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Respond to 2 students who answered a different question than your original post. Briefly explain why you agree or disagree with their views.

1. If you were counseling Helen from the Gestalt framework, what additional technique(s) could you employ in the session? What would you hope to accomplish?

AG 100 words

I chose to answer question number 2, what was the goal of chair dialog in the case of Helen and how effective do you believe this technique was. I found this therapy session to be very interesting. I thought that the chair dialog experiment was effective in helping Helen see how people from her past and present (her parents) effect the way that she makes decisions now. I think that this session is the perfect example of Gestalt Therapy. Yontef states that “Gestalt therapy focuses more on process (what is happening) than content (what is being discussed). The emphasis is on what is being done, thought and felt at the moment rather than on what was, might be, could be, or should be.” On some occasions the therapist pointed out some physiological changes in Helen when talking about certain topics and people. One change she noticed was the change in tone and attitude when talking about her dad versus her mom. I thought that this was important because it gives insight on the effects of her relationship with her parents now.

   I think that this session was effective in showing Helen the effects of her relationship with her mom in the present. I think that this was effective in helping Helen understand that the dialog that her mother has given to her over the years about her responsibilities to her family and others is what stops her from perusing the goals that she desires in her life. I also think that it was effective in showing how Helen sees her father and the effects that those visions have on her decision making. She seems to think that her father had it “easy” and didn’t have make any hard decisions as she was a child. There seems to be a bit of resentment from Helen towards her dad so she thinks that her mom’s advice is what’s best although she knows this is not what she wants. I also though that it was important that the therapist explained that during this dialog she (Helen) is only dealing with her internalizations of her parents, and not her actual parents. Helen seems to be relieved after hearing this and is more willing to move forward.  The revealing of these things seems to help Helen understand why she feels discontented and not able to live her life the way she wants.

References

Pearson Learning Solutions (Producer). (n.d.). Gestalt session. [Presentation]. Retrieved from http://media.pearsoncmg.com/pcp/21270572125/index.html?wf=1&item=2

Yontef, Gary. (n.d). Gestalt Therapy: An introduction.  Retrieved from: http://www.gestalt.org/yontef.htm

LM 100 words

 The goal for the therapist working with Helen is to bring awareness to the internalized thoughts she has toward her parents.  The therapist points out that Helen’s internal thoughts were learned at a very young age (Pearson, n.d.).  The therapist explained that as Helen’s personality developed her internal thoughts became a part of who she is and how she forms her thoughts (Pearson, n.d.).  Part of the goal for the therapist is to help Helen become aware of her internalized thoughts and how they have interfered in her life’s decisions. 

During the session, the therapist attended closely to Helen’s body language.  The therapist noted anger in Helen’s tone as she talked about her father being absent in their life (Pearson, n.d.).  While Helen had a difficult time disclosing deep rooted feelings toward her mother she did not display the same difficulties when talking about her father.  The therapist acknowledged Helen’s resistance when talking about her mother by reinforcing their session was a safe place to share her feelings freely.  Addressing her resistance seemed to put Helen more at ease.  As Murdock (2013) writes the counselor wants the client to experience resistance to bring it to the center of awareness (p. 221).  This technique gave Helen the permission to be okay with being angry at her “internalized mother,” a voice who is always telling her “no you cannot do that” (Pearson, n.d.).  Addressing resistance can be used as a resource to resolve unfinished business (Murdock, 2013). 

The empty chair technique was effective during Helen’s session to an extent.  This session introduced Helen to the idea of talking in dialogue with herself.  By engaging in imagined dialogue Helen begins to address the unfinished business she has with her father and becomes more aware of her mother’s role in her life growing up. The session was effective at laying the ground work for continued chair therapy.  Future sessions in chair therapy may prove effective in helping Helen uncover her internalized thoughts that have blocked her from moving forward and making changes in her own life.  

Different class below: 200 words each

FR 200 words

  To get a better understanding of addiction there has been considerable work done in all different fields of study.  There are researchers that have looked at the biological, psychological, or the social aspects of addiction and still cannot come up with one theory that can tie them all together.  We will discuss the different features of the biopsychosocial aspects of addiction and the disease of the human spirit towards these different models.

Biological

     From the beginning, mankind was created with a body that is designed to function from the inside out.  All the interior components rely on one another to grow, with the 46 chromosomes containing the genetic blueprint for each person.  The body is so well designed that the neural networks that are not functioning prune themselves to help reduce the strain on the brain (Doweiko, 2015).  God designed our body to be able to feel pleasure and when that happens it rewards the brain with the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine.  Unfortunately, chemists started developing chemicals that triggered the reward system to fire, instead of the body.  The biological or medical look at addiction began when Dr. Benjamin Rush conceptualized that alcoholism was a disease in the 1700’s (Doweiko, 2015).  The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) (ASAM, 2017) defines addictions as: “a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry.”

Psychological

     There is an impact that addiction has on an individual’s psychological side such as learning, motivation, interpersonal interactions, and personality. Once the brain’s reward system is triggered it learns that activity was good and it wants to have more (Doweiko, 2015).  That is what the use of drugs and alcohol do, they release a false signal into the brain’s reward system.  Once that reward system is triggered than the individual is motivated to do whatever they were doing over again and again to feel that “high”.  When one looks at the psychosocial side of addiction, it has always come with a stigma that the addict must have a weakness of character.  This has been true since the 1800’s when the moral model was proposed (Doweiko, 2015).  

Social

     Each person is tied into social subgroups from the time they are born, like it or not.  There are social factors that can influence substance use in individuals and they are: cultural environment, community, subcultures, family and/or peer influences, and the context which the substance is used (Doweiko, 2015).  Substance use is a learned behavior from other individuals and that can come from family or peers.  Peer group influence is strongest during the adolescence years (Doweiko).  The social aspect of the biopsychosocial side of addiction is changing.  It used to be social to drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes, but now legalized marijuana is the new substance being touted about.

Disease of the Human Spirit

     The concept of a substance abuse disorder as a disease of the human spirit brings in a fourth perspective that considers the issue of spirituality as a factor.  This view is not compatible with the biological perspective as medical professionals are not only uncomfortable with the topic of spirituality, but also lack knowledge and training on this issue (Doweiko, 2015).  Age old debate about the existence of mind, body, and soul cannot be answered with cold hard facts that scientists desire, so they turn away from the spiritual aspect of the individual.  The spiritual and psychosocial perspectives have some common ground (Doweiko).   

     A psychological perspective looks to weaknesses in character and the spiritual perspective explains that the weakness is a spiritual void that an individual tries to fill with alcohol or drugs.  The individual with a substance abuse disorder center’s their social life on building a support system that will enable them to protect their addiction (Doweiko, 2015).    They think in a manipulative manner.  However, if that individual could learn to humble themselves and accept their powerlessness to control their tendencies as taught in 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Celebrate Recovery, then they can experience new social support systems in these groups.  The only way that recovery is going to work for good is when their relationship with God is restored (Clinton & Scalise, 2013).  Romans 8:5 (New King James Version) states, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.”

Conclusion

     From the disease of the human spirit perspective, spirituality can be tied to all of these aspects, which would make it biopsychosocialspiritual. There is some integration between the different features of biopsychosocial aspects of addiction, but there is not a complete unity of all those aspects. 

References

American Society of Addiction Medicine. (2017). Quality and practice: Definition of addiction. Retrieved from: http://www.asam.org/quality-practice/definition-of-addiction

Clinton, T., & Scalise, E. (2013). The quick-reference guide to addictions and recovery counseling: 40 topics, spiritual insights, and easy-to-use action steps. New York, NY: Baker Books.

Doweiko, H. E. (2015). Concepts of chemical dependency (9th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage.

CI 200 words

To best describe the essential features of the “biopsychosocial model” of addictions, it is best that they are broken down into the “bio” or biological, “psychological” and “social” or cultural parts. (Doweiko, 2015, p. 359) The biological component looks at the “anatomical, structural and molecular substrates” as well as examining the actual Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and its particular effects on an individual’s biological functioning. (Doweiko, 2015, p. 359) The current view looks at the brain’s reward system that attempts to reinforce positive behaviors that benefit the individual or the species as a whole. There is a natural reward system, for example the release of dopamine, that reinforces such desirable behaviors as finding water, food or a mate, that becomes coopted when substances that can mimic the rewards are introduced instead. Researchers look at different biological causes that could lead an individual into an SUD or addiction.

These biological factors include biological determinism, genetic inheritance theories, epigenetics, neurobehavioral theories, biological difference theories, the dopamine D2 hypothesis, evidence found in neuroimaging studies, and an individual’s digestive system. All of these above biological focuses view SUDs as a physical disease and attempt to treat them as such through pharmacotherapy, pharmaceuticals that limit or eliminate desire, a vaccine to limit the effects of substances, and a focus on a person’s genetic predisposition to be an addict and intervene early to prevent addiction from beginning. (Doweiko, 2015, p 367)

The psychological component “explores the impact of the psychodynamic forces, learning, motivation, interpersonal interactions and personality” on individuals and their propensity for developing and sustaining a substance use disorder. The various theories being worked through are the “Moral Model”, the “Learning Theory”, “Coping Systems Theory”, “Personality Defense Theories”, “Cognitive-Behavioral Theories”, “Psychoanalysis”, and “The Addictive Personality”. (Doweiko, 2015, pp. 377-378) The mental aspect of each of these theories requires that an individual be assessed by a mental health professional and possibly be entered into one, or more, types of therapy as part of a rehabilitation from any substance use disorder. The assessments include an assessment with a psychologist, a neuropsychological assessment, individual/group psychotherapy, and finally martial and family therapy. (Doweiko, 2015, p. 378)

Cultural and social forces exert influence on an individual living within them and Doweiko (2015) points out that “virtually every known culture encourages the use of select chemical(s) to alter the individual’s perception of reality”. (Doweiko, 2015, p. 381) These forces include parenting, environmental factors such as poverty and lack of opportunities for work or social mobility, music, mass media and advertising, religious affiliation, peer groups and cost of substances to be used.

Human beings are created with a soul that has a body and a mind. When talking about the disease of the spirit, biopsychosocial model can many times explain the multifaceted approach that Satan can take when looking to devour and destroy a struggling and tempted individual. It would be important, when looking at someone struggling with a SUD, to examine and uncover all of the different pressures and stressors that could be leading to the use of an SUD so that an effective recovery plan, removing old behaviors and practicing new behaviors, can be established. (Clinton & Scalise, 2013, p. 34)

When discussing spiritual bankruptcy or a void without God, it is very important to look to scripture to understand the warnings and the promises. The Apostle Peter warns to “be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8,English Standard Version) To be sober minded is to see the world as it is in reality, not distorted or numbed through substances or destructive behaviors. The Apostle Paul warns that drunkards, amongst many others living in spiritual bankruptcy, will not inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Corinthians 6:9, English Standard Version)

However, there is good news, this student looks at the promises that are given as well in the Bible. James writes that “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” However, simply to stop doing something leaves that void, so James continues and tells us to “come near to God and He will come near to you.” (James 4:7-8, English Standard Version) Paul tells us again in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that “God is faithful and he will not allow you to be tempted beyond your ability” and that He will provide a way of escape”. (1 Corinthians 10:13, English Standard Version)

References

Clinton, T., & Scalise, E. (2013). The quick-reference guide to addictions and recovery counseling: 40 topics, spiritual insights, and easy-to-use action steps. Grand Rapids: Baker Books. 

Doweiko, H. E. (2015). Concepts of chemical dependency. (9th ed.). United States: Cengage Learning.