Mcminn's 'Integration Approach With John'

Case Study #2 – Integration Approach with John Before utilizing McMinn’s (2012) Integration Approach for therapy it is imperative for the counselor to first determine who their client is (figuratively) and how might he or she best help them in a way that reflects the nature of God? So, who is John? John is a member of society who presents to counseling with one, rather ambiguous does not “feel right” emotion and one specific issue of difficulties with relationships that span the primary areas of life: work, personal, spiritual, and romantic. As John expresses his concerns the initial impression gathered is a vicious cycle of cause and effect antecedent actions which are followed by reinforcing behaviors that are producing undesirable consequences.
91) will assist with John’s assessment process. Johns’ not ‘feeling right’, lack of engagement with coworkers and church members, and general avoidance of women indicate a deficiency in the first dimension; sense of self. John’s awareness of brokenness is in question due to his ambivalent feelings towards God as well as his inability to form relationships outside of the “gaming” world. However, John does express wanting to experience both platonic and romantic interpersonal connections which “suggests that he sees himself as a relational being” (p. 91). After establishing rapport with John, the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BDI) and the Anxiety Disorder Diagnostic Questionnaire (ADDQ) (Norton & Robinson, 2010) will further assist the assessment process by providing a clear history of his social anxiety and avoidance patterns. Moreover, John will be evaluated for psychotropic medications which may help alleviate his
The above mentioned assessments along with psychoeducation regarding social anxiety, bibliotherapy, meditation and relaxation skills (e.g., progressive muscle relaxation, controlled breathing), and using modeling and role-playing to increase social skills should minimize John’s presenting symptoms; therefore, increasing his overall functionality which is good starting point for therapy (McMinn, 2012, p. 97). The structural view (a.k.a. schema-focused) is client dependent and may take time before its implementation into therapy. However, once it is, key topics will be exploring underlying beliefs that facilitate social anxiety as well as possible sources of social anxiety (e.g., past experiences of criticism, abandonment, or abuse), identifying important people and assessing their importance in John’s life, and identifying his defense mechanisms that inhibit relationships and ways to minimize these