Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Case Summary

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Treating Grief

Marsel Shamouelian

University of Maryland, Baltimore

Case Summary /Presenting Problem Emma, 35 years old, requested outpatient mental health services following the death of her husband from a sudden car accident ten months earlier. She is the mother of two children, a daughter aged nine and a daughter aged eight. She has began to work as an accountant to provide for her children. Emma appeared tearful as she described her twelve years of happy marriage to her late husband. She described her husband as loving and a devoted father to the children. Since the sudden death of her husband she has difficulties in functioning. She cries a lot and worries that she as single

Emma suffers from feelings of low-self-esteem and personal efficacy. She does have a prior history of perfectionism and rigid belief system. Emma views herself as failure widow who cannot keep her family together. Her robust beliefs on gender roles and the idea functionging family dynamic. She has assumptions that women should not “get angry: women must be the nurtures and keep things under control.” These thoughts inhibit her ability to proper grieve. These beliefs are rooted in perfectionist thinking that “if you work hard enough then you will successes” “failure is unacceptable despite the circumstances. If you don’t accomplish things you are worthless. As she constantly criticize herself for not being able to care for her children as she used to. she strives to be the perfect mother, but feels like she is failing. She is supportive mother who is their for her child. She provides for her attends her school events is tentative to her emotional well being. Communicates with the school about her daughters well

Emma maladaptive belief system will be explored within her roles as a widow nad mother.

Long term goal 1.

Emma will become aware of her cognitive schemas about herself as a newly widowed women and how theye are leading to her stress.

Short-Term goals

1. Emma will become awre of her self-talk around the issue that a good woman is never angry and how its oor not helping her cope realistically wih the sudden death of her husband.

2. . emma will become awre of her self-talk around the issue that a good woman is deos not lose control and how it imeding her from relasticaly dealing with loss of her husband.

3. she will remove perfectosit and unrealist thought with more relatist one base her greater knowled of grief issues in her her