Respond to the following from a psychodynamic perspective. Use theoretical information to back up your statements.
Identify one Campbell family member and discuss how childhood experiences would have impacted their development and now impacts current behaviors. Use a psychodynamic perspective to develop this argument.
Identify two defensive mechanisms and how the family member is using them to either continue specific behaviors and/or to protect themselves.
Provide (at least) two evidence-based interventions that would assist this Campbell family member during this session, as you discuss childhood experiences and current impact to client issues or concerns.
Karen Campbell is a 34–year–old female. Her father is Hispanic, second generation from Mexico, and her mother was Hopi Native American. She is a stay–at–home mom who works part time for a friend with a house cleaning business.
Karen’s father is 55. He lives on the family ranch where Karen grew up, and Karen says she sees him a couple of times a year. Karen’s mother passed away two years ago at the age of 51 from heart failure.
Karen has no siblings. Her brother committed suicide when he was 14 years old. Karen was 10 at the time.
Karen was raised Catholic, but has not attended church in over 20 years.
Karen is a stay at home mom that works part time for a friend who has a house cleaning business.
Karen says that she started dating Joe in the eighth grade. They married when Karen got pregnant with Kali at the age of 17. They have been married for 17 years, with two previous separations. The first separation was when Karen was three months pregnant with Kali and Joe enlisted with the Army. Karen says her mother made her move back home at that time, because she didn’t trust Joe. When Joe finished his two–year commitment, they reconciled, right after Karen delivered Jacob.
The second separation was two years ago, and Joe actually filed for separation. Karen says it was because she was not coping well with her mother’s death, that she “just fell apart.” Joe didn’t know how to handle it, so he just left. (For his part, Joe says he left her because she was depressed and drinking herself to death like her mother did.)
Karen says she is anxious about obtaining help, but that she also feels guilty, and that she is a failure as a parent.
She says, “My kids used to like me, we used to be close. Now they never talk to me —they avoid me, really. I’ve failed them as a mother, so now I really have no purpose in life.”
Karen reports one good girlfriend whom she does not see often. She does not go out socially, and she drinks at home to “calm her nerves.”
Karen presents as unkempt, frazzled, and nervous. She has dark circles under her eyes and looks physically unhealthy.
Karen reports a previous diagnosis of depression and has active diabetes. She also reports current high levels of anxiety.