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Date of Graduation
Summer 2015
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)
Department
Department of Graduate Psychology
Advisor(s)
Gregg Henriques
Abstract
The primary objective of this dissertation was to explore the feasibility and utility of an individualized intervention derived from a group therapy manual grounded in Henriques’ (2011) Unified Theory of Psychology. This framework serves to translate terminology from different theoretical perspectives and map their overlap and distinctive qualities onto human functioning. This project provides a more directive educational approach to explore whether and how clients can be directed to understand these systems and benefit from them. The second goal was to explore the appropriateness and impact of this manual on a client presentation typically seen in college outpatient treatment. These individuals can be described as having a sense of social inferiority, and they often develop submissive, dependent relational styles to protect themselves from rejection. This presentation has been widely researched and thus allowed for integration between personality theory, psychopathology, and treatment implementation. To address these aims, two undergraduate students (James, age 21; Sarah, age 20) participated in an intervention designed to provide education of this integrative view of human functioning and explore each participant’s functioning within ten individual sessions over the course of five weeks during the spring of 2014. Results were examined within a concurrent embedded multiple case study research design to address outcome measures related to implementation and appropriateness. In comparison of these two cases, both clients reported an increased capacity for emotional regulation and ability to deal with stressors in a resilient way; however, there was variability in their overall reactions to treatment. Findings are discussed with regards to individual client characteristics, mode of treatment implementation, and assessment procedures. Future directions include increased use of assessment procedures and increased flexibility of treatment protocol.
Recommended Citation
Mays, Lauren, "The development of Character Adaptation SysTem (CAST) intervention" (2015). Dissertations, 2014-2019. 40.
https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/diss201019/40
