Assignment: Treatment Planning in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
During your master's program, you have had several opportunities to review the main theories of counseling and to consider the key interventions used by therapists who employ each of these theoretical approaches. You have also completed discussions, exercises, and assignments that have asked you to describe your own current approach to counseling and to align it within the main theories being used by mental health professionals.
For this discussion, reflect upon how one's theoretical approach may influence how he or she develops a treatment plan. For example, a counselor using a strengths-based, solution-oriented approach may think about a client's presenting issues, goals, and choice of interventions very differently from a counselor who identifies as a psychodynamically oriented therapist. To begin, review the main elements of a treatment plan described in the unit introduction and consider how a counselor's particular theoretical approach would influence the way in which each element is presented. What would be emphasized or omitted based on the theoretical approach being used? How might the language used be different in each element, based on the key assumptions and concepts included within the theoretical approach?
Complete the following:
· Briefly describe your own theoretical approach to counseling or the approach used in your current fieldwork setting. This should be no longer than 1-2 sentences.
· Write a brief entry for each of the following items that demonstrates how you would present the treatment plan from the theoretical approach you are using. For this, use one of the clients with whom you are currently working. You may use bullet points to keep your information concise. Important: Be sure the language you use matches your chosen theory. Include the following in your entry:
o A one-paragraph description of the client. Please omit any information that would identify this client, such as the client's name.
o The main presenting issues. Be succinct. How would you describe each issue in a few words?
o Two immediate goals, such as those for counseling sessions 1-4. Just one sentence is needed for each goal.
o Two specific interventions used to reach these immediate goals. Each intervention should be 1-3 sentences. Be sure the intervention is consistent with the theoretical approach.
o Two short-term goals, such as those for counseling sessions 5-12.
o Two specific interventions used to reach these short-term goals.
o A brief description of the methods you would use to document the client's progress. How would you document this? For example, would you rely on your observations of the client during the sessions or on specific behaviors that the client reports to you? Would you use any self-report instruments or other assessments to document change?
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.