Counseling Liza
Joe understands Liza’s theme or belief that she has a problem with her boyfriend. It is not a life theme seeing as Liza’s problems with her boyfriend are recent and ongoing events. Besides, the frustration that she feels is her moodiness in the face of the problematic situation. However, if Liza expresses the belief that “All men are obnoxious,” Joe may rightfully conclude that it is a life theme that his client is expressing; and that, in fact, she is having a problem with her boyfriend because of a core belief.
In order to deal with Liza’s stuck pattern of repeating the same story about her problem with her boyfriend, Joe should use both education and hypothesizing in his counseling sessions with Liza. It is clear that Liza would like to find a way out of her problem with her boyfriend. Regardless of whether she would like to continue her relationship with her boyfriend or not, Joe should provide his client with literature concerned with her particular patterns.
Bibliotherapy in the area of relationship patterns should help Liza understand her own patterns. Furthermore, Joe should complement the education with hypothesizing by asking questions that would allow Liza to speak her mind and thereby understand her situation better. To allow Liza to hypothesize, Joe should ask her questions after she has spoken her automatic thoughts.
If Liza claims about her boyfriend, “He always does that,” referring to problem behavior on the part of her boyfriend; Joe should follow up with the question, “Why do you think he does that? ” Such questions would allow Liza to truly understand the situation that she is faced with. Moreover, her education as part of the therapeutic process would add to her insight, allowing her to eventually leave the problem pattern that she must work her way out of with the help of the counselor.
