Theory Skills and Intervention - Essay Example

Theory Skills and Intervention 2 Theory Skills and Intervention 2 An eating disorder is a psychological condition and studies indicate that over 10 million people in the US report an eating disorder symptom, which include bulimia nervosa and anorexia (Maine, Davis & Shure, 2009). In the case study, Tina seems to be suffering from multiple disorders caused by self-esteem issues, attachment, dependency, insecurity and obsession, which have culminated into her eating disorders. The chain of reactions stems from her loss of a loved one, either real or perceived, to a “competitor”. From a counselor’s point of view, several client-centered eating disorders and political feminist theories exist that can be used to assess her condition and offer help (Culley & Bond, 2012). This paper will focus on these theories and the kind of questions that would be asked towards assisting Tina. The fundamental question to ask Tina as a counselor is whether she acknowledges that she has a problem (Culley & Bond, 2012). This will form the basis of validating her experiences as a woman through discussions of societal and cultural pressures she faces, again as a woman, in relation to perfectionism, shape and weight (Thompson, 2003). Feminist political theories emphasize on social, class, economic and power groups, which implicitly place pressure on women to be perfect. These can further be broken into power control, sexism, obedience, cultural idea and sexuality (Mottier, 2010). The case study indicates that Tina has taken to heavy makeup and even changing the color of her hair to match that of the woman that her boyfriend fell for. This is a strong indication that she does not see herself through her own eyes, but those of the new girlfriend. This is the strongest evidence that feminist political theories are pressuring women to be something for someone else by making themselves their best, albeit through looks to an extent that enough attention is not paid to them as they age (Hill & Buss, 2006). These discussions will explain the situation to Tina in the event that she does not acknowledge that she has a problem. Most significantly, she must be made aware that it was not necessarily her mistake that her boyfriend chose another girlfriend. Trying to acquire the looks of the new girlfriend was a very dangerous pointer, because it means that she does not really know the true meaning of love, which she thinks to be aesthetic. The next question would be centered on whether she is willing to undergo a healing procedure, which will involve numerous counseling sessions (Gibson, Swartz & Sandenbergh, 2002). Informed by the theories of self-esteem, this question can be supported by asking Tina if she is more hurt by losing her boyfriend or the fact that he has a new girlfriend. If she is simply troubled by losing the boyfriend, then hers is a case of attachment and/or obsession. On the other hand, if she perceives the way she sees herself as impacting on her relationship and her satisfaction in it, she can be said to be suffering from poor self-esteem (Symington, 2005). Her answer as to why she is attempting to look like her ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend can further clarify on the issue of self esteem. The looking glass self theory opines that people with low self esteem often look at themselves from the point of view of others and attempt to assimilate those views with their current self concept (Gibson, Swartz & Sandenbergh, 2002). The significance of this is that the perceived amount of acceptance a person gets from another will also be assimilated into that person’s feelings of self esteem. Therefore, if Tina had felt secure in her boyfriend’s love and acceptance, she had then also allowed herself to get attached to him, and she must be led towards dissociating the new girlfriend’s looks with acceptance. It is also imperative to ask if she understands the relation between the cultural fixation on female looks as professed by feminist political theories and beauty, especially thinness (Mottier, 2010). In fact, this is not an obsession with female beauty at all but rather, an obsession with the obedience of women. Viewed from another perspective, it is apparent that women who voluntarily remain thin due to eating disorders are also being obedient to feminist political theories. Therefore, Tina must be made aware that she has fallen prey to a patriarchy put in place to control women, according to an opinion offered by Thompson (2003). The most effective solution out of this would be based on discussions that will make her understand, according to Maine, Davis and Shure (2009), that sexuality is positively linked to being fat in women, which will form part of client-centered theories. In women, fat is sexual and, essentially, if a woman makes herself unnaturally thin, she will be relinquishing her sexuality in order to make herself acceptable to someone else (Hill & Buss, 2006). The client also needs to be asked how much significance she places on commercials and advertisements. The significance of this question is that it will help evaluate whether she has bought the concept of the ideal woman as it is being sold by the diet and fitness industries, given her obsession with the gym. From the perspective of sexism, this notion places an unequal and unfair burden to uphold the ultimate feminine conduct and looks on women, which typically translates into stereotyping (Culley & Bond, 2012). This seems to have led Tina to believe that men, and by extension women, will benefit from the ideal of thin that culminated into her eating disorders. If Tina is not receptive to help, she could easily become suicidal and not only dangerous to herself, but also the community. She may be helped out of suicidal thoughts through therapeutic empathy, awareness and education. In conclusion, it is demonstrable that Tina’s problems that eventually lead her to eating disorders are mainly caused by cultural ideals, sexism, sexuality and poor self esteem. The questions asked are designed to facilitate an assessment of whether she has any self awareness and appreciation or not, which will form the basis of subsequent counseling sessions if she is willing to accept help. In response to her problems, it is important to make her understand that feminist political theories are not necessarily empowering to women but will eventually lead them to view themselves from the perspective of others. Her self esteem can be built by teaching her to accept herself as a beautiful woman capable of finding a man who will accept and reciprocate her love (Symington, 2005). This is as opposed to trying to acquire the looks of someone else and eventually lead herself to eating disorders. References Culley, S. & Bond, T. (2012). Integrative counseling skills in action.(3rded.) London: Sage Publications. Gibson, K., Swartz, L. & Sandenbergh, R. (2002). Counseling and coping. South Africa: Oxford University Press. Hill, S., & Buss, D. (2006). Self esteem: Issues and answers. New York: Psychology Press. Maine, M., Davis, W.N. & Shure, J. (2009). Effective clinical practice in the treatment of eating disorders: The heart of the matter. New York: Routledge. Mottier, V. (2010). Feminist political theory. Essex: University of Essex. Symington, N. (2005). Narcissism: A new theory. London: Karmac. Thompson, J. (2003). Body image, eating disorders, and obesity: An integrative guide for assessment and treatment. Washington: APA. White, T. (2010). Working with suicidal individuals: A guide to providing understanding, assessment and support. London: Jessica Kingsley. Read More