Assignment 1: Practicum – Week 8 Journal Entry

This week, you complete a two-part journal entry.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

STUDENTS WILL:

• Develop diagnoses for clients receiving psychotherapy*
• Evaluate efficacy of existential-humanistic therapy for clients*
• Analyze legal and ethical implications of counseling clients with psychiatric disorders*
• Analyze clinical supervision experiences*

* The Assignment related to this Learning Objective is introduced this week and submitted in Week 10.

For Part 1, select a client whom you observed or counseled this week (other than the client used for this week’s Discussion). Then, address the following in your Practicum Journal:

• Describe the client and identify any pertinent history or medical information, including prescribed medications.
• Using the DSM-5, explain and justify your diagnosis for this client.
• Explain whether existential-humanistic therapy would be beneficial with this client. Include expected outcomes based on this therapeutic approach.
• Explain any legal and/or ethical implications related to counseling this client.
• Support your approach with evidence-based literature.

For Part 2, reflect on your clinical supervision experiences. Then, address the following in your Practicum Journal:

• How often are you receiving clinical supervision from your preceptor?
• What are the sessions like?
• What is the preceptor bringing to your attention?
• How are you translating these sessions to your clinical practice?

BY DAY 7 OF WEEK 10

Submit your Assignment.

Week 8: Existential-Humanistic Therapy

“It is the client who knows what hurts, what directions to go, what problems are crucial, what experiences have been deeply buried.”
–Carl Rogers, from On Becoming a Person

This client-centered perspective is the cornerstone of existential-humanistic therapy, which requires therapists to “attempt to receive clients with curiosity and openness, endeavor to grasp their subjective world, and believe that clients are the experts on their own experience” (Wheeler, 2014, p. 373). As the psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, it is important to understand that the effectiveness of this approach is dependent on your relationship with clients, as well as your beliefs on holism and human nature.

This week, as you explore existential-humanistic therapy, you assess clients and consider the appropriateness of various therapeutic approaches. You also develop diagnoses for clients receiving psychotherapy and consider legal and ethical implications of counseling these clients.

Photo Credit: Laureate Education

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Learning Resources

REQUIRED READINGS

Wheeler, K. (Ed.). (2014). Psychotherapy for the advanced practice psychiatric nurse: A how-to guide for evidence-based practice (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.

• Chapter 10, “Humanistic-Existential and Solution-Focused Approaches to Psychotherapy” (Review pp. 369–406)

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
Note: You will access this text from the Walden Library databases.

Nagy, T. F. (2011). Ethics in psychotherapy. In Essential ethics for psychologists: A primer for understanding and mastering core issues (pp. 185–198). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. doi:10.1037/12345-010
Note: You will access this text from the Walden Library databases.

REQUIRED MEDIA

Sommers-Flanagan, J., & Sommers-Flanagan, R. (2013). Counseling and psychotherapy theories in context and practice [Video file]. Mill Valley, CA: Psychotherapy.net.
Note: For this week, view Existential Therapy, Person-Centered Therapy, and Gestalt Therapy only. You will access this media from the Walden Library databases

Laureate Education (Producer). (2012b). Clinical supervision follow-up [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Note: This is a follow-up to the Thompson family media piece in Week 5. The approximate length of this media piece is 9 minutes.Accessible player 
–Downloads–
Download Video w/CC
Download Audio
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Laureate Education (Producer). (2015d). On a hamster wheel [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 2 minutes.Accessible player 
–Downloads–
Download Video w/CC
Download Audio
Download Transcript

Bugental, J. (n.d.). Existential-humanistic psychotherapy [Video file]. Mill Valley, CA: Psychotherapy.net.
Note: You will access this media from the Walden Library databases. The approximate length of this media piece is 108 minutes.

OPTIONAL RESOURCES

May, R. (n.d.). Rollo May on existential psychotherapy [Video file]. Mill Valley, CA: Psychotherapy.net.
Note: You will access this media from the Walden Library databases. The approximate length of this media piece is 61 minutes.

Steinert , T. (2016, October 3). Ethics of coercive treatment and misuse of psychiatry. Psychiatric Services. doi:10.1176/appi.ps.201600066. Retrieved from http://ps.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ps…

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Discussion: Clinical Supervision

Clinical Supervision is an essential component of your development as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. It provides an opportunity for professional collaboration as you share experiences with and gain insights from colleagues. For this Clinical Supervision, consider a client whom you do not think is adequately progressing according to expected clinical outcomes.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Students will:

• Assess clients presenting for psychotherapy
• Evaluate effectiveness of therapeutic approaches for clients receiving psychotherapy
• Apply existential-humanistic therapy to clients with psychiatric disorders

To prepare:

• Review this week’s media and consider the insights provided.
• Reflect on the clients you are currently counseling at your practicum site.

Note: For this Discussion, you are required to complete your initial post before you will be able to view and respond to your colleagues’ postings. Begin by clicking on the “Post to Discussion Question” link and then select “Create Thread” to complete your initial post. Remember, once you click Submit, you cannot delete or edit your own posts, and cannot post anonymously. Please check your post carefully before clicking Submit!

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Assignment 1: Practicum – Week 8 Journal Entry

This week, you complete a two-part journal entry.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Students will:

• Develop diagnoses for clients receiving psychotherapy*
• Evaluate efficacy of existential-humanistic therapy for clients*
• Analyze legal and ethical implications of counseling clients with psychiatric disorders*
• Analyze clinical supervision experiences*

* The Assignment related to this Learning Objective is introduced this week and submitted in Week 10.

For Part 1, select a client whom you observed or counseled this week (other than the client used for this week’s Discussion). Then, address the following in your Practicum Journal:

• Describe the client and identify any pertinent history or medical information, including prescribed medications.
• Using the DSM-5, explain and justify your diagnosis for this client.
• Explain whether existential-humanistic therapy would be beneficial with this client. Include expected outcomes based on this therapeutic approach.
• Explain any legal and/or ethical implications related to counseling this client.
• Support your approach with evidence-based literature.

For Part 2, reflect on your clinical supervision experiences. Then, address the following in your Practicum Journal:

• How often are you receiving clinical supervision from your preceptor?
• What are the sessions like?
• What is the preceptor bringing to your attention?
• How are you translating these sessions to your clinical practice?

BY DAY 7 OF WEEK 10

Submit your Assignment.