You Read An Article About Interventions With A Specific Cult
You Read An Article About Interventions With A Specific Cultural Group
You read an article about Interventions with a specific cultural group at the beginning of the semester and earned about additional cultural groups from your base group members. Choose one cultural group that you learned about and share at least three considerations when using interventions with this group. You are working with a college student with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Describe how you would determine the top and bottom of their Zone of Proximal Development for the task of managing their coursework and study time. Then, describe how you would use the concept of scaffolding to help them improve this skill. Define Piaget's 'schemes' in your own words.
When working with a client with Alcohol Use Disorder, what might be part of the client's 'schemes' surrounding alcohol? How might you help the client change those schemes as part of your work with them? Define the process of extinction in your own words. How could you utilize this concept to design an intervention with a client who wants to reduce their level of anxiety around setting blood drawn? Please be specific. You are working with a client with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder who is attempting to reduce their compulsion of excessive handwashing. Give an example of how you could use positive reinforcement to help them change the behavior, and an example of how you could use negative punishment. What schedule of reinforcement would you use and why? How could the concept of reciprocal determinism (also called reciprocal causation) impact a client's success (or lack of success) with increasing how often they exercise? Discuss all three parts of the theory.
Make sure you discuss all three parts of the theory. You are working with a client who comes to see you in therapy each week but does not seem to be motivated to change. They don't complete homework assignments that you ask them to do, and don't seem to have changed their behaviors since they started seeing you. What are at least three ways you could use motivational interviewing to explore this with the client and help move them to a place of change?
You have learned about three therapeutic interventions this semester through your small group presentations (flooding, behavioral activation, and assertiveness skills). Choose one intervention and explain how it fits with specific course material.
Paper For Above instruction
Interventions tailored to specific cultural groups require careful consideration of cultural norms, values, beliefs, and social contexts to ensure effectiveness and respectfulness. Selecting a cultural group such as Hispanic/Latino populations, for instance, necessitates considerations like language barriers, familial involvement, and cultural attitudes towards mental health treatment. Firstly, language accessibility is paramount; clinicians must assess the language preferences of clients and utilize bilingual therapists or interpreters to facilitate clear communication (Organista, 2018). Secondly, understanding the importance of family, or 'familismo,' influences intervention strategies, as involving family members can enhance support and adherence to treatment (Sue & Sue, 2016). Thirdly, cultural beliefs about mental health, such as stigma or alternative explanatory models, should be respected and integrated into the intervention plan to foster trust and reduce resistance (Hwang, 2014). When working with college students with ADHD, determining the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) involves assessing their current capabilities and potential with guided support. The top of the ZPD can be identified by tasks they can perform with assistance, such as organizing their study schedules, while the bottom involves tasks they can do independently, like basic note-taking. Using scaffolding, I would gradually reduce support as the student gains confidence and skills, such as providing checklists initially and then encouraging independent use (Vygotsky, 1978). Piaget's schemes refer to mental structures or frameworks that individuals use to organize their experiences, which evolve as they assimilate new information and adapt through accommodation (Piaget, 1952). For example, a person’s scheme for 'socializing' evolves as they learn new social skills or encounter different social contexts.
In cases of Alcohol Use Disorder, a client's schemes surrounding alcohol might include beliefs like 'Alcohol helps me relax' or 'I cannot cope with stress without drinking.' These are mental patterns that reinforce alcohol use. To help change these schemes, cognitive-behavioral strategies can be employed to challenge and modify maladaptive beliefs, replacing them with healthier coping mechanisms (Beck et al., 2011). The process of extinction involves the gradual reduction and elimination of a learned response when the conditioned stimulus is presented without the unconditioned stimulus. For example, in reducing anxiety around blood draws, I would systematically expose the client to blood draw stimuli while preventing anxiety responses, thereby diminishing the conditioned anxiety over time (DiGiuseppe et al., 2014).
Regarding obsessive handwashing, positive reinforcement could involve rewarding the client with praise or a small tangible reward when they successfully resist washing their hands excessively. Conversely, negative punishment might involve removing privileges, such as reducing screen time if compulsive behavior occurs. The most effective reinforcement schedule in this context may be a variable ratio schedule, as it tends to produce high response rates and resilience to extinction (Ferster & Skinner, 1957). Reciprocal determinism posits that personal factors, behavior, and environmental influences interact dynamically, meaning a client's self-efficacy, environment, and behavioral patterns all influence each other. For example, high self-efficacy can increase the likelihood of engaging in exercise, which in turn reinforces positive self-beliefs and environmental cues supporting activity (Bandura, 1986). If the environment remains unsupportive or if self-efficacy is low, the client's success may diminish, illustrating the importance of addressing all three components simultaneously.
In exploring motivation, motivational interviewing (MI) can be used through strategies such as expressing empathy via reflective listening, developing discrepancy between current behaviors and goals, avoiding argumentation, and supporting self-efficacy (Miller & Rollnick, 2013). For instance, I might open discussions with open-ended questions like, "What are some of the reasons you want to change, and what concerns you most about quitting?" I could also reflect feelings of ambivalence to help the client resolve their inner conflict and reinforce their autonomy. Additionally, exploring their readiness and confidence levels can guide tailored interventions that increase motivation (Resnicow et al., 2005). Such techniques help clients articulate their values and increase their intrinsic motivation to change, moving them towards action (Miller & Rollnick, 2013).
Regarding therapeutic interventions, flooding—a form of exposure therapy—aims to reduce phobic responses through intense, prolonged exposure to the feared stimulus, which leads to a decrease in anxiety responses over time. This technique aligns with the principles of classical conditioning, where the extinction of a conditioned response occurs when the conditioned stimulus is presented without the unconditioned stimulus (Abramowitz et al., 2011). Flooding is consistent with behavioral models emphasizing exposure to diminish fear associations, making it a powerful intervention for specific phobias.
References
- Abraimowitz, J. S., et al. (2011). Exposure therapy for anxiety disorders. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 72(10), 1321–1327.
- Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Prentice-Hall.
- Beck, A. T., et al. (2011). Cognitive therapy of substance abuse. Guilford Press.
- DiGiuseppe, R., et al. (2014). Systematic exposure therapy for anxiety disorders. Behavioral Interventions, 29(3), 215–231.
- Ferster, C. B., & Skinner, B. F. (1957). Schedules of reinforcement. Appleton-Century-Crofts.
- Hwang, W. C. (2014). Culture and mental health: Challenges and opportunities. American Psychologist, 69(7), 589–598.
- Miller, W. R., & Rollnick, S. (2013). Motivational interviewing: Helping people change. Guilford Press.
- Organista, K. (2018). Counseling Latino clients: Challenges and opportunities. New York: Routledge.
- Piaget, J. (1952). The origins of intelligence in children. International Universities Press.
- Sue, D. W., & Sue, D. (2016). Counseling the culturally diverse: Theory and practice. John Wiley & Sons.
- Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.