Transpersonal Theory

According to the National Down Syndrome Society, down syndrome occurs when an individual has “a full or partial extra copy of chromosome 21”(What is Down Syndrome, para 1) When working with a parent who has recently learned their child has Down syndrome you may encounter many emotions. Some of those emotions may include anger, sadness, anxiety, and guilt. However, all these feelings are understandable and should be validated by the clinician.

Anger and its Intervention

A parent may have feelings of anger because they do not understand why this is happening to them. The parent may feel that they are being punished for something that they did wrong in the past. Furthermore, the parent may also be angry that their child has to grow up being considered “abnormal”. These feelings of anger can later lead to resentment of the child, as well as medical problems. According to the Mental Health Foundation, anger can be linked to several medical conditions including high blood pressure, colds and flu, coronary heart disease, stroke, cancer, and gastro-intestinal problems. Therefore, it would be important to assess those feelings with the client so that they do not escalate and create

According to Hutchison (2003), transpersonal theory focuses on how spiritual and religious aspects of human existence can be understood. This theory can be utilized with the mother to help her come to grips with the fact that her child has Down Syndrome. If the mother does have affiliation with any religious or spiritual organization she may use this as a support system. Therefore, it would be important for the clinician to utilize this as a way to help her deal with the emotions that come along with her unborn child’s diagnosis. Furthermore, this theoretical framework would also provide a basis by which the clinician can form clinical discussion with the