Reference no: EM133486690

Danielle is a 16-year-old high school student who recently moved from a small town in Minnesota to Santa Barbara, California. Danielle's soccer coach referred her to the school psychologist because he was concerned about her sad affect and withdrawn behavior. Although Danielle is a good midfielder and has been on the soccer team since transferring to the school last semester, she has repeatedly commented that she "no longer enjoys playing" and feels like she "doesn't fit in" with the other girls on her team. Danielle admitted to problems making friends at her new school. She feels terribly homesick, missing her former classmates and teammates.Danielle was a straight-A student and star soccer player at her high school in Minnesota. She repeatedly made the high honor roll and started as a center midfielder on both her school varsity soccer team and a competitive travel team during the summer. In California, however, Danielle found her classes much more difficult. Although she studied incessantly, she was unable to earn grades higher than Bs and was struggling to pass language arts. Moreover, she was unable to gain a starting position on her school soccer team, which already had many players who were more talented and experienced than Danielle. Although Danielle put countless hours into practicing, she seldom played more than a few minutes each game and had yet to score or assist in a goal.

The school psychologist asked Danielle to describe a typical school day. Danielle explained that she has a difficult time waking in the morning, can't concentrate on her classes during the day, and usually eats lunch alone. She continued, "After school, I try to get enough energy together to go to soccer practice, but my heart is not in it. Anyway, what's the point? I'm not as good as the other girls on the team and I'll never get to play as much as I did back home."

The school psychologist asked, "Have you thought about getting a tutor, to help you with language arts?"

Danielle replied, "No. It's just no use. I'm no good at anything. I'm a total loser."

"What about friends?" asked the school psychologist. "Have you tried to make friends with the girls on your team?"

Danielle answered, "At first I did. But I could tell that they didn't like me. They already have their own friends. Who wants to be friends with the new kid?"

1. How might a behavior therapist, like Martin Seligman, explain Danielle's mood disorder?

2. How might an interpersonal therapist, like Myrna Weissman, explain Danielle's mood disorder?