Assignment 2: LASA I—Treatment Plan for Jackie

Imagine you are a mental health counselor who has a new client named Jackie. Review her case study.

Jackie, a 35-year-old Japanese-American woman, has recently felt depressed and isolated. She reports that over the past three months she has had frequent crying spells, trouble sleeping through the night, and difficulty in finding pleasure in the activities she used to enjoy. A few days ago, she visited her family doctor to rule out any underlying physical or medical problems that may be causing her depressive symptoms. None were found. Although some depressive symptoms were observed, the physician did not feel they were notable enough to require medication at the present time. The physician recommended that Jackie seek counseling services to alleviate her symptoms. Hence, Jackie has scheduled an appointment with you. During her intake session, Jackie reports feeling depressed and tired on most days. After sustaining an injury to her right ankle eighteen months ago, she became sedentary. This resulted in weight gain of approximately twenty-five pounds. Although her ankle injury has healed, she no longer engages in the physical activity of playing tennis that she once enjoyed. She reports feeling out of shape and is reluctant to take up the sport due to her added weight. She has lost contact with her friends at the tennis club due to her lack of involvement in the sport and reports feeling isolated. Jackie works at a local home improvement store, a job she used to enjoy. Due to her ankle injury, she no longer works at the cash register but is now at a desk in the back room documenting inventory. Jackie has two children: a daughter who is ten, and a son who is thirteen. She had them when she was in her early twenties. Jackie reports that she was once very involved with her children’s lives. However, now she has limited energy and is rarely able to fully engage with them or their activities. Jackie further explains that she wants relief from her depressive symptoms.

As Jackie’s mental health counselor, develop a recommendation of treatment that applies and justifies the use of the positive psychology model. Include the following parts in your recommendation of the treatment:

Part 1: General assessment of Jackie’s needs

• Assess Jackie’s needs from a positive psychology viewpoint.

Part 2: Application of the five concepts of positive psychology as directed by Jackie’s current situation and desired changes

• Include the following sections in this part:
  • Analyze the concept of the full-life (the pleasant life, the good life, the meaningful life) as it appears in Jackie’s situation. Be sure to clearly define each of these theories in addition to providing specific details from the case scenario.
  • Assess Jackie’s signature strengths and clearly explain how you assessed them with Jackie. Recommend signature strengths that are appropriate for Jackie and explain why they are important for her improvement.
  • Identify Jackie’s prior flow experiences and recommend flow activities that are appropriate for Jackie at this point. Make sure to explain the concept of flow.
  • Recommend specific positive activity interventions (PAI) for Jackie. Explain why these PAIs are most appropriate for Jackie.
  • Explain why change is difficult for people from a positive psychology perspective. Include a contrast of positive psychology concepts (focus on strengths) and psychopathology (focus on illness). Then, explain how positive psychology concepts assist in the change process. Use Jackie’s situation for examples