Psychiatric Diagnosis
Case Study 20—the Case of Suzanne
Call Monday morning at 9:00a.m.
Psychologist: I returned Suzanne call Monday morning at 9:00 a.m. I introduce as Mrs. Fisher and told her that I was available today at 11:00a.m.
Suzanne: Yes, that would be fine.
Psychologist: Great! I would need you to come in 10 mins early to fill out a biographical form. Do you have any question?
Suzanne: Yes, how long with the process take?
Psychologist: Not too long, once you fill out the biographical form, I can do an assessment, it shouldn’t take no more than 15mins. Do you have any more question?
Suzanne: No
Psychologist: Great, if no more question then I will see you at 11:00. I look forward to meeting with you.
Meeting at 11:00a.m.
Psychologist: Good morning,
Suzanne: Good morning,
Psychologist: You must be Suzanne. I am Mrs. Fisher the Psychologist. If is a pleasure to meet you, please come in and have a sit.
Psychologist: Did you get a chance to fill out the biographical form?
Suzanne: Yes! Here it is
Psychologist: Thank you, Relax, today appointment is going to be harmless, it is what we call the initial visit or assessment. This is where I get to know you a little better, and you can get to ask me question and get to know me better as well. And if you don’t like what you hear or see, you don’t have to use my services. I am here for you, and not to judge you. Are we good so far?
Suzanne: Yes,
Psychologist: I want you to be at ease and comfortable. What is said in this room stays in this room everything is confidential unless you choice otherwise. Are you still good to go forward?
Suzanne: What about my mother? Please do not tell her what I discuss with you.
Psychologist: When you seek private psychological treatment, only two individuals know everything that happens in each session. One of these persons, of course, is you. The other person is the psychotherapist treating you, in your case would be me. Psychological practice uses the word privilege to describe the legal right of keeping your clinical records confidential. (In California, this right is established in CA Evidence Code § 1014Links to an external site.. Because this right, in the strict legal sense, is thought of as a “thing,” psychological practice talks about “holding” the privilege. So who holds it? Well, as I said earlier, you, the client, do. You hold the privilege of knowing and telling about your life, and you hold the privilege of determining what happens to your clinical records. But your psychotherapist also knows about your life. Quite a bit in fact. Not just what’s in your chart, but everything you say and everything in between, including the simple fact of your being a client? Therefore, according to the principle of confidentiality, your psychotherapist is required to hold the privilege for you even after therapy has terminatedLinks to an external site.. This means that nothing he or she knows about you can be told to anyone else without your permission. Period. Not even the fact that you’re a client. That’s why you have to sign a Release of Information (ROI) form to have your psychotherapist give any information about your case to any other person, such as a physician.
Psychologist: Did I answer your question regarding giving your mother any information?
Suzanne: Yes! I feel much better now.
Psychologist: Please feel free to stop me anytime you have a question.
Suzanne: ok
Psychologist: Please Suzanne, tell me about yourself, you can tell me anything you want me to hear.
Suzanne: Where should I start?
Psychologist: You can start anywhere you like.
Suzanne: I am on track to graduate from college this spring and I am the start guard on my basketball team. I have a hard time talking and being around others, especially my mom and dad. Don’t get me wrong I love them, they are just a little difficult. I don’t know maybe I’m the one who is difficult. My mother is always nagging me about something.
Psychologist: That is a good start, now may I ask you some question?
Suzanne: Sure,
Psychologist: How old where you when the nervousness started?
Suzanne: I was young, around 13, I guess.
Psychologist: How old where you when you started pulling your eyelashes
Suzanne: Probably the same age.
Psychologist: Are there any other habits you would like to share with me?
Suzanne: Well I started biting my nail in high school, and staying up all night worrying anything and sometime just worrying for no reason at all.
Psychologist: Do you shy away from others or sometimes like to be by yourself?
Suzanne: Yes, more offend then I like to remember. I get very nervous around others, I can’t keep a boyfriend. My parents make me nervous when I get like this I want to pull my hair out or my eyelashes.
Psychologist: Do you feel nervous now?
Suzanne: No, I feel really good right now, it is easy to talk to you.
Psychologist: Well good! I’m glad to hear that. Suzanne we are going to stop here for the day, and if you like we can schedule you for another appointment next week around the same time if you like.
Suzanne: Yes! I would very much like that.
Psychologist: Suzanne I want to thank you for coming in and taking the first step, I congratulate you, because the first step is always the hardest. You should be very proud of yourself. Do you have any question for me before we adjourn?
Suzanne: No,
Psychologist: Very well, I will see you next week.
I try to ask Suzanne questions about her hair lost and her plucking her eyelashes and when do she feel nervous. I didn’t want to overdo it and go into why she think she do those things. She was being very candid I wanted to make her feel at ease. I don’t feel Suzanne is in denial, I do feel she really wants to be help and not judge.
References:
Gorenstein, E., & Comer, J. (2015). Case studies in abnormal psychology (2nd Ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers. ISBN: 9780716772736
Morrison, J. (2014). DSM-5 made easy: The clinician’s guide to diagnosis. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
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