This is the final written assignment in this course. Throughout the course, you should work to infuse information about your couple and identified patient (Jasmine) in each section. This template is

UNIT ASSIGNMENT # 5: SUMMERY OF DEBRIEFING

I met with Dilan and Jasmine to administer the formal assessment. The assessment that I chose to administer was the Gottman 19 Area Checklist for Solvable and Perpetual Problems along with the Cross Cutting System Checklist: Level 2-Anger-Adult & Level 2-Anxiety-Adult because during the initial assessment problems and or needs identified were needing friendship, conflict management, mental health and shared meaning. I chose option number #1 simply because I had already set up scheduled appointments to meet with both Dilan and Jasmine. The purpose is to get Dilan and Jasmine to learn skills to replace negative conflict patterns with positive interactions and to repair past hurts, which will allow for increase closeness and intimacy that can be utilized to improve friendships, deepen emotional connection, develop coping skills for dealing with individualized problems and create changes which will enhance their shared goals.

Assessment Research

When thinking about conflict in a relationship, it is important to ascertain whether a problem is solvable or perpetual. Our research has shown that 69% of relationship conflict is about perpetual problems. All couples have them — these problems are grounded in the fundamental differences that any two people face. They are either fundamental differences in your personalities that repeatedly create conflict, or fundamental differences in your lifestyle needs. In our research, we concluded that instead of solving their perpetual problems, what seems to be important is whether or not a couple can establish a dialogue about them. If they cannot establish such a dialogue, the conflict becomes gridlocked, and gridlocked conflict eventually leads to emotional disengagement (Fulwiler, 2012).

The Level 1 DSM-5 assessments cover multiple diagnostic domains. There are three versions of the Level 1 assessments including an adult version, a child and adolescent version, and a parent rating of a child or adolescent. The parental rating form is designed for children aged 6-17, while the child and adolescent self-report measure is intended for children and adolescents between 11 and 17. The adult version is for ages 18+. Many measures deemed ''well-established'' in the general population to assess families are proving to be reliable and useful in pediatric samples. However, more evidence of the validity of family measures is needed in pediatric populations. After engaging a client in an initial broad assessment, such as the DSM-5 Level 1 Crosscutting Symptom Measure, a counselor may choose to use more specific follow up assessments. The DSM-5 contains many Level 2 assessments that are specific to DSM-5 diagnoses. Similar to the Level 1 assessments, these are available in an adult version for ages 18+, a child and adolescent version for ages 11 to 17, and a parent rating version for ages 6 to 17 (DSM-5 Assessments, n.d.).

Experience with Assessment

Dilan was given the 19 areas checklist for solvable and perpetual problems questionnaire about 4:30 pm and completed about 5:00 pm. So it took roughly about 30 minutes to complete the assessment. Dilan reports that his experience was eye-opening and shocking. Dilan stated that he had anxieties completing the assessment fearing that Jasmine would take some of his responses the wrong way and blow-up in the session. Dilan stated that he felt like at times on certain questions just lying about them for fear of an argument with Jasmine.

Dilan reports that there were a few things on the assessment that resonated with him and one being question #1 talking about their emotional stability. Question: Feeling taken for granted? He answered “is a problem”. Dilan reports that he often times feels that he has to walk on eggshells around Jasmine and hold back on speaking out about certain topics of conversations they may be having because if Jasmine does not agree with his response she will get mad and go into what he described as a fit of rage and after she has calmed down than she comes back and apologizes but with justification for her actions and expects him to accept her rational reasoning.

Another question on the assessment that resonated with him was question # 6: An important event (change in job status and residence). Dilan reports that he answered “not dealing with well” he goes on to say that these events have led to verbal confrontation and has made both very irritable. Dilan reports that he just recently started working and he and Jasmine just rented a two-bedroom house. Dilan reports that Jasmine and he were living with her aunt and set to move into their new home on October 01, 2020. Unfortunately, two nights before the move he reports there was a big fight over something small and Jasmine wanted to end the relationship and kick me off the lease. Thankfully after she calmed down and repeated attempts of him begging her not to break up the family she decided on the day of move-in that they would stay together and work things out and therefore they moved into their new home.

Jasmine’s Experience

Jasmine was also given the 19 areas checklist for solvable and perpetual problems questionnaire same time as Dilan and it took roughly about 45 minutes to complete the assessment. However, I decided to add two additional short assessment questionnaires with Jasmine to target her self-reported anger and anxiety issues during the initial assessment. The two additional questionnaires were as follows: Cross Cutting System Checklist: Level 2-Anger-Adult & Level 2-Anxiety-Adult. Jasmine reports that her experience was quite different from Dilan’s experience and she stated that after completing these assessment tools provided she has come to the realization that she may need further help coping and dealing with her anxiety and anger issues. Jasmine stated “I did not realize that I was this angry, and I don’t even know why, but I know its ruining my relationship with Dilan” Jasmine was in tears and apologetic to Dilan during this session.

The results of Jasmines anxiety assessment were the raw score was 27 and her T-scores were 68.9, which put her at moderate level of anxiety. Jasmine’s anger assessment raw score was 19 and her T-score was 67.2, which put her at a moderate level of anger. When I discussed these results with her she stated “Oh I thought it would’ve been higher” I than explained to Jasmine that sometimes we may think our problem is more severe and may begin to use an excuse to not address sighting “this is just who I am” (being careful not to attack her character or blame) but trying to get her see that we can sometimes exaggerate our problems in order to avoid dealing with them head on. She responded by saying “I did not realize it and I want to fix it”.

Both indicated that they were dedicated and willingly to working on their individual problems while trying to fix the discord in their relationship. Both stated that they knew they had relationship problems, but had not linked those problems to their own individual problems and how it has impacted their ability to get along. They were excited and optimistic about their future together at the end of session.

Reference:

DSM-5 Assessments (n.d.). Counseling Education. Retrieved from

https://counseling.education/counseling/assessing/dsm5.html

Gottman Assessments (n.d.). Therapy for Individuals, Couple & Families. Retrieved from

https://www.narrativehope.com/GottmanAssessment.en.html

Fulwiler, M. (2012, July). Managing Conflict: Solvable vs. Perpetual Problems. The Gottman Institute.

Retrieved from https://www.gottman.com/blog/managing-conflict-solvable-vs-perpetual-

problems/

Online Assessment Measures (n.d.). American Psychiatric Association (APA). Retrieved from

https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/dsm/educational-resources/assessment-measures