Choose a subject from one of the vignettes provided below and describe his/her personality from ONE of the following perspectives:
psychoanalytic
cognitive and behavioural
humanistic/existential
trait
Include an Introduction identifying the scope of your paper.
Briefly introduce your subject.
Use a subheading to make it clear which perspective you are describing (i.e., psychoanalytic, cognitive behavioural, humanistic, trait).
Please note, it may be difficult to integrate concepts from the humanistic existentialist perspective.
From the trait perspective, you can describe both the normal (e.g., Big Five) and abnormal (personality disorders – if applicable) aspects of
personality.
Highlight the significant terms associated with your chosen perspective. For example, in discussing the subject from a psychoanalytic
perspective, you will stress important terms such as “the unconscious,” “the id,” “the ego,” “the Super Ego,” “defenses,” and so forth.
Choose one perspective to inform a case conceptualization (i.e., your understanding of the client’s issues); use that to develop a plan for
counselling this client.
Summarize your discussion.
Incorporate 5-7 peer reviewed, academic sources. Sources must be recent, i.e., published within the past 10 years.
Make sure to cite all peer-reviewed sources as well as your textbook.
This paper must be in APA format.
The paper should be 2,750 words (+/- 275 words) excluding title and reference pages.
The highest quality academic source you can access is a peer-reviewed, scholarly journal article. For a quick definition of peer-review, please
see this brief video tutorial: What is a Journal and a Peer Review Article?
The Case of Jane
Jane is an only child. She was born naturally with no complications at birth. Jane’s parents divorced when she was eight years old. Her father
was an alcoholic and had regularly beaten her and her mother. Jane describes both parents as very critical of her behavior and emotions. She
reports one experience where she was forced to sit in a closet for hours because she cried when her pet goldfish died. After the divorce,
according to Jane, neither parent wanted her so she went to live with an aunt who remained distant and aloof toward her, only meeting her basic
needs for food and shelter. Jane began cutting her arms and legs with a razor blade after the move. She did poorly academically. She would
often threaten to kill herself but no one took these threats seriously. Jane had difficulty maintaining friendships. Her former friends
describe her as unpredictable and intense. For example, she would often yell at them, “You don’t really want to be my friend so get out of
here” and other times she would beg them to stay with her. They report that Jane would get upset if she did not get her way. Jane reports that
she enjoys being around others and longs for companions. She attends as many parties as she can, even ones she has not been invited to. She
explains that she feels “more alive” when around others. Jane reports that she is frequently bored and often feels empty inside. She likes to
drive her car as fast as she can on back country roads. She often turns off the headlights and flies through four-way stops and reports that
she likes the thrill. She has been married twice, both times very passionate but stormy relationships. She once tried to stab her second
husband during one of her violent rages because she wanted to sell their home and buy a houseboat and he did not. She had just watched a TV
show where a couple had done this. Jane shops frequently, especially when she is stressed or depressed which seems to occur quite often. She
has declared bankruptcy numerous times in her life and blames the credit card companies for letting her buy so many items on credit. She has
tried a number of drugs over the years, but mainly uses alcohol to “deaden the pain.” Jane has been fired from numerous jobs due to issues with
getting along with co-workers, customers, and managers. She was also caught stealing from one of her employers. Jane often reports feeling
anxious and unhappy.