Order Description
1. After engaging in your own independent research, please describe in detail a case of a famous individual (someone well-known in popular culture?an actor, athlete, musician, and so forth) who has suffered or continues to suffer from mental health issues.
Donatelli Versace Body Dsymorphic Disorder (BDD)
2. 2. Next, describe the approaches that were taken, if any, to help this person with these issues.
The approaches for Donatelli Versace were more surgeries and procedures. There are no documented psychosocial approaches to her disorder.
https://www.lifespan.org/does-cosmetic-surgery-help-body-dysmorphic-disorder.html
3. 3. Evaluate the effectiveness of these previous approaches according to a person-centered approach. Which seemed to work? Which were lacking? Why? Be sure to cite the relevant module content.
The usual treatment of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) may include cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), pharmacologic interventions, and other psychosocial interventions that promote social functioning. The basic goals of treatment are as follows:
* To prevent adoption of the sick role
* To minimize unnecessary costs and complications by avoiding unwarranted hospitalizations, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, medications, and, in particular, corrective surgical procedures (BDD patients are rarely satisfied with the results of corrective surgery, and in some cases, they become even more obsessed after such treatment)
* To achieve pharmacologic control of comorbid syndromes and BDD (Treatment of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) may include cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), pharmacologic interventions, and other psychosocial interventions that promote social functioning. The basic goals of treatment are as follows: (https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/291182-treatment)
The person, in the person- centred approach, is viewed as acting to fulfi l two primary needs. The first is the need for self- actualization. The second is the need to be loved and valued by others. Both these needs are, following Maslow (1943), seen as being independent of biological survival needs. However, the person is very much seen as an embodied being, through the concept of ?organismic valuing? (i.e., the person has an inner ?gut? sense of what is right or wrong for them) (McLeod, 2013). Where there is a disjunction between feelings and the capacity for accurate awareness and symbolization of these feelings, a state of
Incongruence is said to exist. Incongruence is the
very broad term used to describe the whole range of problems that clients bring to counseling. Why does incongruence happen? Rogers argued that, in childhood, there is a strong need to be loved or valued, particularly by parents and significant others. However, the
love or approval that parents offer can be conditional or unconditional. In areas of unconditional approval, the child is free to express his or her potential and accept inner feelings. Where the love or acceptance is conditional on behaving only in a certain way, and is withdrawn when other behavior or tendencies are exhibited, the child learns to
define himself or herself in accordance with parental values. Rogers used the phrase conditions of worth to describe the way in which the self- concept of the child is shaped by parental influence (McLeod, 2013).
I don’t think the approach of more surgeries and procedures worked in the case of Donatelli Versace.
They also note that in a survey of 265 cosmetic surgeons, 178 (65 percent) reported treating patients with BDD, yet only one percent of the cases resulted in BDD symptom improvement (https://www.lifespan.org/does-cosmetic-surgery-help-body-dysmorphic-disorder.html). I think in Donatelli?s case she was lacking cognitive behavioral therapy.
4. 4. Choosing between Gestalt, existential, or transactional approaches to therapy, explain why one of these approaches would be effective in treating the famous individual you are describing. (Again, be sure to cite relevant concepts.)
I think Gestalt would be beneficial in the addiction to surgery, anxiety and OCD component of BDD. Ultimately, gestalt therapy is considered to help individuals gain a better understanding of how their emotional and physical needs are connected. They will learn that being aware of their internal self is key to understanding why they react and behave in certain ways. This journey of self-discovery makes the approach beneficial for individuals who can be guarded when it comes to their emotions, and find it difficult to process why they feel and act the way they do. It can also provide support and a safe space for individuals going through times of personal difficulty. Gestalt therapy is considered particularly valuable for helping to treat a wide range of psychological issues – especially as it can be applied as a long-term therapy or as a brief and focused approach. It has been found effective for managing tension, anxiety, addiction, post-traumatic stress, depression and other psychological problems that can prevent people from living life to the full. Overall, people who participate in gestalt therapy tend to feel more self-confident, calm and at peace with themselves.
https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/gestalt-therapy.html
5. 5. Describe the ethical concerns with treating a famous, or well-known person. (At this point in the paper, you do not necessarily need to focus upon the case at hand, but may talk more generally about how a “high-profile” individual may respond to therapy differently, or have different standards about confidentiality, and so forth.)
Fear of losing a job , endorsements, sponsors, friends, and social status, and labeling are very real things. For this reason, concealment can be a constructive strategy. When celebrities reveal their struggles and successes with mental illness, they create a “memoirs are mirrors” effect. Essentially, their disclosure enables the general public to reflect on their own personal experiences with mental illness. (psychology today)
textbook: McLeod, J. (2013). An introduction to counseling. New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
