The Case of Jane
Jane is an only child. She was born naturally with no complications at birth. Jane’s parents divorced when she was eight years old. Her
father was an alcoholic and had regularly beaten her and her mother. Jane describes both parents as very critical of her behavior and
emotions. She reports one experience where she was forced to sit in a closet for hours because she cried when her pet goldfish died. After
the divorce, according to Jane, neither parent wanted her so she went to live with an aunt who remained distant and aloof toward her, only
meeting her basic needs for food and shelter. Jane began cutting her arms and legs with a razor blade after the move. She did poorly
academically. She would often threaten to kill herself but no one took these threats seriously. Jane had difficulty maintaining
friendships. Her former friends describe her as unpredictable and intense. For example, she would often yell at them, “You don’t really
want to be my friend so get out of here” and other times she would beg them to stay with her. They report that Jane would get upset if she
did not get her way. Jane reports that she enjoys being around others and longs for companions. She attends as many parties as she can,
even ones she has not been invited to. She explains that she feels “more alive” when around others. Jane reports that she is frequently
bored and often feels empty inside. She likes to drive her car as fast as she can on back country roads. She often turns off the
headlights and flies through four-way stops and reports that she likes the thrill. She has been married twice, both times very passionate
but stormy relationships. She once tried to stab her second husband during one of her violent rages because she wanted to sell their home
and buy a houseboat and he did not. She had just watched a TV show where a couple had done this. Jane shops frequently, especially when
she is stressed or depressed which seems to occur quite often. She has declared bankruptcy numerous times in her life and blames the
credit card companies for letting her buy so many items on credit. She has tried a number of drugs over the years, but mainly uses alcohol
to “deaden the pain.” Jane has been fired from numerous jobs due to issues with getting along with co-workers, customers, and managers.
She was also caught stealing from one of her employers. Jane often reports feeling anxious and unhappy.
– Include an introduction identifying the scope of the paper.
– Briefly introduce the subject.
– Highlight the significant terms associated with the psychoanalytic perspective. for example terms such as “the unconscious,” “the id,”
“the ego,” “the Super Ego,”
– Inform a case conceptualization (i.e., your understanding of the client’s issues); use that to develop a plan for counselling this
client.
– Summarize your discussion.
– Incorporate 5-7 peer reviewed, academic sources. Sources must be recent, i.e., published within the past 10 years.
