Reference no: EM133235539

Assignment:

How can feminist theory and behavioral cognitive theory be implemented in the vignette with the following background:

Gwen is a middle-aged African American woman suffering from anxiety, depression, difficulty sleeping, and fibromyalgia. She has been married to her husband Ron for over 30 years and states that although their marriage has experienced "bumpier roads here and there", their relationship is supportive and loving. Both are professionals: Ron teaches at a high school, and Gwen works at a large accounting firm. They have three adult children, all in their mid-to-late twenties. Ron and Gwen have both prioritized their family over work and actively support their children. Gwen said that she does not hesitate to help her children with bills or rent when the need arises.

In contrast, her work environment has been a continued source of stress. Gwen says that she feels isolated and stressed, largely due to her being the only woman of color in the firm. She faces microaggressions and overt racism frequently. She states she has become numb because of being told that she is "aggressive" and an "angry black woman".

She has also revealed that she was molested by an older cousin when she was a child. When she attempted to speak to family members about the abuse, she was shut down, and as a result, she had not sought out any kind of help. She now admits that although she is happy in her relationship with Ron, and that she feels safe with him overall, she still experiences fear around sexual intimacy. This conflicts directly with her own sexual desires, and attraction to her husband. "Whenever we slept together it was on our anniversary or other special nights," she says.

Gwen states that one of the primary reasons why she has been able to "just keep keeping on" is due to her spirituality and the community she found in her current church. The members of this community uplift each other and do not hesitate to render assistance whenever a need arises. Lately, however, she has begun to lose that feeling of connection and no longer experiences the joy from church activities and relationships that she used to love.

Gwen's primary goal for therapy is to work on her personal well-being. She states that she is in a constant state of overwhelm and she craves balance in her life. She knows that stress is the source of her overall pain.