Assignment task: Read and response with your thoughts
1. Response #1
During a session with a client who was struggling with anxiety and frustration due to a complicated relationship with a coworker, Dr. Grande (2017) demonstrated excellent skills. He used cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques to help his patient. Dr. Grande assisted his client in changing his thought patterns by challenging and restructuring his negative thoughts. Dr. Grande used a problem-solving technique that identified a problem related to a challenging relationship (coworker) and worked with the client to find practical solutions (Beck, 2020). During the therapy session, Dr. Grande employed the Identifying Automatic Thoughts technique to assist his patient in identifying and dealing with automatic negative thoughts that caused anxiety and frustration in connection with the patient's workplace relationships. The patient revealed that when he received a new project, he would start thinking about completing it all by himself as he believed his coworkers would not carry out their assigned tasks. During the session, Dr. Grande provided a helpful summary of the previous appointment and actively listened to the client's concerns. He consistently reframed the client's statements to ensure complete understanding and provided guidance toward solutions. Additionally, Dr. Grande offered valuable ideas to support the client's progress. To conclude the session, Dr. Grande recapitulated what had been discussed and suggested role-playing exercises for the client's future comfort in communication with coworkers. Overall, I feel that Dr. Grande performed excellently and did not observe any weaknesses. I believe that he did everything possible to assist the client. The only thing I could have done differently is to focus on core beliefs, not just surface-level behavior, to address the challenging relationship with my coworker. However, I understand that one of CBT's main points is concentrating on one situation at a time.
How many sessions do you think Dr. Grande has already been working with the client?
2. Response #2
The first technique I noticed was being used was guided discovery. This was done to get the client to provide evidence that he would not get support from his supervisors. The client also had to give information about why communicating his frustrations with his coworker would not work. It seems like the use of this technique was done well throughout the session because the client was receptive and answered every question that was asked. It also prompted him to provide more information that was valuable to making a plan that would help ease his stress levels at work. Another technique that they were planning to utilize in the next session was roleplaying. The client was given the "homework" task of thinking of different scenarios that could come up when he attempts to communicate within the workplace it is also possible that the client struggles with this same issue with family and friends. This is something I think I would have done differently with my questions. I would have tried to ask questions that helped me determine if he could identify another area in his life where communication is difficult for him. If there were other areas in life where this issue existed, that would make the conversation with the coworker a first step toward the exposure therapy technique. If he can communicate his frustrations and work with his coworkers to create a new system, then he can prove to himself that he can do that with other people in his life. Another thing I would have done differently is to incorporate physical worksheets that would help guide the client through the understanding of the importance of incorporating these new skills in his everyday life.