Case Study Karen's Basic Conflict

1. What do you see as Karen’s basic conflict? How would you summarize the nature of her struggle?

I see Karen’s basic conflict as the contact boundary disturbance introjection. She is living by the values of her parents, culture, church and other authority figures but has not assimilated those values as her own. She has indicated that she has differing thoughts and is seriously questioning much of the morality she has been taught and lives by. She has been unable to live by her own beliefs due to feelings of guilt and worry that she is not capable of making good decisions about her life. This unfinished business will continue to cause problems for Karen until she is able work through it and develop the skills and values she needs to be
Her parents have been the primary authority figures that have influenced her career choice, and I think doing this exercise might help her move forward in exploring new career possibilities.

__X___ Invite her to create a dialogue between an assertive woman and an unassertive woman. Because Karen does not see herself as an independent woman, this exercise could potentially help her see how she gives away her power and what benefits being assertive might have in her life. I would ask her to identify a situation in her awareness that she could use as the basis for her dialogue, possibly involving her co-workers.

__X___ Ask her to imagine herself being as wild as possible, along with the worst things that could happen if she were to lose all control. Using a reversal exercise could help her come to terms with her fear of her negative side and help her explore the consequences of trying to live by her values instead of those thrust upon her. Once she had completed the exercise, I would ask her how she feels about what she imagined, and how she felt she would really behave if she chose to live by her own