Relational Trauma Case Study

The case that I chose to assess was about a woman named Nancy. Initially, Nancy’s personality clearly showed that she is an active, enthusiastic, energetic individual. She seems to be well functioning in her work life but at home she has been experiencing difficulties. Her husband has abruptly ended their 25-year marriage and it is clear that this has caused her relational trauma. Nancy appears to be aware of this trauma and that is why she has sought out help for herself. During the end of this initial interview it seems that Nancy may be disassociating. The client reports feelings of despair and loneliness so I am lead to believe that she suffers from depression. The purpose of this evaluation is to properly assess Nancy’s dysfunction. Once her dysfunction is properly diagnosed, it is then possible for her to receive therapy or treatment. The goal is to rule out any other possible causes pertaining to her dysfunction. This can be achieved by subjecting Nancy to a few psychological tests. I would first use a Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE). This will quickly and effectively show how Nancy is functioning at the time. The items on this assessment test functional ability in daily life. Some of these items include orientation, attention, memory,
Although more time consuming than some other tests, the MMPI is one of the most widely used assessments. It tests across many clinical scales including depression, which we are looking for. This test may confirm our initial observation. If not, it may lead us in a new direction in what is causing Nancy’s dysfunction. This test provides a comprehensive clinical assessment and also provides us with many validity scales. This way we can tell if the the client is trying to make herself seem better or worse, otherwise known as profile elevation. This test is proven reliable through test-retest reliability as well and has great internal