Case 1: Humanistic

THE CASE OF JAKE

Jake is an 18-year-old single male who was born in Los Angeles, California, where he
still lives with his mother and his brother. His dad is a sales representative and is off
working during the week. When his father is home during the weekend, he just drinks
and watches ball games on TV. When he gets drunk, he yells at Jake and his mom and
throws everything around the house. He drinks all the time when he’s home, but he
can’t hold his drinking. Distraught, his mom also drinks and often ends up in fights with
her husband when they are both drunk. Several times they had to call in the cops
when things become uncontrollable.
Jake just takes off when they start fighting. He started drinking and smoking when he
was 13, in the eighth grade. He describes this time as a total mess, not that he did any
better in previous years. But when all the kids were talking about high school and the
classes they were going to take, he was just trying to figure out where he was going to
get money for his next pack of cigarettes. Currently, he smokes about one pack a day.
He has a cup of coffee in the morning before school and at night he drinks 3 or 4 beers
and a few shots of vodka. On weekends, he really gets down to partying and
experiments with a variety of drugs. He tries whatever is available - pot, coke,
mescaline, XTC, mushrooms – and sees it as not a big deal. When he’s partying, he
likes to mix
things up like tequila and mushrooms depending on what’s going on and who’s around.
He had experienced blacking out when he’s had too much to drink and said he had
overdosed a few times. Aside from cigarettes and coffee, he says his favorite drug is
speed (stimulants, usually methamphetamines).
When he was eight years old, he was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder and was given Ritalin which, in his opinion, seemed to have helped a little. At
present, he does not take any medication but resorts to partying and his drugs and
alcohol.
He also tends to compare himself with his brother who is a complete math ‘geek’. He
has always gotten good grades and has never been in trouble. He says he’s
responsible, dependable, healthy, and clean. His parents seem to take pride in his
brother and Jake considers himself his “evil twin”.
Apply the assigned theoretical approach to the case conceptualization of Jake.
1. Analyze the information given in the case using the 4Ps model juxtaposed with
the Biopsychosocial model.
2. For the treatment plan, identify goals and objectives of the treatment.
3. Identify the intervention needed to address each treatment goal.
 4P Factor Model
Biological Psychological Social
Predisposing genetic Insecurities Violence from
vulnerabilities, towards family home since
early life member, childhood, lack of
experiences, or childhood trauma family bonding
family history of
substance abuse
or conflict.
Precipitating Continuous drug overdose, Early exposure to
substance anxiety, financial alcohol use, lack
use/dependence, dependent of companionship
recurring disputes and support
with a sibling or system
parents.
Perpetuating underlying health maladaptive environmental
conditions, lack of thoughts or stressors, poor
proper medication behaviors communication to
prior to ADHD towards family family members,
diagnosis, members gap between the
continuous access client and his
to illegal brother
substances
Protective Regularly taking of cognitive social support,
Ritalin/Adderall processing positive coping
XR or other ADHD therapy or eye strategies, or
medicine, self- movement access to
care, prescription desensitization resources that
of other drugs and reprocessing can help the
related to (EMDR). patient and his
substance abuse. family overcome
substance abuse
and conflict

Treatment Plan (Substance Abuse and Family Conflict)

Counseling Response to
goal/issue to be Intervention and
Expected outcome treatment (leave
resolves techniques to be used
this part blank)
Assessment and Get the client's Getting a complete
Evaluation: A comprehensive drug and and reliable
comprehensive
assessment
should be
conducted to
understand the
individual's history
of substance alcohol usage history,
abuse, including including the frequency
any co-occurring and pattern of use,
mental health warning signs,
information regarding
symptoms, and adverse
disorders. The clients background.
effects on other aspects
assessment
of life (such as social,
should also legal, familial, and
include an personal).
evaluation of the
individual's
strengths and
resources.

Building a Achieve and sustain Changes in Clients

Therapeutic complete abstinence attitude towards using
Relationship: A while gaining knowledge alcohol and drugs.
strong therapeutic about
relationship illness and healing
should be procedures. To assist in
sober maintenance, use
established
behavioral and mental
between the
coping mechanisms.
individual and his
therapist Consult with the client's Establishing rapport to
family during sessions of the client and his
family therapy. family.
Parents should promote
constructive dialogue
(with this as the main
goal)
focuses on conflict
resolution, the
normalization of the
emancipation process,
and controlled,
reciprocal, respectful
exchange of views and
 feelings.

Goals should be specific,

measurable, achievable,
relevant, and time bound. The intervention plan
Treatment goals should will be effective and
Setting Treatment focus on the individual's somehow have an
Goals: Treatment personal growth and self- impact to the client’s
goals should be actualization, rather than personal well-being. It
set collaboratively just abstinence from will be the first step on
between the substance use. developing sense of
individual/family responsibility over his
and their Self-actualization: A own self and
therapist. clinician might help the established a positive
picture of his current
patient and their family
state.
develop a sense of
Encouraging purpose and direction in
Open their lives, which can help
Communication: them overcome
The therapist substance abuse and
should encourage conflict within the family
open Inform family members
communication that it typically takes a
among family team effort from all
members members to make
changes to their ways of
communicating and
relating to one another.

Developing Help the client identify his

Coping triggers and develop
Strategies: healthy coping skills to
Coping strategies manage them, such as
should be mindfulness, exercise, or
developed to help creative activities. Talk
about the consequences
the individual
of the client's drug use.
manage their
impact relationships with
substance use family, friends, and
triggers and promote a strategy to
cravings. atone for such harm.

A process genogram
Identifying
Underlying containing all the
Issues: The participants, interaction
therapist should patterns, guidelines, and
help the family secrets is created during
identify any a family session.
underlying issues Encourage each family
that may be member to voice their
contributing to the worries and expectations
conflict, such as for improving the
unresolved functioning of the family
trauma, unit.
unresolved grief,
or unmet needs.

The therapist should help

the client develop a
sense of self-awareness
Providing and self-acceptance,
Supportive which can help them
Therapy. develop resilience and
Supportive cope with life's
challenges.
therapy should be
provided to the Empathy and
individual to help unconditional positive
them explore their regard: the therapist The client will
emotions and might provide a overcome the
experiences. supportive and non- challenges of being an
Fostering judgmental environment addict and understand
that he can change his
Empathy and for the patient and their way of life
Understanding: family to explore their
The therapist feelings and experiences.
should help family Authenticity: The
members develop therapist might
empathy and encourage the client and
understanding for his family to be honest
each other and open about their
thoughts and feelings.
 Individual therapy, group
therapy, or peer support
groups, to help the
individual maintain their
recovery and continue
their personal growth and
Follow-up and self-actualization.
Aftercare: Follow- Attend Alcoholics
up and aftercare Anonymous The client will
are critical (AA) meetings overcome his addiction
components of as frequently as and continue attending
the treatment necessary to AA support meetings.
plan. support sobriety.
Achieve a reasonable
level of family
connectedness and
harmony where
members support, help,
and are concerned for
each other

In practice, a treatment plan for substance abuse and family conflict might incorporate
these models and approaches. For example, a patient might receive therapy to address
underlying psychological factors, medication to address biological factors, and family
therapy to address social factors and develop more vital communication skills. The
treatment plan might also incorporate humanistic elements, such as empathy,
authenticity, and a focus on self-actualization, to help the patient and their family
overcome substance abuse and conflict and achieve lasting recovery and well-being.