “Hindi mo kami mapagsasama sa bahay ng higit isang
araw dahil magka-clash kami nun.” Moreover, she also added that when she was a young one,
her mother always dictate what to do. In her words, “Gusto nya lagi ko syang sinusunod. Lagi
nya akong kino-control.” Conversely, her father was the opposite of her mother- caring,
approachable and a loving one. She also added that she’s actually a papa’s girl. Thus, when her
father died, she felt that the world loosed its meaning. Thanks to her husband and to her children
in the reason that according to her, they are the one that keeps her to continue life. She also
added that her husband is understanding and supportive, that he is always there not only as a
lover but as a friend.
When she was asked what made her to decide for consultation, she expressed that for five
months and until now, she felt down and always have a feeling of being sad and lonely. She
always was crying in their bathroom without the knowledge of her husband. As she stated
“Tuwing gabi, nalulungkot ako at umiiyak, pumupunta ako sa c.r. para hindi malaman ng asawa
ko. Naaalala ko ang mukha ni papa nung nasa ospital pa sya, ako kasi ang nag-alaga sa kanya
hanggang sa iniuwi na lang namin sya dahil wala na nga daw pag-asa.” She also added that
she was not present on the night that her father died in the reason she was in a seminar.
According to her, she does not expect that he will died soon because the doctor gave him at least
one year to live. She stated while she was crying, “Hindi ko na naabutan ung papa ko, at sabi ni
mama na hinahanap daw ako ni papa. Galit na galit sa akin si mama nung gabing un.”
When asked what her coping strategies are, she said that she makes herself busy; she
always took her overtime at work although she stated that she has still time for her children and
husband. She does not what her husband to worry about her and her condition although her
husband already recognized that she has problem. In terms of relationship with her mother, she
continuously neglect her mother and continuously to be indifferent. She manages to resolve their
conflict by avoidance.

IV. PHYSICAL AND BEHAVIORAL OBSERVATION

M.B. is an attractive woman, with fair complexion and medium built physique. She is
5’4” tall. She dressed with semi-formal outfit, a dress with collar paired with slacks and high
heels.
She arrived composed and on time. When the session begun, she is still holding of her
emotion but when asked about her father, she cried a lot. She stated that she is still longing for
her father and she cannot move on. She said that if only her father informed them earlier about
his condition, there is a possibility for him to live. She also regret the night when her father died
for the reason that she did not get the chance to talk to him in his dying breath and tell how much
she loved him. Moreover, she always remembers how her mother scolded her and shouted at her
because she was not there in the dying moments of her father.
 Although she appeared to be very emotional during the interview, she managed to
respond well on each question and to be cooperative during the whole session. There were no
indications of delusions as well as hallucination.
V. TESTS ADMINISTED
Thematic Apperception Test, Draw-a-person Test, House-Tree-Person Test, and Sach’s
Sentence Completion Test. Tests were administered on September 14, 2017.
VI. TESTING BEHAVIOR
M.B. followed the instruction during the whole assessment and testing period. Although
she was a little bit tired, she still managed to finish the testing.

VII. TESTS RESULT AND INTERPRETATION

Results revealed a woman who possessed extreme feeling of guilt and regret to the death
of her father due to her condition that she was not present on the night that her father died. She
did not get the chance to talk to him in his dying breath and tell how much she loved him. But a
much deeper reason, she was guilty of not being able to finish her college study because she was
married at a young age. She was not able fulfill her promise to her father to finish it while he still
alive.
Moreover her feelings of guilt and depression as manifested in her tests result are not
only rooted to her father’s death but her unresolved issues with her mother. Tests result suggests
negative maternal impression typify by conflict, strictness and condemning relationship. These
were characterized by her aloofness and emotional distance to her mother. It is further showed
through her statement that she cannot stay longer with her mother because of their indifference
and the controlling behavior of the mother. This is also manifested when she could not forget
how her mother scolded her and shouted at her because she was not there in the dying moments
of her father. Clinical interpretation suggests that her extreme feeling of loneliness and guilt
manifest symptoms of depression.

VIII. SUMMARY FORMULATION

M.B. is person who faces her problem alone. She thought of herself as strong woman by
hiding her problem to her husband and by making his husband not to worry. But this makes her
more vulnerable. Her failed promises to graduate on time or at least make her father see her
marching on graduation made her guilt more intense aside from not being with him in his dying
period. The sudden death of her father is not the only reason why she felt down and always has a
feeling of being sad and lonely, but also her failed relationship with her mother characterized by
her aloofness and emotional distance to her. Thus, she experiences emotional distress.

IX. SUMMARY IMPRESSION

Bereavement with Depressed mood/ Adjustment Disorder. M.B. experiences are marked
by extreme loneliness and guilt which affect her daily functioning and relationships with
significant others. These can attributed to her father’s death and her unresolved conflict to her
mother characterized by her indifference, aloofness and emotional detachment towards her
mother.

X. RECOMMENDATION
M.B. is on the process of bereavement, so it is normal for her to experience depression.
But her relationship with her mother makes it worst. And her extreme guilt (like if only her
father informed them earlier about his condition, there is a possibility for him to live or if she
was there on his dying breath) adds to her loneliness and emotional upsets.
 She could undergo Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, in which it will help her challenge and
alter her negative thoughts of blaming herself on what happened in the past especially
like her failed promises to his father to see her march on graduation or not being present
on the dying state of her father. Through this, she will realize that it is not her fault.
 She could also undergone family therapy with her mother to resolve their conflicts and
indifference with each other.

_____________________________
Psych Assessment Reporter