Psychotherapeutic Approaches to Group Therapy for Addiction When selecting a psychotherapeutic approach for a client, you must consider the unique needs and characteristics of that particular client.

Running head: LEVY’S CASE 0

Addictive disorders

Addictive disorder

Addictive disorders are very common with veterans. The disorders can negatively affect the patient both psychologically and emotionally thus making it difficult for them to concentrate on daily life activities. In the case presented, Mr. levy appears to be addicted to alcohol to cover his pain. The PMHNP should be able to assess and come up with a diagnosis and treatment plan that help alleviate symptoms.

Episode one

Mr. Levi perceives his problem as being just sick. He turns out to be confrontational and aggressive when his wife enquires about his behavior. Mr. Levi blames his alcohol problem on things that happened to him in Iraq when he was in the military. Must people suffering from PTSD have alcohol issues and this can lead to relationship and economic hardship (Bisson & Robert 2015).

Episode two

Mr. Levy’s social worker argues that some physical exercises, one of them being yoga and meditation can work significantly in relieving stress. The supervisor suggests that this should not be at the forefront of the treatment plan. Creating a rapport with the client before any treatment is vital (MacKillop, Kenna, Leggio, & Ray, 2017). The supervisor seeks to know evidence for the use of Yoga which I support because it can be useful too but not at initial visit. Client with PTSD and alcohol will benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy initially according to research (Bisson & Robert 2015). This will help the client gain more control of his thoughts and not be so afraid like Mr. Levi in this case.

Episode three

In my opinion, the therapist’s supportive listening is therapeutic and gives the client more opportunities to open up about his traumatic experience. Teaching and walking the client through deep breathing and exposure therapy proved to be effective in helping this client overcome the fears of his own thoughts. The therapist’s compassionate and calm approach allowed the client to learn appropriate breathing techniques to relive anxiety. ("Levy family - Assessing Clients with Addictive Disorders," 2017). Breathing deep removes carbon dioxide from the blood and allows more oxygen to the brain (Bisson & Robert, 2015). The use of exposure therapy by Mr. Levi’s therapist was appropriate. Prolonged exposure (PE) can dramatically reduce symptoms of PTSD. With some patients the result could be rapid but with others it could be slow (Brown et al., 2019). Mr. Levi was seen already getting more comfortable narrating his experience with no distress meaning PE is working for him and I will recommend continuing use.

Episode four

Client has been open to treatment and able to express the loss of his sergeant and effect of the trauma of having sleepless nights and flashbacks. I will empathize and acknowledge his pain while encouraging continuous practice of deep breathing whenever he feels scared. I am also going to recommend pharmacological treatment for sleep and anxiety short term in collaboration with CBT, (Acosta, 2019). I will also provide necessary education for prescribed medications and their side effect so the client can know what to expect.

Episode five

If I was the supervisor to this therapist, I will think that her anxiety was substantial although there can be a chance of counter-transference on the part of the therapist( Hayes et al. 2011), self-knowledge, combination, uneasiness , sympathy, and conceptualizing capacity are characteristics of an acceptable therapist.

Conclusion

The first client encounter set the tone for what is going happen in the future. Creating a rapport with the patient on first meeting helps the patient feel comfortable and willing to share information leading to treatment compliance.

References

Acosta, R. S. (2019). Common Sense Psycotherapy: In a World Lacking Common Sense.

Bisson, J. I., Cosgrove, S., Lewis, C., & Roberts, N. P. (2015). Post-traumatic stress disorder. BioMedical Journal, 2(1), 351-360.

Brown, L. A., Clapp, J. D., Kemp, J. J., Yarvis, J. S., Dondanville, K. A., Litz, B. T., Mintz, J., Roache, J. D., Young-McCaughan, S., Peterson, A. L., & Foa, E. B. (2019). The pattern of symptom changes during prolonged exposure therapy and present-centered therapy for PTSD in active duty military personnel. Psychological Medicine, 49(12), 1980–1989. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1017/S0033291718002714

Hayes, J. A., Gelso, C. J., & Hummel, A. M. (2011). Managing

Levy family - Assessing Clients with Addictive Disorders. (2017, October 3). Retrieved from https://onlinenursingpapers.com/levy-family-assessing-clients-addictive-disorders/

MacKillop, J., Kenna, G. A., Leggio, L., & Ray, L. A. (2017). Integrating Psychological and Pharmacological Treatments for Addictive Disorders: An Evidence-Based Guide. Taylor & Francis.