how to write a case study assignment counselling

How to Write a Case Conceptualization: 10 Examples (+ PDF)

Such understanding can be developed by reading relevant records, meeting with clients face to face, and using assessments such as a mental status examination.

As you proceed, you are forming a guiding concept of who this client is, how they became who they are, and where their personal journey might be heading.

Such a guiding concept, which will shape any needed interventions, is called a case conceptualization, and we will examine various examples in this article.

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Positive CBT Exercises for free . These science-based exercises will provide you with detailed insight into positive Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and give you the tools to apply it in your therapy or coaching.

This Article Contains:

What is a case conceptualization or formulation, 4 things to include in your case formulation, a helpful example & model, 3 samples of case formulations, 6 templates and worksheets for counselors, relevant resources from positivepsychology.com, a take-home message.

In psychology and related fields, a case conceptualization summarizes the key facts and findings from an evaluation to provide guidance for recommendations.

This is typically the evaluation of an individual, although you can extend the concept of case conceptualization to summarizing findings about a group or organization.

Based on the case conceptualization, recommendations can be made to improve a client’s self-care , mental status, job performance, etc (Sperry & Sperry, 2020).

Summary of the client’s identifying information, referral questions, and timeline of important events or factors in their life . A timeline can be especially helpful in understanding how the client’s strengths and limitations have evolved.
Statement of the client’s core strengths . Identifying core strengths in the client’s life should help guide any recommendations, including how strengths might be used to offset limitations.
Statement concerning a client’s limitations or weaknesses . This will also help guide any recommendations. If a weakness is worth mentioning in a case conceptualization, it is worth writing a recommendation about it.

Note: As with mental status examinations , observations in this context concerning weaknesses are not value judgments, about whether the client is a good person, etc. The observations are clinical judgments meant to guide recommendations.

A summary of how the strengths, limitations, and other key information about a client inform diagnosis and prognosis .

You should briefly clarify how you arrived at a given diagnosis. For example, why do you believe a personality disorder is primary, rather than a major depressive disorder?

Many clinicians provide diagnoses in formal psychiatric terms, per the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) or Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Some clinicians will state a diagnosis in less formal terms that do not coincide exactly with ICD-10 or DSM-5 codes. What is arguably more important is that a diagnostic impression, formal or not, gives a clear sense of who the person is and the support they need to reach their goals.

Prognosis is a forecast about whether the client’s condition can be expected to improve, worsen, or remain stable. Prognosis can be difficult, as it often depends on unforeseeable factors. However, this should not keep you from offering a conservative opinion on a client’s expected course, provided treatment recommendations are followed.

how to write a case study assignment counselling

Download 3 Free Positive CBT Exercises (PDF)

These detailed, science-based exercises will equip you or your clients with tools to find new pathways to reduce suffering and more effectively cope with life stressors.

Download 3 Free Positive CBT Tools Pack (PDF)

By filling out your name and email address below.

Based on the pointers for writing a case conceptualization above, an example for summarizing an adolescent case (in this instance, a counseling case for relieving depression and improving social skills) might read as follows.

Background and referral information

This is a 15-year-old Haitian–American youth, referred by his mother for concerns about self-isolation, depression, and poor social skills. He reportedly moved with his mother to the United States three years ago.

He reportedly misses his life and friends in Haiti. The mother states he has had difficulty adjusting socially in the United States, especially with peers. He has become increasingly self-isolating, appears sad and irritable, and has started to refuse to go to school.

His mother is very supportive and aware of his emotional–behavioral needs. The youth has been enrolled in a social skills group at school and has attended three sessions, with some reported benefit. He is agreeable to start individual counseling. He reportedly does well in school academically when he applies himself.

Limitations

Behavioral form completed by his mother shows elevated depression scale (T score = 80). There is a milder elevation on the inattention scale (T score = 60), which suggests depression is more acute than inattention and might drive it.

He is also elevated on a scale measuring social skills and involvement (T score = 65). Here too, it is reasonable to assume that depression is driving social isolation and difficulty relating to peers, especially since while living in Haiti, he was reportedly quite social with peers.

Diagnostic impressions, treatment guidance, prognosis

This youth’s history, presentation on interview, and results of emotional–behavioral forms suggest some difficulty with depression, likely contributing to social isolation. As he has no prior reported history of depression, this is most likely a reaction to missing his former home and difficulty adjusting to his new school and peers.

Treatments should include individual counseling with an evidence-based approach such as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). His counselor should consider emotional processing and social skills building as well.

Prognosis is favorable, with anticipated benefit apparent within 12 sessions of CBT.

How to write a case conceptualization: An outline

The following outline is necessarily general. It can be modified as needed, with points excluded or added, depending on the case.

Client’s gender, age, level of education, vocational status, marital status
Referred by whom, why, and for what type of service (e.g., testing, counseling, coaching)
In the spirit of strengths-based assessment, consider listing the client’s strengths first, before any limitations.
Consider the full range of positive factors supporting the client.
Physical health
Family support
Financial resources
Capacity to work
Resilience or other positive personality traits
Emotional stability
Cognitive strengths, per history and testing
The client’s limitations or relative weaknesses should be described in a way that highlights those most needing attention or treatment.
Medical conditions affecting daily functioning
Lack of family or other social support
Limited financial resources
Inability to find or hold suitable employment
Substance abuse or dependence
Proneness to interpersonal conflict
Emotional–behavioral problems, including anxious or depressive symptoms
Cognitive deficits, per history and testing
Diagnoses that are warranted can be given in either DSM-5 or ICD-10 terms.
There can be more than one diagnosis given. If that’s the case, consider describing these in terms of primary diagnosis, secondary diagnosis, etc.
The primary diagnosis should best encompass the client’s key symptoms or traits, best explain their behavior, or most need treatment.
Take care to avoid over-assigning multiple and potentially overlapping diagnoses.

When writing a case conceptualization, always keep in mind the timeline of significant events or factors in the examinee’s life.

Decide which events or factors are significant enough to include in a case conceptualization.
When these points are placed in a timeline, they help you understand how the person has evolved to become who they are now.
A good timeline can also help you understand which factors in a person’s life might be causative for others. For example, if a person has suffered a frontal head injury in the past year, this might help explain their changeable moods, presence of depressive disorder, etc.

Sample #1: Conceptualization for CBT case

This is a 35-year-old Caucasian man referred by his physician for treatment of generalized anxiety.

Strengths/supports in his case include willingness to engage in treatment, high average intelligence per recent cognitive testing, supportive family, and regular physical exercise (running).

Limiting factors include relatively low stress coping skills, frequent migraines (likely stress related), and relative social isolation (partly due to some anxiety about social skills).

The client’s presentation on interview and review of medical/psychiatric records show a history of chronic worry, including frequent worries about his wife’s health and his finances. He meets criteria for DSM-5 generalized anxiety disorder. He has also described occasional panic-type episodes, which do not currently meet full criteria for panic disorder but could develop into such without preventive therapy.

Treatments should include CBT for generalized anxiety, including keeping a worry journal; regular assessment of anxiety levels with Penn State Worry Questionnaire and/or Beck Anxiety Inventory; cognitive restructuring around negative beliefs that reinforce anxiety; and practice of relaxation techniques, such as progressive muscle relaxation and diaphragmatic breathing .

Prognosis is good, given the evidence for efficacy of CBT for anxiety disorders generally (Hofmann, Asnaani, Vonk, Sawyer, & Fang, 2012).

World’s Largest Positive Psychology Resource

The Positive Psychology Toolkit© is a groundbreaking practitioner resource containing over 500 science-based exercises , activities, interventions, questionnaires, and assessments created by experts using the latest positive psychology research.

Updated monthly. 100% Science-based.

“The best positive psychology resource out there!” — Emiliya Zhivotovskaya , Flourishing Center CEO

Sample #2: Conceptualization for DBT case

This 51-year-old Haitian–American woman is self-referred for depressive symptoms, including reported moods of “rage,” “sadness,” and “emptiness.” She says that many of her difficulties involve family, friends, and coworkers who regularly “disrespect” her and “plot against her behind her back.”

Her current psychiatrist has diagnosed her with personality disorder with borderline features, but she doubts the accuracy of this diagnosis.

Strengths/supports include a willingness to engage in treatment, highly developed and marketable computer programming skills, and engagement in leisure activities such as playing backgammon with friends.

Limiting factors include low stress coping skills, mild difficulties with attention and recent memory (likely due in part to depressive affect), and a tendency to self-medicate with alcohol when feeling depressed.

The client’s presentation on interview, review of medical/psychiatric records, and results of MMPI-2 personality inventory corroborate her psychiatrist’s diagnosis of borderline personality disorder.

The diagnosis is supported by a longstanding history of unstable identity, volatile personal relationships with fear of being abandoned, feelings of emptiness, reactive depressive disorder with suicidal gestures, and lack of insight into interpersonal difficulties that have resulted in her often stressed and depressive state.

Treatments should emphasize a DBT group that her psychiatrist has encouraged her to attend but to which she has not yet gone. There should also be regular individual counseling emphasizing DBT skills including mindfulness or present moment focus, building interpersonal skills, emotional regulation, and distress tolerance. There should be a counseling element for limiting alcohol use. Cognitive exercises are also recommended.

Of note, DBT is the only evidence-based treatment for borderline personality disorder (May, Richardi, & Barth, 2016). Prognosis is guardedly optimistic, provided she engages in both group and individual DBT treatments on a weekly basis, and these treatments continue without interruption for at least three months, with refresher sessions as needed.

Sample #3: Conceptualization in a family therapy case

This 45-year-old African-American woman was initially referred for individual therapy for “rapid mood swings” and a tendency to become embroiled in family conflicts. Several sessions of family therapy also appear indicated, and her psychiatrist concurs.

The client’s husband (50 years old) and son (25 years old, living with parents) were interviewed separately and together. When interviewed separately, her husband and son each indicated the client’s alcohol intake was “out of control,” and that she was consuming about six alcoholic beverages throughout the day, sometimes more.

Her husband and son each said the client was often too tired for household duties by the evening and often had rapid shifts in mood from happy to angry to “crying in her room.”

On individual interview, the client stated that her husband and son were each drinking about as much as she, that neither ever offered to help her with household duties, and that her son appeared unable to keep a job, which left him home most of the day, making demands on her for meals, etc.

On interview with the three family members, each acknowledged that the instances above were occurring at home, although father and son tended to blame most of the problems, including son’s difficulty maintaining employment, on the client and her drinking.

Strengths/supports in the family include a willingness of each member to engage in family sessions, awareness of supportive resources such as assistance for son’s job search, and a willingness by all to examine and reduce alcohol use by all family members as needed.

Limiting factors in this case include apparent tendency of all household members to drink to some excess, lack of insight by one or more family members as to how alcohol consumption is contributing to communication and other problems in the household, and a tendency by husband and son to make this client the family scapegoat.

The family dynamic can be conceptualized in this case through a DBT lens.

From this perspective, problems develop within the family when the environment is experienced by one or more members as invalidating and unsupportive. DBT skills with a nonjudgmental focus, active listening to others, reflecting each other’s feelings, and tolerance of distress in the moment should help to develop an environment that supports all family members and facilitates effective communication.

It appears that all family members in this case would benefit from engaging in the above DBT skills, to support and communicate with one another.

Prognosis is guardedly optimistic if family will engage in therapy with DBT elements for at least six sessions (with refresher sessions as needed).

Introduction to case conceptualization – Thomas Field

The following worksheets can be used for case conceptualization and planning.

Case Conceptualization Worksheet: Individual Counseling helps counselors develop a case conceptualization for individual clients.
Case Conceptualization Worksheet: Couples Counseling helps counselors develop a case conceptualization for couples.
Case Conceptualization Worksheet: Family Counseling helps counselors develop a case conceptualization for families.
Case Conceptualization and Action Plan: Individual Counseling helps clients facilitate conceptualization of their own case, at approximately six weeks into counseling and thereafter at appropriate intervals.
Case Conceptualization and Action Plan: Couples Counseling helps couples facilitate conceptualization of their own case, at approximately six weeks into counseling and thereafter at appropriate intervals.
Case Conceptualization and Action Plan: Family Counseling helps families facilitate conceptualization of their own case, at approximately six weeks into counseling and thereafter at appropriate intervals.

17 Science-Based Ways To Apply Positive CBT

These 17 Positive CBT & Cognitive Therapy Exercises [PDF] include our top-rated, ready-made templates for helping others develop more helpful thoughts and behaviors in response to challenges, while broadening the scope of traditional CBT.

Created by Experts. 100% Science-based.

The following resources can be found in the Positive Psychology Toolkit© , and their full versions can be accessed by a subscription.

Analyzing Strengths Use in Different Life Domains can help clients understand their notable strengths and which strengths can be used to more advantage in new contexts.

Family Strength Spotting is another relevant resource. Each family member fills out a worksheet detailing notable strengths of other family members. In reviewing all worksheets, each family member can gain a greater appreciation for other members’ strengths, note common or unique strengths, and determine how best to use these combined strengths to achieve family goals.

Four Front Assessment is another resource designed to help counselors conceptualize a case based on a client’s personal and environmental strengths and weaknesses. The idea behind this tool is that environmental factors in the broad sense, such as a supportive/unsupportive family, are too often overlooked in conceptualizing a case.

If you’re looking for more science-based ways to help others through CBT, check out this collection of 17 validated positive CBT tools for practitioners. Use them to help others overcome unhelpful thoughts and feelings and develop more positive behaviors.

In helping professions, success in working with clients depends first and foremost on how well you understand them.

This understanding is crystallized in a case conceptualization.

Case conceptualization helps answer key questions. Who is this client? How did they become who they are? What supports do they need to reach their goals?

The conceptualization itself depends on gathering all pertinent data on a given case, through record review, interview, behavioral observation, questionnaires completed by the client, etc.

Once the data is assembled, the counselor, coach, or other involved professional can focus on enumerating the client’s strengths, weaknesses, and limitations.

It is also often helpful to put the client’s strengths and limitations in a timeline so you can see how they have evolved and which factors might have contributed to the emergence of others.

Based on this in-depth understanding of the client, you can then tailor specific recommendations for enhancing their strengths, overcoming their weaknesses, and reaching their particular goals.

We hope you have enjoyed this discussion of how to conceptualize cases in the helping professions and that you will find some tools for doing so useful.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. For more information, don’t forget to download our three Positive CBT Exercises for free .

Hofmann, S. G., Asnaani, A., Vonk, I. J., Sawyer, A. T., & Fang, A. (2012). The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy: A review of meta-analyses. Cognitive Therapy and Research , 36 (5), 427–440.
May, J. M., Richardi, T. M., & Barth, K. S. (2016). Dialectical behavior therapy as treatment for borderline personality disorder. The Mental Health Clinician , 6 (2), 62–67.
Sperry, L., & Sperry, J. (2020). Case conceptualization: Mastering this competency with ease and confidence . Routledge.

Share this article:

Article feedback

What our readers think.

I want the toolkit! This article was very helpful. I enjoyed the different examples of the case studies and how each therapy was utilized in their treatments.

I found this very helpful and MORE understanding. I think I will often visit this page.

Let us know your thoughts Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Youth Counseling: 17 Courses & Activities for Helping Teens

From a maturing body and brain to developing life skills and values, the teen years can be challenging, and mental health concerns may arise. Teens [...]

How To Plan Your Counseling Session: 6 Examples

Planning is crucial in a counseling session to ensure that time inside–and outside–therapy sessions is well spent, with the client achieving a successful outcome within [...]

65+ Counseling Methods & Techniques to Apply With Your Clients

Counselors have found it challenging to settle on a single definition of their profession or agree on the best counseling methods and techniques to treat [...]

041 – Writing Case Studies – Carl Rogers’ 19 Propositions – Counselling Skills

In episode 41 of the Counselling Tutor Podcast, Rory Lees-Oakes and Ken Kelly describe how to write a case study. ‘Theory with Rory’ looks at how best to apply the 19 propositions when writing case studies and assignments. Last, the presenters talk about diversity in the counselling room.

Writing Case Studies (starts at 3.26 mins)

Ken and Rory offer a number of tips on writing case studies as a student:

Always check the criteria set by your awarding body before you start writing.
Open the case study with a ‘pen portrait’ of the client – e.g. age, gender and presenting issue.
Continue by describing the client’s counselling journey, from start to finish.
Depending on the criteria you are working to, there are various themes you can develop – for example, ethics , the theory of your modality, and your self-awareness during the work.
It is always good to reflect on your own learning from your sessions with the client, and how you might approach things differently in future.

Carl Rogers’ 19 Propositions (starts at 13.51 mins)

The 19 propositions were developed by Carl Rogers, the founder of person-centred therapy. They describe his theory of personality, expressed in terms of how a human being perceives the world (i.e. phenomenology). This part of person-centred theory is often seen as particularly hard to ‘decode’. Rory has done so previously in Counselling Tutor Podcasts 13 and 14 . One key tip he offers when reading Rogers’ original wording is to swap the word ‘organism’ for ‘person’.

Rory offers three insights into how you can make maximum use of the 19 propositions when writing case studies and assignments. For example, you can use this theory to:

evidence how clients engage with their incongruent selves
describe how, in making sense of their reality, clients can transcend it (as the philosopher Edmund Husserl believed that once indivuduals understand their reality, they can then transcend it)
explain how clients engage with their truth and what changes they make as a consequence of that.

Key to all these is to use client statements from counselling interactions to illustrate your points.

For more information, you can download Rory’s handout, ‘Three Positions in Phenomenology : The 19 Propositions’.

Free Handout Download

19 Propositions: Three Positions in Phenomenology

Counselling Skills (starts at 19.40 mins)

In counselling training, it is harder to demonstrate our use of skills than our understanding of theory (which can be written about in assignments). Because our work with clients is subject to confidentiality, we must showcase our grasp of skills through simulated sessions with peers. This can feel rather artificial, with a pressure to somehow slot in every skill in order to meet the criteria.

Ken’s new book, Basic Counselling Skills: A Student Guide is a great resource for skills development at all qualification levels. Uniquely, this includes links to online audio recordings of skills demonstrations. The effect of each skill is explored. As shown in research by Catherine Goldsmith at the University of Manchester, which led to the dodo bird conjecture , the key to effective therapy is primarily the relationship between the patient and therapist. Good counselling skills are key to building this relationship.

Rogers used to audio record client sessions and listen back to these for learning. Recording is really useful for student counsellors; Ken strongly recommends doing so as much as possible (with client consent). Voice recorders can be purchased inexpensively these days.

Links and Resources

Counselling Study Resource

Counselling Tutor Facebook group

Counselling Tutor website

Basic Counselling Skills: A Student Guide

Home > Blog > What is Case Conceptualization & How to Write it (With Examples)

What is Case Conceptualization & How to Write it (With Examples)

Courtney Gardner, MSW

Hate writing progress notes? Join thousands of happy therapists using Mentalyc AI.

The Ultimate Guide to Case Conceptualization: Our Top Tips, Outlines, and Real-life Examples

As a mental health counselor, case conceptualization is one of the most essential skills you can develop to understand your clients and find the most effective treatment. But for new counselors, the process can be overwhelming. How do you synthesize all the information from your intake and assessment into a cohesive case conceptualization? Which theoretical orientation fits best? What should you include in your conceptualization? Let's dive in and discover the secrets to developing killer case conceptualization skills!

What Is Case Conceptualization?

Case conceptualization is the process of understanding and interpreting a client's presenting problems within the context of their individual history, personality, and current circumstances. It involves gathering and organizing information about the client, identifying patterns and themes, and formulating a comprehensive understanding of the factors contributing to their difficulties. This understanding serves as the foundation for developing a treatment plan and guiding the therapeutic process.

Why Is Case Conceptualization Important to Mental Health Professionals?

Constructing a case conceptualization is crucial for mental health professionals as it helps them better understand their clients' perspectives and needs. Professionals can develop effective therapy outcomes by analyzing clients' experiences, thoughts, behaviors, environment, and biology. This enables them to identify suitable treatment options and establish tailored treatment goals and interventions. A comprehensive approach is vital for providing evidence-based, client-centered therapy, which can lead to profound results, including improved insight, self-esteem, and motivation to make positive changes in their lives.

Let Mentalyc AI Write Your Progress Notes Fast

✅ HIPAA Compliant

✅ Insurance Compliant

✅ SOAP, DAP, EMDR, Intake notes and more

✅ Individual, Couple, Child, Family therapy types

✅ Template Builder

✅ Recording, Dictation, Text & Upload Inputs

How to Write a Case Conceptualization

To provide personalized treatment plans to your clients, it is essential to have a well-developed case conceptualization that helps you understand their mental health needs. You should include the following components early in creating your case conceptualization.

Client Information

Gather essential client information, including age, gender, relationship status, occupation, presenting problem, and relevant family and medical history.

Theoretical Orientation

Determine which theoretical approach fits their needs. This approach will guide the therapist to understand the client's symptoms and experiences through a particular lens. For example, a psychodynamic approach may focus on uncovering unconscious drives or past traumas, while a cognitive-behavioral approach looks at maladaptive thought patterns and behaviors.

If applicable, use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-V (DSM-5) to identify appropriate diagnoses and diagnostic codes based on your client's symptoms. Explain your conclusions.

The Eight P’s of Case Conceptualization Framework

If you aim to create a comprehensive case conceptualization, you can employ the 8 Ps framework. The Eight Ps framework helps you organize and structure your thoughts and ideas concisely and quickly. Utilizing this framework allows you to analyze and evaluate a case from multiple perspectives and develop a fully formed and well-rounded understanding of the issues at hand.

Take your time back! Get your progress notes done automatically.

Presentation.

What symptoms or life difficulties brought the client in? How do they view these problems?

Describe the client's symptoms, concerns, and goals. Identify the main issues to address, such as depression, anxiety, trauma, or relationship difficulties. Consider the duration and severity of problems.

Predisposing Factors

What makes the client vulnerable to these problems? Genetics? Trauma?

Consider the historical or biological factors involved in the current issue. This may include discussing the individual's developmental experiences, family history, or medical conditions. It is also essential to examine the client's natural tendencies, traits, and vulnerabilities that may make specific problems more likely.

Precipitating Factors

What recent events triggered the current problems? Loss of a job? End of a relationship?

Investigate recent events that may have caused or intensified the client's presenting problem. Identify any losses, changes, or stressors in the client's life. These could include health issues, the end of a relationship, or the loss of a loved one. It is also crucial to examine how the client responded to these events.

Increase your practice's revenue and reduce therapist burnout

Do they live an active or sedentary lifestyle? Is their personality naturally more dependent or independent?

Identifying predictable patterns in a person's thinking, feeling, acting, and coping reflects their baseline tendencies in stressful and non-stressful situations.

Perpetuating Factors

What factors in their lives maintain their problems? Avoidance? Unhelpful thoughts?

Pinpoint and explore the habits, beliefs, or dynamics that maintain the problem. This means looking into their unhealthy coping strategies, cognitive distortions, relationship patterns, lack of social support, unstable living situations, and any other factors that may be contributing to the issue.

Protective Factors and Strengths

What strengths does the client have? A robust support system? Coping skills?

Note their strengths, resources, and supports that can aid in their healing process. This may include skills, talents, social connections, access to healthcare, spirituality, and other positive factors supporting their treatment and recovery.

How will you address the problems and build on your client's strengths? Treatment modalities? Strategies?

Establish goals and strategies considering the factors that may have caused or contributed to their condition. Identifying any protective factors the client may already have and developing interventions that build on them is also essential.
Discuss specific interventions, referrals, and approaches. The plan should be comprehensive, regularly reviewed, and modified to ensure that it effectively reduces the client's distress, helps them change unhealthy patterns, builds new skills, and improves overall functioning. You should also consider your clinical decision-making during the initial planning stages.

Have your progress notes automatically written for you!

What's the likelihood of improvement with treatment?

Forecast the outcome of treatment for a client based on a combination of risk factors, protective factors, the client's strengths, and their readiness for change. It would help if you discussed your initial impressions regarding the severity of the problem, the client's motivation for change, their responsiveness to intervention, and other relevant factors. You should also estimate the number of sessions required for treatment.

Tips for Mastering Effective Case Conceptualizations

Creating an effective case conceptualization requires a comprehensive, adaptable, and multidimensional approach. It involves analyzing the client's situation, embracing various perspectives, focusing on their strengths, and evolving throughout therapy. Stay curious, keep an open mind, and be willing to learn. Your clients can benefit significantly from these qualities.

Remember the following essential tips to hone your skills and make a lasting impact on your clients:

Focus on the client's strengths.

When assessing problems and symptoms, it is essential to identify your client's strengths, resources, and abilities and build on what's working to motivate change.

Look for themes and patterns.

As you gather information from your client, look for connections between their thoughts, feelings, behaviors, experiences, and relationships. Themes will emerge that shape your conceptualization.

Consider multiple perspectives.

Various theoretical orientations can be applied to comprehend a client's situation better. Exploring different perspectives can offer alternative insights into a case.

Be flexible.

It is essential to regularly revisit and update your case conceptualization as new information arises and as your client progresses.

Paint the whole picture.

An effective case conceptualization should consider cultural context, family and social relationships, medical history, life experiences, environment, and more, not merely focus on the client's symptoms or problems.

Discuss your conceptualization with colleagues.

Bouncing ideas off other therapists or discussing cases during supervision can provide valuable feedback and input, strengthening your case conceptualization from different perspectives.

Continuously evaluate your conceptualization.

During therapy, regularly review how well your understanding of the situation accounts for any new issues or lack of progress and adjust your approach accordingly. A successful interpretation should always remain an evolving theory.

Review research and theory.

It's necessary to base your case conceptualization on established theory and research to give credibility to your formulations and interventions. Keep yourself updated with the latest developments in psychotherapy and counseling.

Case Conceptualization Template

An efficient case conceptualization template helps you structure the essential components of a client's situation and establish the foundation for a focused treatment plan. By following this framework, you can guarantee that you have considered all the relevant factors and gained a comprehensive comprehension of the client and their requirements.

Presenting problem : Briefly summarize the client's presenting issues and symptoms.
History : Summarize relevant information about the client's family, developmental, medical, and mental health history.
Functional analysis : Analyze the environmental, cognitive, and interpersonal factors contributing to or maintaining the client's problems. This includes triggers, consequences, and coping strategies.
Conceptualization : Explain your theoretical model and how it helps you understand the client's difficulties. Identify key themes, patterns, and underlying processes.
Goals : Outline the client's objectives for therapy and your treatment goals based on your conceptualization.
Plan : Propose a treatment plan with specific interventions and strategies that address your conceptualization and the client's goals. Monitor and revise the plan as needed.

Sample Case Conceptualization #1: John

John is a 45-year-old accountant who has struggled with social anxiety and depression for most of his life. He finds it difficult to connect with others and lives a relatively isolated existence. John's anxiety causes distress in work and social situations where interaction with others is required. His anxiety and depressive symptoms have been exacerbated by several major life stressors over the past year, including a breakup with his long-term girlfriend and downsizing at his company, where he was laid off.

John sought counseling to help improve his social skills, increase confidence in social and work settings, and learn strategies to manage anxiety and depression better. Initial treatment focused on cognitive techniques to identify and reframe negative thought patterns related to social situations. Role-playing and exposure techniques were also used to help build comfort in engaging with others. John showed gradual improvement over 12 sessions. He reported feeling less anxious in work meetings and social encounters. John also started dating again and joined a local recreational sports league to increase social interaction.

John felt he had made good progress at termination but would benefit from occasional "booster" sessions to help maintain gains. Recommendations were made for John to continue practicing cognitive and exposure techniques, engage in regular exercise and social activity, and follow up with medication management as needed. John left treatment with improved coping strategies, a more balanced perspective, increased confidence in social abilities, and an overall brighter outlook.

Example of John's Case Conceptualization

I. Presenting Problem

John sought counseling to address social anxiety, depression, and low self-confidence that had been impacting his work and social life.
His symptoms had worsened due to recent life stressors, including a breakup and job loss.

II. Background Information

John has struggled with social anxiety and depression for most of his life.
He has difficulty connecting with others and lives an isolated existence.
His anxiety causes distress in social and work situations involving interaction with others.

III. Psychosocial History

John has a history of social anxiety dating back to childhood.
He has few close relationships and limited social support.
Recent life stressors have exacerbated his symptoms.

IV. Diagnostic Considerations

Social Anxiety Disorder
Persistent Depressive Disorder

V. Treatment Plan

Cognitive techniques to identify and challenge negative thoughts
Exposure exercises to build social skills and confidence
Medication management as needed
Recommend regular exercise, social activity, and booster sessions
Help John develop coping strategies and a more balanced perspective

Sample Case Conceptualization #2: Jane

Jane is a 32-year-old married woman who presented with anxiety, depression, and relationship issues. She reports a lifelong struggle with feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem. Jane's anxiety and negative self-image have contributed to difficulty asserting herself in her marriage and feeling disconnected from her husband.

Jane's symptoms worsened after the birth of her first child two years ago. She experienced postpartum depression and anxiety, which left her feeling overwhelmed as a new mother. Her husband, John, works long hours and takes on few childcare responsibilities. This has caused conflict and resentment in their relationship.

Jane sought therapy to address her depression, anxiety, and relationship problems. She wants to improve communication with her husband and negotiate a more balanced division of labor. Treatment initially focused on helping Jane identify and challenge negative automatic thoughts. Psychoeducation about assertiveness and conflict resolution strategies was provided. Role plays were used to practice effective communication and negotiation skills with her husband.

With therapy, Jane showed improvement in her mood and confidence. She was able to initiate difficult conversations with her husband about household responsibilities and childcare. Through gradual progress, Jane and her husband have found some compromise. Jane plans to continue working on assertiveness and negotiating skills to improve their relationship further. Medication may be considered in the future if symptoms do not continue to improve with therapy alone.

Example of Jane's Case Conceptualization

I. Presenting Complaints

Relationship issues with husband

II. History of Presenting Issues

Lifelong struggle with low self-esteem and negative self-image
Symptoms worsened after the birth of the first child two years ago
Experienced postpartum depression and anxiety
Felt overwhelmed as a new mother
Husband takes on few childcare responsibilities, causing conflict
Married for five years, one child, age two
Husband works long hours
Limited social support

IV. Conceptualization

Negative automatic thoughts contribute to anxiety and depression
Difficulty asserting needs and communicating effectively with her husband stems from low self-esteem
Unequal division of labor at home breeds resentment and relationship issues
Cognitive techniques to challenge negative thoughts
Role plays and assertiveness training to improve communication skills with husband
Negotiation strategies for dividing household responsibilities more equitably
Consider medication if symptoms do not improve sufficiently with therapy

Sample Case Conceptualization #3: Sally

Sally is a 45-year-old woman who presented with symptoms of anxiety, depression, and substance abuse issues. She reports a history of trauma from an abusive relationship in her 20s, which left her with trust issues and anxiety in intimate relationships.

Sally currently lives alone and works as an accountant. She struggles with loneliness and social isolation. She copes by drinking alcohol, up to a bottle of wine per night. Sally's alcohol use has negatively impacted her work and personal relationships.

Sally sought therapy to address her depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and difficulty forming close relationships. Treatment focused on building coping skills to reduce alcohol cravings and manage anxiety. Psychoeducation about trauma and its impact on trust was provided. Sally participated in exposure therapy to help her overcome social anxiety and develop healthier social connections. With treatment, Sally was able to reduce her alcohol intake to a safer level. She made progress in confronting trauma-related thoughts and feelings that had previously prevented her from forming close relationships. Sally plans to continue working on coping skills, exposure exercises, and managing trauma symptoms to fully recover from substance abuse and build a more fulfilling social life.

Example of Sally's Case Conceptualization

Sally presents with symptoms of anxiety, depression, and substance abuse issues stemming from a history of trauma from an abusive relationship.

II. History of the Presenting Problem

Sally has struggled with loneliness and social isolation for years since the trauma, coping with excessive alcohol use. Her drinking has negatively impacted her work and relationships.

III. Relevant Background Information

Sally lives alone and works as an accountant
She has difficulty forming close relationships due to trust issues from her past trauma
Sally drinks up to a bottle of wine per night to cope with anxiety and depression
Sally's anxiety, depression, and substance abuse are all interconnected and rooted in her unresolved trauma from the abusive relationship. Her social isolation and lack of coping skills have led to unhealthy drinking patterns.
Reduce alcohol cravings through coping skill-building
Provide psychoeducation about trauma and its impact
Exposure therapy to overcome social anxiety and form healthier relationships
Continue working on managing trauma symptoms to recover from substance abuse fully

FAQs: Your Top Case Conceptualization Questions Answered

Case conceptualization is a critical first step but can also feel overwhelming. Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions to help put your mind at ease.

How do I get started?

Begin by collecting information from intake forms, interviews, observations, and assessments. Look for patterns and connections to the underlying factors influencing your client's symptoms and behaviors. Identify strengths, weaknesses, thought processes, core beliefs, relationships, environment, medical issues, and life events.

What should I include?

A good case conceptualization includes a description of symptoms, diagnosis (if applicable), developmental history, family and relationship dynamics, traumas, coping skills, motivation for change, and goals. It helps determine the factors perpetuating the issues and maintaining the status quo.

How often should I update it?

A case conceptualization is a living document. As you learn more about your client through sessions, revisit and revise your conceptualization. Note any changes in symptoms or life events and adjust treatment plans accordingly. Regular updates, even minor ones, help ensure you accurately understand your client and provide the best care.

Does software help?

Case conceptualization software and apps can help organize and identify patterns in information. They can also assist you in collaborating with colleagues. However, remember that technology should supplement your clinical judgment, not replace it. Software is not capable of determining causation or proposing an effective treatment plan.

You now have what it takes to craft an effective case conceptualization. Armed with the necessary tools and examples, you can begin by considering the eight Ps - problems, precipitating events, predisposing factors, perpetuating factors, protective factors, prognosis, plan, and progress. Infuse each section with rich details about your client, including quotes and observations that bring the case to life. Examine examples from others while ensuring your conceptualization reflects your unique client and therapeutic approach. With regular practice, case conceptualizations will come naturally and aid you in selecting the best interventions and outcomes. Now, get out there and start conceptualizing.

Remember to keep learning and enhancing your practice with Mentalyc. Stay updated on the latest techniques, strategies, and tools by subscribing to our email newsletter. You'll receive emails with actionable therapy advice delivered directly to your inbox. Take advantage of our app's free trial, automatically creating progress notes based on your therapy sessions. With AI-drafted notes , you can quickly review and finalize, saving time and effort. Join our growing community of therapists and mental health professionals dedicated to practical, compassionate client care.

Biopsychosocial Model and Case Formulation . (2022, January 2). PsychDB. https://www.psychdb.com/teaching/biopsychosocial-case-formulation

Jagpat, E. (n.d.). Anatomy of a Clinical Case Conceptualization . Psychology Oral Exam Preparation, Study Materials, Consultation & more. https://psychologyoralexam.com/anatomy-of-a-clinical-case-conceptualization-psychology-oral-exam/

Sperry, L., & Sperry, J. (2016). Case Conceptualization: Mastering this Competency with Ease and Confidence . APA PsycNet. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2012-34298-000

Zaheer, G. J., & Farmer, R. L. (2020, July 30). Science-Based Case Conceptualization . National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). https://www.nasponline.org/professional-development/a-closer-look-blog/science-based-case-conceptualization

All examples of mental health documentation are fictional and for informational purposes only.

See More Posts

Aba therapy for adhd treatment: techniques & examples.

Therapy Termination: All You Need to Know

Cognitive Restructuring: Techniques for Therapists

Mentalyc Inc.

Meet the team

About our notes

Feature Request

Business Associate Agreement

Contact Support

Affiliate program

Who we serve

Psychotherapists

Group practice owners

Pre-licensed Clinicians

Become a writer

Help articles

Client consent template

How to upload a session recording to Mentalyc

How to record sessions on Windows? (For online sessions)

How to record sessions on MacBook? (For online sessions)

Popular Blogs

Why a progress note is called a progress note

The best note-taking software for therapists

Writing therapy notes for insurance

How to keep psychotherapy notes compliant in a HIPAA-compliant manner

The best Mental health progress note generator - Mentalyc

About Features Online Exclusives From the President Career Consultation Knowledge Share Explore

Case conceptualization: Key to highly effective counseling

By Jon Sperry and Len Sperry

December 2020

I n their first session, the counseling intern learned that Jane’s son had been diagnosed with brain cancer. The therapist then elicited the client’s thoughts and feelings about her son’s diagnosis. Jane expressed feelings of guilt and the thought that if she had done more about the early symptoms, this never would have happened to her son. Hearing this guilt producing thought, the intern spent much of the remaining session disputing it. As the session ended, the client was more despondent.

After processing this session in supervision, the intern was no longer surprised that Jane had not kept a follow-up appointment. The initial session had occurred near the end of the intern’s second week, and she had been eager to practice cognitive disputation, which she believed was appropriate in this case. In answer to the supervisor’s question of why she had concluded this, the intern responded that “it felt right.”

The supervisor was not surprised by this response because the intern had not developed a case conceptualization. With one, the intern could have anticipated the importance of immediately establishing an effective and collaborative therapeutic alliance and gently processing Jane’s emotional distress sufficiently before dealing with her guilt-producing thought.

This failure to develop an adequate and appropriate case conceptualization is not just a shortcoming of trainees, however. It is also common enough among experienced counselors.

What is case conceptualization?

Basically, a case conceptualization is a process and cognitive map for understanding and explaining a client’s presenting issues and for guiding the counseling process. Case conceptualizations provide counselors with a coherent plan for focusing treatment interventions, including the therapeutic alliance, to increase the likelihood of achieving treatment goals.

We will use the definition from our integrated case conceptualization model to operationalize the term for the purposes of explaining how to utilize this process. Case conceptualization is a method and clinical strategy for obtaining and organizing information about a client, understanding and explaining the client’s situation and maladaptive patterns, guiding and focusing treatment, anticipating challenges and roadblocks, and preparing for successful termination.

We believe that case conceptualization is the most important counseling competency besides developing a strong therapeutic alliance. If our belief is correct, why is this competency taught so infrequently in graduate training programs, and why do counselors-in-training struggle to develop this skill? We think that case conceptualization can be taught in graduate training programs and that counselors in the field can develop this competency through ongoing training and deliberate practice.

This article will articulate one method for practicing case conceptualization.

The eight P’s

We use and teach the eight P’s format of case conceptualization because it is brief, quick to learn and easy to use. Students and counselors in the community who have taken our workshops say that the step-by-step format helps guide them in forming a mental picture — a cognitive map — of the client. They say that it also aids them in making decisions about treatment and writing an initial evaluation report.

The format is based on eight elements for articulating and explaining the nature and origins of the client’s presentation and subsequent treatment. These elements are described in terms of eight P’s: presentation, predisposition (including culture), precipitants, protective factors and strengths, pattern, perpetuants, (treatment) plan, and prognosis.

Presentation

Presentation refers to a description of the nature and severity of the client’s clinical presentation. Typically, this includes symptoms, personal concerns and interpersonal conflicts.

Four of the P’s — predisposition, precipitants, pattern and perpetuants — provide a clinically useful explanation for the client’s presenting concern.

Predisposition

Predisposition refers to all factors that render an individual vulnerable to a clinical condition. Predisposing factors usually involve biological, psychological, social and cultural factors.

This statement is influenced by the counselor’s theoretical orientation. The theoretical model espouses a system for understanding the cause of suffering, the development of personality traits, and a process for how change and healing can occur in counseling. We will use a biopsychosocial model in this article because it is the most common model used by mental health providers. The model incorporates a holistic understanding of the client.

Biological: Biological factors include genetic, familial, temperament and medical factors, such as family history of a mental or substance disorder, or a cardiovascular condition such as hypertension.

Psychological: Psychological factors might include dysfunctional beliefs involving inadequacy, perfectionism or overdependence, which further predispose the individual to a medical condition such as coronary artery disease. Psychological factors might also involve limited or exaggerated social skills such as a lack of friendship skills, unassertiveness or overaggressiveness.

Social: Social factors could include early childhood losses, inconsistent parenting style, an overly enmeshed or disengaged family environment, and family values such as competitiveness or criticalness. Financial stressors can further exacerbate a client’s clinical presentations. The “social” element in the biopsychosocial model includes cultural factors. We separate these factors out, however.

Cultural: Of the many cultural factors, three are particularly important in developing effective case conceptualizations: level of acculturation, acculturative stress and acculturation-specific stress. Acculturation is the process of adapting to a culture different from one’s initial culture. Adapting to another culture tends to be stressful, and this is called acculturative stress. Such adaptation is reflected in levels of acculturation that range from low to high.

Generally, clients with a lower level of acculturation experience more distress than those with a higher level of acculturation. Disparity in acculturation levels within a family is noted in conflicts over expectations for language usage, career plans, and adherence to the family’s food choices and rituals. Acculturative stress differs from acculturation-specific stresses such as discrimination, second-language competence and microaggressions.

Precipitants

Precipitants refer to physical, psychological and social stressors that may be causative or coincide with the onset of symptoms or relational conflict. These may include physical stressors such as trauma, pain, medication side effects or withdrawal from an addictive substance. Common psychological stressors involve losses, rejections or disappointments that undermine a sense of personal competence. Social stressors may involve losses or rejections that undermine an individual’s social support and status. Included are the illness, death or hospitalization of a significant other, job demotion, the loss of Social Security disability payments and so on.

Protective factors and strengths

Protective factors are factors that decrease the likelihood of developing a clinical condition. Examples include coping skills, a positive support system, a secure attachment style and the experience of leaving an abusive relationship. It is useful to think of protective factors as being the mirror opposite of risk factors (i.e., factors that increase the likelihood of developing a clinical condition). Some examples of risk factors are early trauma, self-defeating beliefs, abusive relationships, self-harm and suicidal ideation.

Related to protective factors are strengths. These are psychological processes that consistently enable individuals to think and act in ways that benefit themselves and others. Examples of strengths include mindfulness, self-control, resilience and self-confidence. Because professional counseling emphasizes strengths and protective factors, counselors should feel supported in identifying and incorporating these elements in their case conceptualizations.

Pattern (maladaptive)

Pattern refers to the predictable and consistent style or manner in which an individual thinks, feels, acts, copes, and defends the self both in stressful and nonstressful circumstances. It reflects the individual’s baseline functioning. Pattern has physical (e.g., a sedentary and coronary-prone lifestyle), psychological (e.g., dependent personality style or disorder) and social features (e.g., collusion in a relative’s marital problems). Pattern also includes the individual’s functional strengths, which counterbalance dysfunction.

Perpetuants

Perpetuants refer to processes through which an individual’s pattern is reinforced and confirmed by both the individual and the individual’s environment. These processes may be physical, such as impaired immunity or habituation to an addictive substance; psychological, such as losing hope or fearing the consequences of getting well; or social, such as colluding family members or agencies that foster constrained dysfunctional behavior rather than recovery and growth. Sometimes precipitating factors continue and become perpetuants.

Plan (treatment)

Plan refers to a planned treatment intervention, including treatment goals, strategy and methods. It includes clinical decision-making considerations and ethical considerations.

Prognosis refers to the individual’s expected response to treatment. This forecast is based on the mix of risk factors and protective factors, client strengths and readiness for change, and the counselor’s experience and expertise in effecting therapeutic change.

Case example

To illustrate this process, we will provide a case vignette to help you practice and then apply the case to our eight P’s format. Ready? Let’s give it a shot.

Joyce is a 35-year-old Ph.D. student at an online university. She is white, identifies as heterosexual and reports that she has never been in a love relationship. She is self-referred and is seeking counseling to reduce her chronic anxiety and social anxiety. She recently started a new job at a bookstore — a stressor that brought her to counseling. She reports feeling very anxious when speaking in her online classes and in social settings. She is worried that she will not be able to manage her anxiety at her new job because she will be in a managerial role.

Joyce reports that she has been highly anxious since childhood. She denies past psychological or psychiatric treatment of any kind but reports that she has recently read several self-help books on anxiety. She also manages her stress by spending time with her close friend from class, spending time with her two dogs, drawing and painting. She appears to be highly motivated for counseling and states that her goals for therapy are “to manage and reduce my anxiety, increase my confidence and eventually get in a romantic relationship.”

Joyce describes her childhood as lonely and herself as “an introvert seeking to be an extrovert.” She states that her parents were successful lawyers who valued success, achievement and public recognition. They were highly critical of Joyce when she would struggle with academics or act shy in social situations. As an only child, she often played alone and would spend her free time reading or drawing by herself.

When asked how she views herself and others, Joyce says, “I often don’t feel like I’m good enough and don’t belong. I usually expect people to be self-centered, critical and judgmental.”

Case conceptualization outline

We suggest developing a case conceptualization with an outline of key phrases for each of the eight P’s. Here is what these phrases might look like for Joyce’s case. These phrases are then woven together into sentences that make up a case conceptualization statement that can be imported into your initial evaluation report.

Presentation: Generalized anxiety symptoms and social anxiety

Precipitant: New job and concerns about managing her anxiety

Pattern (maladaptive): Avoids cl oseness to avoid perceived harm

Predisposition:

Biological: Paternal history of anxiety
Psychological: Views herself as inadequate and others as critical; deficits in assertiveness skills, self-soothing skills and relational skills
Social: Few friends, a history of social anxiety, and parents who were highly successful and critical
Cultural: No acculturative stress or cultural stressors but from upper-middle-class socioeconomic status, so from privileged background — access to services and resources

Perpetuants: Small support system; believes that she is not competent at work

Protective factors/strengths: Compassionate, creative coping, determined, hardworking, has access to various resources, motivated for counseling

Plan (treatment): Supportive and strengths-based counseling, thought testing, self-monitoring, mindfulness practice, downward arrow technique, coping and relationship skills training, referral for group counseling

Prognosis: Good, given her motivation for treatment and the extent to which her strengths and protective factors are integrated into treatment

Case conceptualization statement

Joyce presents with generalized anxiety symptoms and social anxiety (presentation) . A recent triggering event includes her new job at a local bookstore — she is concerned that she will make errors and will have high levels of anxiety (precipitant) . She presents with an avoidant personality — or attachment — style and typically avoids close relationships. She has one close friend and has never been in a love relationship. She typically moves away from others to avoid being criticized, judged or rejected (pattern) . Some perpetuating factors include her small support system and her belief that she is not competent at work (perpetuants) .

Some of her protective factors and strengths include that she is compassionate, uses art and music to cope with stress, is determined and hardworking, and is collaborative in the therapeutic relationship. Protective factors include that she has a close friend from school, has access to university services such as counseling services and student clubs and organizations, is motivated to engage in counseling, and has health insurance (strengths & protective factors) .

The following biopsychosocial factors attempt to explain Joyce’s anxiety symptoms and avoidant personality style: a paternal history of anxiety (biological) ; she views herself as inadequate and others as critical and judgmental, and she struggles with deficits in assertiveness skills, self-soothing skills and relational skills (psychological) ; she has few friends, a history of social anxiety and parents who were highly successful and critical toward her (social) . Given Joyce’s upper-middle-class upbringing, she was born into a life of opportunity and privilege, so her entitlement of life going in a preferred and comfortable path may also explain her challenges with managing life stress (cultural) .

Besides facilitating a highly supportive, empathic and encouraging counseling relationship, treatment will include psychoeducation skills training to develop assertiveness skills, self-soothing skills and relational skills. These skills will be implemented through modeling, in-session rehearsal and role-play. Her challenges with relationship skills and interpersonal patterns will also be addressed with a referral to a therapy group at the university counseling center. Joyce’s negative self-talk, interpersonal avoidance and anxiety symptoms will be addressed with Socratic questioning, thought testing, self-monitoring, mindfulness practice and the downward arrow technique (plan-treatment) .

The outcome of therapy with Joyce is judged to be good, given her motivation for treatment, if her strengths and protective factors are integrated into the treatment process (prognosis) .

Notice how the treatment plan is targeted at the presenting symptoms and pattern dynamics of Joyce’s case. Each of the eight P’s was identified in the case conceptualization, and you can see the flow of each element and its interconnections to the other elements.

Tips for writing effective case conceptualizations

1) Seek consultation or supervision with a peer or supervisor for feedback on your case conceptualizations. Often, another perspective will help you understand the various elements (eight P’s) that you are trying to conceptualize.

2) Be flexible with your hypotheses and therapeutic guesses when piecing together case conceptualizations. Sometimes your hunches will be accurate, and sometimes you will be way off the mark.

3) Consider asking the client how they would explain their presenting problem. We begin with a question such as, “How might you explain the (symptoms, conflict, etc.) you are experiencing?” The client’s perspective may reveal important predisposing factors and cultural influences as well as their expectations for treatment.

4) Be OK with being imperfect or being completely wrong. This process takes practice, feedback and supervision.

5) After each initial intake or assessment, jot down the presenting dynamics and make some guesses of the cause or etiology of them.

6) Have a solid understanding of at least one theoretical model. Read some of the seminal textbooks or watch counseling theory videos to help you gain a comprehensive assessment of a specific theory. Knowing the foundational ideas of at least one theory will help with your conceptual map of piecing together the information that you’ve gathered about a client.

We realize that putting together case conceptualizations can be a challenge, particularly in the beginning. We hope you will find that this approach works for you. Best wishes!

For more information and ways of learning and using this approach to case conceptualization, check out the recently published second edition of our book, Case Conceptualization: Mastering This Competency With Ease and Confidence .

Jon Sperry is an associate professor of clinical mental health counseling at Lynn University in Florida. He teaches, writes about and researches case conceptualization and conducts workshops on it worldwide. Contact him at [email protected] or visit his website at drjonsperry.com .

Len Sperry is a professor of counselor education at Florida Atlantic University and a fellow of the American Counseling Association. He has long advocated for counselors learning and using case conceptualization, and his research team has completed eight studies on it. Contact him at [email protected] .

Knowledge Share articles are developed from sessions presented at American Counseling Association conferences.

Assessment, Diagnosis & Treatment
Treatment & Intervention

Search CT Articles

Current Issue

VIEW ISSUE ARCHIVE

2461 Eisenhower Avenue, Suite 300, Alexandria, Va. 22314 | 800-347-6647 | (fax) 800-473-2329

Project Types We Cover

Admissions Essay
PowerPoint Presentation
Research Paper
Book Reviews
Personal Statement
Ph.D Dissertation
Proofreading

Academic Fields & Subjects

Programming
Computer Science
Other projects we help with
Our Experts
Plagiarism Checker

Person-Centered Therapy Case Study: Examples and Analysis

By: Tasha Kolesnikova

Person-centered therapy, also known as client-centered therapy or Rogerian therapy, is a form of psychotherapy developed by prominent American psychologist Carl Rogers throughout the 1940s to the 1980s. This type of therapy is a humanistic approach and was seen as revolutionary as most psychotherapies before its emergence was based on behaviorist and psychodynamic approaches. The humanistic approach directly contradicts and contrasts core techniques and models of other approaches that were commonly used at the time.

What Is Person-Centered Therapy?

5 characteristics of the fully functioning person, causes of incongruence, person-centered therapy in practice, person-centered case study, person-centered treatment plan.

Nowadays, the fundamental modalities of person-centered therapy are widely used in modern counseling practices in combination with other techniques and therapies. Rogers is often considered the father of all humanistic schools of therapy, as many new therapies have since stemmed from his work.

Students can use this article as a resource to help them with an academic essay about person-centered therapy.

Person-centered therapy focuses on facilitating self-actualization . The therapy is built upon the fundamental ideology that human beings have an innate desire and ability to be the best they can be and live happy, fulfilling lives. An individual must set their own goals, and proceed to approach them in their own way. Once these goals have been met, self-actualization is also achieved and, as a result, they will become a fully functioning person .

It also promotes the notion that all individuals have the ability to cope with their problems and possess the potential for change. These abilities are unique to each individual, and therefore, everyone has the power to formulate appropriate solutions to help themselves navigate and manage their lives.

Positive growth can be achieved when an individual has positive regard for themselves and from others. Once optimal levels are reached, the individual will become fully functioning. Under this self-concept, it is believed that every individual has:

the capacity for self-awareness
the need for meaning in their life
the need for balancing freedom and responsibility

The key part of the person-centered approach is to assist individuals in self-discovery and self-acceptance by providing sufficient conditions that help resolve incongruence between themselves and their experiences.

According to Rogers, a fully functioning person has the following five characteristics:

They are open to new experiences , both positive and negative. They accept that life can sometimes be painful, but they have healthy abilities to cope and learn from them.
They are mindful and focus on present experiences without preconceptions from previous experiences. They do not dwell on the past or obsess about the future.
They are aware of and attentive to facts , feelings, and gut reactions . Unity of all three allows them to be true to themselves and thus have the confidence to make the right decisions. If the wrong choice is made, they will be able to accept it and learn from it.
They are willing to take risks and be adaptive . They will seize healthy and appropriate opportunities for growth.
They have a sense of contentment and a desire for new challenges and experiences.

Each of these characteristics is achieved through congruence of the self.

An individual tends to struggle with becoming a fully functional person, mostly due to incongruence. Incongruence is usually caused by encountering conditional worth or conditional love at some point, often during childhood.

If love and worth are dependent on meeting specific expectations and withdrawn when these expectations were not met, the individual will suffer from anxiety. This anxiety leads to a feeling of the unified self-being under attack. To relieve this anxiety, the individual will engage in detrimental methods such as denial and defensiveness.

Another cause is frustrated basic impulses that lead to negative feelings and poor social skills.

Individuals receiving person-centered therapy are referred to as clients rather than patients. This is in line with the overall concept that therapy is a shared journey between two people rather than the therapist or counselor treating or giving the advice to solve problems. The client is regarded as the expert of themselves and has all the answers to their own problems required within them.

Sufficient core conditions required for therapeutic change under person-centered therapy are outlined as follows:

Psychological contact - a mutually respectful relationship between the counselor and patient must exist, where both parties feel equally important.
Client incongruence – the client must experience distress caused by incongruence between their experiences and awareness. They are vulnerable and or anxious.
Therapist congruence or genuineness – sometimes referred to as being authentic. The therapist must be aware of their active participation and be deeply involved, becoming congruent with the therapeutic relationship.
Therapist unconditional positive regard – the therapist or counselor must have a non-judgmental stance, so the counselor does not impose any conditions of worth.
Therapist empathy – the therapist or counselor must effectively and accurately communicate their empathic understanding of the client's frame of reference. Presenting problems from another perspective can also help the client gain a new point of view to solving them.
Client perception – the client must perceive and appreciate this empathy and acceptance from their therapist or counselor and develop positive self-regard to a minimal degree.

It is interesting to note that Rogers viewed both approval and disapproval shown towards an individual to be disruptive to therapeutic change. The role of the therapist is to provide a caring and accepting environment conducive to giving clients the freedom to explore areas of their lives in ways they were previously denied or distorted.

Unlike other therapies, Person-centered therapy does not have many set techniques. This Is because therapy sessions are largely directed by the individual. The counselor's or therapist's job is to create a safe environment that facilitates congruence and form a therapeutic alliance with the individual.

Because of this, a defining technique used during person-centered therapy is non-directiveness . This is achieved by:

giving no advice
asking no questions
giving no interpretations
allowing clients to set their own goals

Another technique used during therapy sessions is active listening . This is achieved by:

paraphrasing
summarizing

It was theorized that the client will initially be closed, not open to experiences, and have little to no self-awareness. But once therapy is completed, all these obstacles will be addressed and reversed due to gaining positive self-regard.

There are many advantages in the techniques used during person-centered therapy. However, some concerns have also been raised about the approach:

Non-directiveness - idea of non-directiveness has been largely debated. Some have argued that therapy by nature will always be directed in some capacity. Furthermore, bias can never be completely eliminated. Therefore, unconscious or unintentional bias can cause direction.
Inefficient – person-centered therapy can take an unnecessarily long time due to the lack of structure and non-directiveness. For fear of intervening with progress, therapists may deliberately withhold solutions or advice from a client, and it may take longer than necessary to reach that solution, if at all.
Frustration – being non-direct can understandably cause frustration in some clients who may be seeking advice or opinions.
Disorder specific – Rogers originally claimed that Person-centered therapy could treat all mental health disorders, but research has shown this is not the case.

Jane's phenomenological worldview causes her to be incongruent with her true self and what she believed is expected of her. Expectations imposed upon her are unrealistically high, and fear of not meeting those standards has caused her incongruent distress. Subsequently, this has created a condition for her self-worth.

These expectations are a direct result of traumatic stress stemming from culture, religion, and loved ones. In her phenomenological world, she will never be good enough as a daughter, mother, wife, Catholic, or accountant. She feels she constantly lets everyone down and can never gain approval from those whose opinions she cares about.

Trying harder to please and meet everyone's expectations takes her further away from wholeness and true self-worth. She has lost confidence in her ability to make good decisions and constantly seeks outside direction on how she should act. This low self-esteem will hinder any feelings of success and satisfaction.

She is aware that how she handles situations as it stands is not working but fails to see the situation from another perspective or figure out new solutions.

This is a classic example of a client that may benefit from person-centered therapy. We can understand that although Jane feels these pressures of meeting rejection and disapproval, she still has the potential for self-actualization.

This is evidenced by her independent decisions of marrying a spouse outside her religion and studying accountancy against her family's wishes. The act of seeking therapy confirms her desire for growth and change for a better life.

Jane has risen above adversity on multiple occasions in life. She has achieved academically, personally, and professionally but the lack of caring relationships has distorted her ability to recognize and accept her success and potential. This has deterred her from achieving higher levels of self-actualization. Jane must take new risks to attain the growth she seeks.

For treatment to be effective, the core conditions must be met. The formulation was as follows:

Undertaking person-centered therapy, the therapist will provide an optimal therapeutic environment where her actualizing tendencies can flourish.
Through active listening and empathy, the therapist and Jane will build a trusting therapeutic alliance and further clarify her thoughts and feelings. Being able to work out problems and breaking them down, Jane will no longer view them as insurmountable as she did before.
Unconditional positive regard will install confidence in Jane as a competent person capable of making decisions and problem solving on her own. By increasing trust in herself, she reduces the control others have over her and will begin to believe in her own self-worth.
Consistency and genuine rapport between Jane and the counselor will allow her to feel that the ideas and actions developed during sessions are authentic, dependable, and can be replicated outside in the real world.
Jane's newfound view of the world will lead to her trying out new approaches to problems. She will continue to report back on her progress in integrating these new approaches. She will eventually come to recognize that she is capable of independently achieving success and overcoming failure.
Jane will continue these practices until she has reached self-actualization and becomes a fully functional person.

Studybay also offers essay editing or writing services to perfect your research papers and get you the best grade possible!

User ratings:

User ratings is 4.6 stars.

4.6 /5 ( 68 Votes)

Content Writer

I studied sociology and marketing at Europa-Universität Viadrina (Germany) and Universidade da Beira Interior (Portugal). When I was a sophomore, back in 2018, I decided to put what I've learned into practice, so I got my first job in digital marketing. I currently work in the content marketing department at Studybay, building strong, effective, and respectful communication between the platform and our clients.

Add Your Comment

We are very interested to know your opinion

Upgrade your writing skills!

Try our AI essay writer from Studybay today!

How we work
Testimonials
Why we're different
Academic writing fees
Business writing fees
Web writing fees
Marketing essay writing
Psychotherapy essays
Psychology research papers
Term paper writing
Web writing
Business Writing
Proofreading

You're on the page of custom research paper writing service

How to write counseling case studies

Jan 31, 2021
Essay Writing Service

Guide on writing counseling case studies

As a psychotherapy or counseling student, you are very likely to come across such written assignments as counseling case studies . As this is a very particular type of academic assignment, we created this guide to help you write psychotherapy case studies as a professional.

A counseling case study is basically a simulation of your future work as a counselor. You have got a case about a person who has some psychological or mental challenges. You are provided with a description of the situation, the client’s complaints, behavior, some environmental factors like family, work, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic factors, and you need to present your opinion about the situation and a tentative treatment plan.

So essentially, you need to imagine yourself as a psychotherapist who works with this client and knows how to treat him. Therefore in your paper, you cannot just write irrelevant information such as definitions of mental diseases, history of counseling, or other side digressions just to fill up the required word count. This approach may work for many types of essays, but not for counseling case studies. When writing case studies on psychotherapy, you need to be very on point.

Your paper should contain three basic sections:

Your analysis about the client’s situation;
Diagnosis or summary/interpretation of the client’s problem from a particular theoretical standpoint or from an integrative perspective
Interventions that might help the client based on your analysis.

Your counseling case study should contain the analysis of the client's situation, assessment or diagnosis, and treatment plan containing proposed interventions and reflection on the therapeutic process.

Keep in mind that the basic principle of academic paper writing is: KNOW WHAT YOU WRITE . That means know what you are required to write (make sure you understand the assignment and read the case carefully) and have the background knowledge about the theory and practice of psychotherapy, general counseling theories or a specific theory, and therapeutic techniques and interventions.

For some people, such an assignment may seem overwhelming as you are not a working counselor yet and you are not sure how to tackle the client’s problem. But do not panic, just follow the steps below to produce a high-quality counseling case study.

1. Read your assignment and the case description carefully

Clarify all the terms you encounter in the case. Make sure you know what theory of psychotherapy you are expected to follow in your diagnosis and treatment plan. If no theoretical approach is mentioned in your assignment, check if you have covered any particular theories in your classes.

If you are not sure what a theory of psychotherapy is, it’s a particular approach to interpret psychological and mental problems. The first theory of psychotherapy was psychoanalysis developed by Sigmund Freud. Its theoretical foundation relied on distinguishing three parts of the mind: ego, superego, and id; recognizing the role of the subconscious with its instincts and drives in psychological conflicts; interpreting maladaptive behavior through the lens of ego defenses; recognizing the role of early childhood experiences, particularly childhood traumas, in the pathophysiology of mental problems. Later, many other theories of counseling were developed, such as Adlerian, existential, humanistic and person-centered, behavior (BT), cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT), Gestalt therapy, reality, feminist, narrative, solution-focused brief therapy, family systems therapy , and many others. So if earlier in the class, you covered humanistic counseling, you can use the humanistic theoretical approach in your case analysis (unless, of course, your assignment clearly states what theory you need to follow).

2. Review the textbook chapters on that theory paying attention to particular approaches to diagnosis and therapeutic techniques.

Theory is important as different theoretical frameworks interpret the same situation in a different way. For example, the same symptoms could be interpreted as defenses caused by childhood trauma in psychoanalysis, malfunctioning behavioral patterns in Behavior therapy, dysfunctional cognitive schemes in CBT, unfinished business in Gestalt, destructive environmental factors in feminist therapy, being stuck in a pattern of living a problem-saturated story in narrative therapy, and so on.

3. Re-read the case again paying attention to special terms

and see if you now understand the meaning of these terms after studying the literature.

4. Read additional resources (optional)

If you still have doubts about the case and how to proceed with it, you might need additional resources, either provided by your teacher or found on the Internet. If you have a specific psychotherapeutic theory to follow for your case, you can google “assessment and treatment in [your theory]” and search for books, worksheets, or articles.

5. Summarize the client’s situation in the case.

In this stage, we start writing up the draft of the case analysis. Describe the gist of the client’s problem as he sees it and as you can grasp from the description of his behavior, thoughts, and feelings in the case. If you can locate it in the case, summarize his family situation, relationships, the family of origins, and work relations . Also, note if any sociocultural factors, like race, religion, ethnicity, gender, income level, sexual orientation, or neighborhood , may have impacted the client and his significant relations. Note if the client has previously done efforts to deal with his problems and what these efforts were.

6. Formulate a diagnosis for the client.

This section will often require you to provide a diagnosis according to DSM diagnostic criteria or formulate a problem according to the conventions of your counseling theory. Some theoretical frameworks, like Narrative or Feminist therapy, do not make diagnoses in working with clients as they view clinical diagnosis as a pathologizing, discriminatory and condescending practice that skews power balance in favor of the therapist. So if you are writing the case study within one of these paradigms, you will not have to provide a diagnosis for the client. However, you will still have to make a sort of assessment. While diagnosis involves identifying specific mental disorders based on patterns of symptoms, for assessment , you need to point out the client’s main problem and identify the main factors of the client’s life that you think might be contributing to this problem.

If you need to provide the diagnosis according to DSM-V manual, pay attention to the Differential diagnosis section for each disorder description. If the client’s symptoms initially look like major depressive disorder, you can consult the differential diagnosis section in the major depressive disorder chapter to see if there are alternative explanations fitting the client’s symptoms. Thus, for major depressive disorder, the alternatives may be substance/medication-induced depressive or bipolar disorder, mood disorder due to another medical condition, ADHD, adjustment disorder with depressed mood, and sadness. Check the diagnostic criteria for all these disorders to find which one fits better. Some of the assignments will require you to spell out how many symptoms fit the criteria of the disorders, and name these symptoms.

7. Outline the developmental context of the problem.

Write how the client’s problem developed over time. Consider if early childhood experiences, the family of origin, or family structure may have contributed to this problem. Has a similar problem been experienced by some family member before? Have environmental and socio-economic factors , like income level, race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or any others, contributed to the development of the problem? How do these developmental factors interact with the current stressors and conflicts to shape the client’s worldview? Does the client have social support or safety net to rely on? In some theoretical approaches, you will also have to identify the client’s pathogenic or irrational beliefs about himself (like BT and CBT), maladaptive styles of functioning (Gestalt, psychoanalysis), or internalized dysfunctional cultural narratives (narrative and feminist therapies).

8. Propose interventions and techniques that might benefit the client.

If you follow a specific theory, this assignment is not that hard. Just go to the textbook chapter of your theory, check the techniques and interventions, and choose the ones that are appropriate for your situation. But do not just mechanically copy the list of techniques from the textbook. Imagine yourself sitting with the client and having a counseling session with them. Where would you start? If you are at loss, remember that almost all theories start with establishing a contact, creating a therapeutic relationship with the client. You might start by explaining your role and responsibilities, the client’s rights and the process of therapy, and getting informed consent from the client. Listen to his story attentively and respectfully, learn reflective listening , suspend judgment about the client, show empathy . These are basic things that almost all therapists irrespective of their theoretical orientation and client’s problem, use. To these, you will add specific techniques from your theoretical approach or techniques that are normally used for similar problems.

9. Add reflections on the therapeutic process.

This section is not required in all case studies, but it’s often present since you need to be aware of this aspect as a future therapist. Here, write what you think about the client. Does she and her problems engage you emotionally? How might your feelings help or hinder the therapeutic process? Is there room for countertransference (when a client’s problem triggers an emotional response from you connected with your previous experience or your own problem). How might this client perceive you? How might her feelings help or hinder the therapeutic process? What challenges you might face while working with the client? What traits of your personality or any previous experience might help you establish trust and connection?

Final thoughts

This is the general outline of all counseling case studies. The requirements might vary from case to case, but these steps are pretty much essential for a solid analysis of a client’s situation in a therapeutic setting. All these steps might seem overwhelming to you, but do not despair. To be successful, it is essential to understand the requirements and the case, have knowledge about your theory and counseling approach, and then use your brains to reflect on the given case using common sense, knowledge from the textbook, and your imagination of how you would work with a person presented in the case. As you see, in this paper there is not much room for paraphrasing or filling the space with irrelevant information. Everything must be very to the point. The only place where you can use some rewriting is the DSM diagnosis section, ONLY if the teacher asks you to note down all the symptoms that fit the diagnosis. Then you can take those symptoms from the diagnostic criteria of the disorder and slightly paraphrase them. The rest of the paper is your own reflection about the case, the client, and the ways to help him . If you feel intimidated, do not worry. Just start doing these cases, and you will get better with time.

If you feel that you need professional help from a research assistant with good experience in counseling case studies, you’re at the right place. Check our prices for custom written counseling case studies and make your order here , it takes just a few minutes.

Our academic writing service guarantees

100% original, unlimited revisions.

Or find out more about our service of counseling research paper writing and psychotherapy essay writing Read our guide on writing research papers on counseling

Our Services

Quality writing, money back guarantee, safe and confidential, great customer support, company info.

Personal Writer is a professional custom research and writing service that has been on the market of academic writing for 11 years

NEWSLETTER SIGNUP

Our services

Academic Writing Business Writing

Web Writing Editing Proofreading

Research Paper Writing Service

Academic Essay Writing

Term Paper Writing Service

Counseling Research Papers

Psychotherapy Essay Writing

Psychology Research Writing

Philosophy Essays

Our Keywords

online essay writer english essay writer research papers for sale online essay writing buy a research paper online research paper writing service academic writing for graduate students help with essay writing essay writing help research services college research paper writing research papers custom research paper writing term paper good essay writing college application essay writing college essay help

Connect with us

Twitter Facebook Google Linkedin Skype Vimeo

Bipolar Disorder
Therapy Center
When To See a Therapist
Types of Therapy
Best Online Therapy
Best Couples Therapy
Managing Stress
Sleep and Dreaming
Understanding Emotions
Self-Improvement
Healthy Relationships
Student Resources
Personality Types
Sweepstakes
Guided Meditations
Verywell Mind Insights
2024 Verywell Mind 25
Mental Health in the Classroom
Editorial Process
Meet Our Review Board
Crisis Support

What Is a Case Study?

Weighing the pros and cons of this method of research

Verywell / Colleen Tighe

Pros and Cons

What Types of Case Studies Are Out There?

Where do you find data for a case study, how do i write a psychology case study.

A case study is an in-depth study of one person, group, or event. In a case study, nearly every aspect of the subject's life and history is analyzed to seek patterns and causes of behavior. Case studies can be used in many different fields, including psychology, medicine, education, anthropology, political science, and social work.

The point of a case study is to learn as much as possible about an individual or group so that the information can be generalized to many others. Unfortunately, case studies tend to be highly subjective, and it is sometimes difficult to generalize results to a larger population.

While case studies focus on a single individual or group, they follow a format similar to other types of psychology writing. If you are writing a case study, we got you—here are some rules of APA format to reference.

At a Glance

A case study, or an in-depth study of a person, group, or event, can be a useful research tool when used wisely. In many cases, case studies are best used in situations where it would be difficult or impossible for you to conduct an experiment. They are helpful for looking at unique situations and allow researchers to gather a lot of˜ information about a specific individual or group of people. However, it's important to be cautious of any bias we draw from them as they are highly subjective.

What Are the Benefits and Limitations of Case Studies?

A case study can have its strengths and weaknesses. Researchers must consider these pros and cons before deciding if this type of study is appropriate for their needs.

One of the greatest advantages of a case study is that it allows researchers to investigate things that are often difficult or impossible to replicate in a lab. Some other benefits of a case study:

Allows researchers to capture information on the 'how,' 'what,' and 'why,' of something that's implemented
Gives researchers the chance to collect information on why one strategy might be chosen over another
Permits researchers to develop hypotheses that can be explored in experimental research

On the other hand, a case study can have some drawbacks:

It cannot necessarily be generalized to the larger population
Cannot demonstrate cause and effect
It may not be scientifically rigorous
It can lead to bias

Researchers may choose to perform a case study if they want to explore a unique or recently discovered phenomenon. Through their insights, researchers develop additional ideas and study questions that might be explored in future studies.

It's important to remember that the insights from case studies cannot be used to determine cause-and-effect relationships between variables. However, case studies may be used to develop hypotheses that can then be addressed in experimental research.

Case Study Examples

There have been a number of notable case studies in the history of psychology. Much of Freud's work and theories were developed through individual case studies. Some great examples of case studies in psychology include:

Anna O : Anna O. was a pseudonym of a woman named Bertha Pappenheim, a patient of a physician named Josef Breuer. While she was never a patient of Freud's, Freud and Breuer discussed her case extensively. The woman was experiencing symptoms of a condition that was then known as hysteria and found that talking about her problems helped relieve her symptoms. Her case played an important part in the development of talk therapy as an approach to mental health treatment.
Phineas Gage : Phineas Gage was a railroad employee who experienced a terrible accident in which an explosion sent a metal rod through his skull, damaging important portions of his brain. Gage recovered from his accident but was left with serious changes in both personality and behavior.
Genie : Genie was a young girl subjected to horrific abuse and isolation. The case study of Genie allowed researchers to study whether language learning was possible, even after missing critical periods for language development. Her case also served as an example of how scientific research may interfere with treatment and lead to further abuse of vulnerable individuals.

Such cases demonstrate how case research can be used to study things that researchers could not replicate in experimental settings. In Genie's case, her horrific abuse denied her the opportunity to learn a language at critical points in her development.

This is clearly not something researchers could ethically replicate, but conducting a case study on Genie allowed researchers to study phenomena that are otherwise impossible to reproduce.

There are a few different types of case studies that psychologists and other researchers might use:

Collective case studies : These involve studying a group of individuals. Researchers might study a group of people in a certain setting or look at an entire community. For example, psychologists might explore how access to resources in a community has affected the collective mental well-being of those who live there.
Descriptive case studies : These involve starting with a descriptive theory. The subjects are then observed, and the information gathered is compared to the pre-existing theory.
Explanatory case studies : These are often used to do causal investigations. In other words, researchers are interested in looking at factors that may have caused certain things to occur.
Exploratory case studies : These are sometimes used as a prelude to further, more in-depth research. This allows researchers to gather more information before developing their research questions and hypotheses .
Instrumental case studies : These occur when the individual or group allows researchers to understand more than what is initially obvious to observers.
Intrinsic case studies : This type of case study is when the researcher has a personal interest in the case. Jean Piaget's observations of his own children are good examples of how an intrinsic case study can contribute to the development of a psychological theory.

The three main case study types often used are intrinsic, instrumental, and collective. Intrinsic case studies are useful for learning about unique cases. Instrumental case studies help look at an individual to learn more about a broader issue. A collective case study can be useful for looking at several cases simultaneously.

The type of case study that psychology researchers use depends on the unique characteristics of the situation and the case itself.

There are a number of different sources and methods that researchers can use to gather information about an individual or group. Six major sources that have been identified by researchers are:

Archival records : Census records, survey records, and name lists are examples of archival records.
Direct observation : This strategy involves observing the subject, often in a natural setting . While an individual observer is sometimes used, it is more common to utilize a group of observers.
Documents : Letters, newspaper articles, administrative records, etc., are the types of documents often used as sources.
Interviews : Interviews are one of the most important methods for gathering information in case studies. An interview can involve structured survey questions or more open-ended questions.
Participant observation : When the researcher serves as a participant in events and observes the actions and outcomes, it is called participant observation.
Physical artifacts : Tools, objects, instruments, and other artifacts are often observed during a direct observation of the subject.

If you have been directed to write a case study for a psychology course, be sure to check with your instructor for any specific guidelines you need to follow. If you are writing your case study for a professional publication, check with the publisher for their specific guidelines for submitting a case study.

Here is a general outline of what should be included in a case study.

Section 1: A Case History

This section will have the following structure and content:

Background information : The first section of your paper will present your client's background. Include factors such as age, gender, work, health status, family mental health history, family and social relationships, drug and alcohol history, life difficulties, goals, and coping skills and weaknesses.

Description of the presenting problem : In the next section of your case study, you will describe the problem or symptoms that the client presented with.

Describe any physical, emotional, or sensory symptoms reported by the client. Thoughts, feelings, and perceptions related to the symptoms should also be noted. Any screening or diagnostic assessments that are used should also be described in detail and all scores reported.

Your diagnosis : Provide your diagnosis and give the appropriate Diagnostic and Statistical Manual code. Explain how you reached your diagnosis, how the client's symptoms fit the diagnostic criteria for the disorder(s), or any possible difficulties in reaching a diagnosis.

Section 2: Treatment Plan

This portion of the paper will address the chosen treatment for the condition. This might also include the theoretical basis for the chosen treatment or any other evidence that might exist to support why this approach was chosen.

Cognitive behavioral approach : Explain how a cognitive behavioral therapist would approach treatment. Offer background information on cognitive behavioral therapy and describe the treatment sessions, client response, and outcome of this type of treatment. Make note of any difficulties or successes encountered by your client during treatment.
Humanistic approach : Describe a humanistic approach that could be used to treat your client, such as client-centered therapy . Provide information on the type of treatment you chose, the client's reaction to the treatment, and the end result of this approach. Explain why the treatment was successful or unsuccessful.
Psychoanalytic approach : Describe how a psychoanalytic therapist would view the client's problem. Provide some background on the psychoanalytic approach and cite relevant references. Explain how psychoanalytic therapy would be used to treat the client, how the client would respond to therapy, and the effectiveness of this treatment approach.
Pharmacological approach : If treatment primarily involves the use of medications, explain which medications were used and why. Provide background on the effectiveness of these medications and how monotherapy may compare with an approach that combines medications with therapy or other treatments.

This section of a case study should also include information about the treatment goals, process, and outcomes.

When you are writing a case study, you should also include a section where you discuss the case study itself, including the strengths and limitiations of the study. You should note how the findings of your case study might support previous research.

In your discussion section, you should also describe some of the implications of your case study. What ideas or findings might require further exploration? How might researchers go about exploring some of these questions in additional studies?

Need More Tips?

Here are a few additional pointers to keep in mind when formatting your case study:

Never refer to the subject of your case study as "the client." Instead, use their name or a pseudonym.
Read examples of case studies to gain an idea about the style and format.
Remember to use APA format when citing references .

Crowe S, Cresswell K, Robertson A, Huby G, Avery A, Sheikh A. The case study approach . BMC Med Res Methodol . 2011;11:100.

Crowe S, Cresswell K, Robertson A, Huby G, Avery A, Sheikh A. The case study approach . BMC Med Res Methodol . 2011 Jun 27;11:100. doi:10.1186/1471-2288-11-100

Gagnon, Yves-Chantal. The Case Study as Research Method: A Practical Handbook . Canada, Chicago Review Press Incorporated DBA Independent Pub Group, 2010.

Yin, Robert K. Case Study Research and Applications: Design and Methods . United States, SAGE Publications, 2017.

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Assignments

Annotated Bibliography
Analyzing a Scholarly Journal Article
Group Presentations
Dealing with Nervousness
Using Visual Aids
Grading Someone Else's Paper
Types of Structured Group Activities
Group Project Survival Skills
Leading a Class Discussion
Multiple Book Review Essay
Reviewing Collected Works
Writing a Case Analysis Paper
Writing a Case Study
About Informed Consent
Writing Field Notes
Writing a Policy Memo
Writing a Reflective Paper
Writing a Research Proposal
Generative AI and Writing
Acknowledgments

A case study research paper examines a person, place, event, condition, phenomenon, or other type of subject of analysis in order to extrapolate key themes and results that help predict future trends, illuminate previously hidden issues that can be applied to practice, and/or provide a means for understanding an important research problem with greater clarity. A case study research paper usually examines a single subject of analysis, but case study papers can also be designed as a comparative investigation that shows relationships between two or more subjects. The methods used to study a case can rest within a quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-method investigative paradigm.

Case Studies. Writing@CSU. Colorado State University; Mills, Albert J. , Gabrielle Durepos, and Eiden Wiebe, editors. Encyclopedia of Case Study Research . Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 2010 ; “What is a Case Study?” In Swanborn, Peter G. Case Study Research: What, Why and How? London: SAGE, 2010.

How to Approach Writing a Case Study Research Paper

General information about how to choose a topic to investigate can be found under the " Choosing a Research Problem " tab in the Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper writing guide. Review this page because it may help you identify a subject of analysis that can be investigated using a case study design.

However, identifying a case to investigate involves more than choosing the research problem . A case study encompasses a problem contextualized around the application of in-depth analysis, interpretation, and discussion, often resulting in specific recommendations for action or for improving existing conditions. As Seawright and Gerring note, practical considerations such as time and access to information can influence case selection, but these issues should not be the sole factors used in describing the methodological justification for identifying a particular case to study. Given this, selecting a case includes considering the following:

The case represents an unusual or atypical example of a research problem that requires more in-depth analysis? Cases often represent a topic that rests on the fringes of prior investigations because the case may provide new ways of understanding the research problem. For example, if the research problem is to identify strategies to improve policies that support girl's access to secondary education in predominantly Muslim nations, you could consider using Azerbaijan as a case study rather than selecting a more obvious nation in the Middle East. Doing so may reveal important new insights into recommending how governments in other predominantly Muslim nations can formulate policies that support improved access to education for girls.
The case provides important insight or illuminate a previously hidden problem? In-depth analysis of a case can be based on the hypothesis that the case study will reveal trends or issues that have not been exposed in prior research or will reveal new and important implications for practice. For example, anecdotal evidence may suggest drug use among homeless veterans is related to their patterns of travel throughout the day. Assuming prior studies have not looked at individual travel choices as a way to study access to illicit drug use, a case study that observes a homeless veteran could reveal how issues of personal mobility choices facilitate regular access to illicit drugs. Note that it is important to conduct a thorough literature review to ensure that your assumption about the need to reveal new insights or previously hidden problems is valid and evidence-based.
The case challenges and offers a counter-point to prevailing assumptions? Over time, research on any given topic can fall into a trap of developing assumptions based on outdated studies that are still applied to new or changing conditions or the idea that something should simply be accepted as "common sense," even though the issue has not been thoroughly tested in current practice. A case study analysis may offer an opportunity to gather evidence that challenges prevailing assumptions about a research problem and provide a new set of recommendations applied to practice that have not been tested previously. For example, perhaps there has been a long practice among scholars to apply a particular theory in explaining the relationship between two subjects of analysis. Your case could challenge this assumption by applying an innovative theoretical framework [perhaps borrowed from another discipline] to explore whether this approach offers new ways of understanding the research problem. Taking a contrarian stance is one of the most important ways that new knowledge and understanding develops from existing literature.
The case provides an opportunity to pursue action leading to the resolution of a problem? Another way to think about choosing a case to study is to consider how the results from investigating a particular case may result in findings that reveal ways in which to resolve an existing or emerging problem. For example, studying the case of an unforeseen incident, such as a fatal accident at a railroad crossing, can reveal hidden issues that could be applied to preventative measures that contribute to reducing the chance of accidents in the future. In this example, a case study investigating the accident could lead to a better understanding of where to strategically locate additional signals at other railroad crossings so as to better warn drivers of an approaching train, particularly when visibility is hindered by heavy rain, fog, or at night.
The case offers a new direction in future research? A case study can be used as a tool for an exploratory investigation that highlights the need for further research about the problem. A case can be used when there are few studies that help predict an outcome or that establish a clear understanding about how best to proceed in addressing a problem. For example, after conducting a thorough literature review [very important!], you discover that little research exists showing the ways in which women contribute to promoting water conservation in rural communities of east central Africa. A case study of how women contribute to saving water in a rural village of Uganda can lay the foundation for understanding the need for more thorough research that documents how women in their roles as cooks and family caregivers think about water as a valuable resource within their community. This example of a case study could also point to the need for scholars to build new theoretical frameworks around the topic [e.g., applying feminist theories of work and family to the issue of water conservation].

Eisenhardt, Kathleen M. “Building Theories from Case Study Research.” Academy of Management Review 14 (October 1989): 532-550; Emmel, Nick. Sampling and Choosing Cases in Qualitative Research: A Realist Approach . Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 2013; Gerring, John. “What Is a Case Study and What Is It Good for?” American Political Science Review 98 (May 2004): 341-354; Mills, Albert J. , Gabrielle Durepos, and Eiden Wiebe, editors. Encyclopedia of Case Study Research . Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 2010; Seawright, Jason and John Gerring. "Case Selection Techniques in Case Study Research." Political Research Quarterly 61 (June 2008): 294-308.

Structure and Writing Style

The purpose of a paper in the social sciences designed around a case study is to thoroughly investigate a subject of analysis in order to reveal a new understanding about the research problem and, in so doing, contributing new knowledge to what is already known from previous studies. In applied social sciences disciplines [e.g., education, social work, public administration, etc.], case studies may also be used to reveal best practices, highlight key programs, or investigate interesting aspects of professional work.

In general, the structure of a case study research paper is not all that different from a standard college-level research paper. However, there are subtle differences you should be aware of. Here are the key elements to organizing and writing a case study research paper.

I. Introduction

As with any research paper, your introduction should serve as a roadmap for your readers to ascertain the scope and purpose of your study . The introduction to a case study research paper, however, should not only describe the research problem and its significance, but you should also succinctly describe why the case is being used and how it relates to addressing the problem. The two elements should be linked. With this in mind, a good introduction answers these four questions:

What is being studied? Describe the research problem and describe the subject of analysis [the case] you have chosen to address the problem. Explain how they are linked and what elements of the case will help to expand knowledge and understanding about the problem.
Why is this topic important to investigate? Describe the significance of the research problem and state why a case study design and the subject of analysis that the paper is designed around is appropriate in addressing the problem.
What did we know about this topic before I did this study? Provide background that helps lead the reader into the more in-depth literature review to follow. If applicable, summarize prior case study research applied to the research problem and why it fails to adequately address the problem. Describe why your case will be useful. If no prior case studies have been used to address the research problem, explain why you have selected this subject of analysis.
How will this study advance new knowledge or new ways of understanding? Explain why your case study will be suitable in helping to expand knowledge and understanding about the research problem.

Each of these questions should be addressed in no more than a few paragraphs. Exceptions to this can be when you are addressing a complex research problem or subject of analysis that requires more in-depth background information.

II. Literature Review

The literature review for a case study research paper is generally structured the same as it is for any college-level research paper. The difference, however, is that the literature review is focused on providing background information and enabling historical interpretation of the subject of analysis in relation to the research problem the case is intended to address . This includes synthesizing studies that help to:

Place relevant works in the context of their contribution to understanding the case study being investigated . This would involve summarizing studies that have used a similar subject of analysis to investigate the research problem. If there is literature using the same or a very similar case to study, you need to explain why duplicating past research is important [e.g., conditions have changed; prior studies were conducted long ago, etc.].
Describe the relationship each work has to the others under consideration that informs the reader why this case is applicable . Your literature review should include a description of any works that support using the case to investigate the research problem and the underlying research questions.
Identify new ways to interpret prior research using the case study . If applicable, review any research that has examined the research problem using a different research design. Explain how your use of a case study design may reveal new knowledge or a new perspective or that can redirect research in an important new direction.
Resolve conflicts amongst seemingly contradictory previous studies . This refers to synthesizing any literature that points to unresolved issues of concern about the research problem and describing how the subject of analysis that forms the case study can help resolve these existing contradictions.
Point the way in fulfilling a need for additional research . Your review should examine any literature that lays a foundation for understanding why your case study design and the subject of analysis around which you have designed your study may reveal a new way of approaching the research problem or offer a perspective that points to the need for additional research.
Expose any gaps that exist in the literature that the case study could help to fill . Summarize any literature that not only shows how your subject of analysis contributes to understanding the research problem, but how your case contributes to a new way of understanding the problem that prior research has failed to do.
Locate your own research within the context of existing literature [very important!] . Collectively, your literature review should always place your case study within the larger domain of prior research about the problem. The overarching purpose of reviewing pertinent literature in a case study paper is to demonstrate that you have thoroughly identified and synthesized prior studies in relation to explaining the relevance of the case in addressing the research problem.

III. Method

In this section, you explain why you selected a particular case [i.e., subject of analysis] and the strategy you used to identify and ultimately decide that your case was appropriate in addressing the research problem. The way you describe the methods used varies depending on the type of subject of analysis that constitutes your case study.

If your subject of analysis is an incident or event . In the social and behavioral sciences, the event or incident that represents the case to be studied is usually bounded by time and place, with a clear beginning and end and with an identifiable location or position relative to its surroundings. The subject of analysis can be a rare or critical event or it can focus on a typical or regular event. The purpose of studying a rare event is to illuminate new ways of thinking about the broader research problem or to test a hypothesis. Critical incident case studies must describe the method by which you identified the event and explain the process by which you determined the validity of this case to inform broader perspectives about the research problem or to reveal new findings. However, the event does not have to be a rare or uniquely significant to support new thinking about the research problem or to challenge an existing hypothesis. For example, Walo, Bull, and Breen conducted a case study to identify and evaluate the direct and indirect economic benefits and costs of a local sports event in the City of Lismore, New South Wales, Australia. The purpose of their study was to provide new insights from measuring the impact of a typical local sports event that prior studies could not measure well because they focused on large "mega-events." Whether the event is rare or not, the methods section should include an explanation of the following characteristics of the event: a) when did it take place; b) what were the underlying circumstances leading to the event; and, c) what were the consequences of the event in relation to the research problem.

If your subject of analysis is a person. Explain why you selected this particular individual to be studied and describe what experiences they have had that provide an opportunity to advance new understandings about the research problem. Mention any background about this person which might help the reader understand the significance of their experiences that make them worthy of study. This includes describing the relationships this person has had with other people, institutions, and/or events that support using them as the subject for a case study research paper. It is particularly important to differentiate the person as the subject of analysis from others and to succinctly explain how the person relates to examining the research problem [e.g., why is one politician in a particular local election used to show an increase in voter turnout from any other candidate running in the election]. Note that these issues apply to a specific group of people used as a case study unit of analysis [e.g., a classroom of students].

If your subject of analysis is a place. In general, a case study that investigates a place suggests a subject of analysis that is unique or special in some way and that this uniqueness can be used to build new understanding or knowledge about the research problem. A case study of a place must not only describe its various attributes relevant to the research problem [e.g., physical, social, historical, cultural, economic, political], but you must state the method by which you determined that this place will illuminate new understandings about the research problem. It is also important to articulate why a particular place as the case for study is being used if similar places also exist [i.e., if you are studying patterns of homeless encampments of veterans in open spaces, explain why you are studying Echo Park in Los Angeles rather than Griffith Park?]. If applicable, describe what type of human activity involving this place makes it a good choice to study [e.g., prior research suggests Echo Park has more homeless veterans].

If your subject of analysis is a phenomenon. A phenomenon refers to a fact, occurrence, or circumstance that can be studied or observed but with the cause or explanation to be in question. In this sense, a phenomenon that forms your subject of analysis can encompass anything that can be observed or presumed to exist but is not fully understood. In the social and behavioral sciences, the case usually focuses on human interaction within a complex physical, social, economic, cultural, or political system. For example, the phenomenon could be the observation that many vehicles used by ISIS fighters are small trucks with English language advertisements on them. The research problem could be that ISIS fighters are difficult to combat because they are highly mobile. The research questions could be how and by what means are these vehicles used by ISIS being supplied to the militants and how might supply lines to these vehicles be cut off? How might knowing the suppliers of these trucks reveal larger networks of collaborators and financial support? A case study of a phenomenon most often encompasses an in-depth analysis of a cause and effect that is grounded in an interactive relationship between people and their environment in some way.

NOTE: The choice of the case or set of cases to study cannot appear random. Evidence that supports the method by which you identified and chose your subject of analysis should clearly support investigation of the research problem and linked to key findings from your literature review. Be sure to cite any studies that helped you determine that the case you chose was appropriate for examining the problem.

IV. Discussion

The main elements of your discussion section are generally the same as any research paper, but centered around interpreting and drawing conclusions about the key findings from your analysis of the case study. Note that a general social sciences research paper may contain a separate section to report findings. However, in a paper designed around a case study, it is common to combine a description of the results with the discussion about their implications. The objectives of your discussion section should include the following:

Reiterate the Research Problem/State the Major Findings Briefly reiterate the research problem you are investigating and explain why the subject of analysis around which you designed the case study were used. You should then describe the findings revealed from your study of the case using direct, declarative, and succinct proclamation of the study results. Highlight any findings that were unexpected or especially profound.

Explain the Meaning of the Findings and Why They are Important Systematically explain the meaning of your case study findings and why you believe they are important. Begin this part of the section by repeating what you consider to be your most important or surprising finding first, then systematically review each finding. Be sure to thoroughly extrapolate what your analysis of the case can tell the reader about situations or conditions beyond the actual case that was studied while, at the same time, being careful not to misconstrue or conflate a finding that undermines the external validity of your conclusions.

Relate the Findings to Similar Studies No study in the social sciences is so novel or possesses such a restricted focus that it has absolutely no relation to previously published research. The discussion section should relate your case study results to those found in other studies, particularly if questions raised from prior studies served as the motivation for choosing your subject of analysis. This is important because comparing and contrasting the findings of other studies helps support the overall importance of your results and it highlights how and in what ways your case study design and the subject of analysis differs from prior research about the topic.

Consider Alternative Explanations of the Findings Remember that the purpose of social science research is to discover and not to prove. When writing the discussion section, you should carefully consider all possible explanations revealed by the case study results, rather than just those that fit your hypothesis or prior assumptions and biases. Be alert to what the in-depth analysis of the case may reveal about the research problem, including offering a contrarian perspective to what scholars have stated in prior research if that is how the findings can be interpreted from your case.

Acknowledge the Study's Limitations You can state the study's limitations in the conclusion section of your paper but describing the limitations of your subject of analysis in the discussion section provides an opportunity to identify the limitations and explain why they are not significant. This part of the discussion section should also note any unanswered questions or issues your case study could not address. More detailed information about how to document any limitations to your research can be found here .

Suggest Areas for Further Research Although your case study may offer important insights about the research problem, there are likely additional questions related to the problem that remain unanswered or findings that unexpectedly revealed themselves as a result of your in-depth analysis of the case. Be sure that the recommendations for further research are linked to the research problem and that you explain why your recommendations are valid in other contexts and based on the original assumptions of your study.

V. Conclusion

As with any research paper, you should summarize your conclusion in clear, simple language; emphasize how the findings from your case study differs from or supports prior research and why. Do not simply reiterate the discussion section. Provide a synthesis of key findings presented in the paper to show how these converge to address the research problem. If you haven't already done so in the discussion section, be sure to document the limitations of your case study and any need for further research.

The function of your paper's conclusion is to: 1) reiterate the main argument supported by the findings from your case study; 2) state clearly the context, background, and necessity of pursuing the research problem using a case study design in relation to an issue, controversy, or a gap found from reviewing the literature; and, 3) provide a place to persuasively and succinctly restate the significance of your research problem, given that the reader has now been presented with in-depth information about the topic.

Consider the following points to help ensure your conclusion is appropriate:

If the argument or purpose of your paper is complex, you may need to summarize these points for your reader.
If prior to your conclusion, you have not yet explained the significance of your findings or if you are proceeding inductively, use the conclusion of your paper to describe your main points and explain their significance.
Move from a detailed to a general level of consideration of the case study's findings that returns the topic to the context provided by the introduction or within a new context that emerges from your case study findings.

Note that, depending on the discipline you are writing in or the preferences of your professor, the concluding paragraph may contain your final reflections on the evidence presented as it applies to practice or on the essay's central research problem. However, the nature of being introspective about the subject of analysis you have investigated will depend on whether you are explicitly asked to express your observations in this way.

Problems to Avoid

Overgeneralization One of the goals of a case study is to lay a foundation for understanding broader trends and issues applied to similar circumstances. However, be careful when drawing conclusions from your case study. They must be evidence-based and grounded in the results of the study; otherwise, it is merely speculation. Looking at a prior example, it would be incorrect to state that a factor in improving girls access to education in Azerbaijan and the policy implications this may have for improving access in other Muslim nations is due to girls access to social media if there is no documentary evidence from your case study to indicate this. There may be anecdotal evidence that retention rates were better for girls who were engaged with social media, but this observation would only point to the need for further research and would not be a definitive finding if this was not a part of your original research agenda.

Failure to Document Limitations No case is going to reveal all that needs to be understood about a research problem. Therefore, just as you have to clearly state the limitations of a general research study , you must describe the specific limitations inherent in the subject of analysis. For example, the case of studying how women conceptualize the need for water conservation in a village in Uganda could have limited application in other cultural contexts or in areas where fresh water from rivers or lakes is plentiful and, therefore, conservation is understood more in terms of managing access rather than preserving access to a scarce resource.

Failure to Extrapolate All Possible Implications Just as you don't want to over-generalize from your case study findings, you also have to be thorough in the consideration of all possible outcomes or recommendations derived from your findings. If you do not, your reader may question the validity of your analysis, particularly if you failed to document an obvious outcome from your case study research. For example, in the case of studying the accident at the railroad crossing to evaluate where and what types of warning signals should be located, you failed to take into consideration speed limit signage as well as warning signals. When designing your case study, be sure you have thoroughly addressed all aspects of the problem and do not leave gaps in your analysis that leave the reader questioning the results.

Case Studies. Writing@CSU. Colorado State University; Gerring, John. Case Study Research: Principles and Practices . New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007; Merriam, Sharan B. Qualitative Research and Case Study Applications in Education . Rev. ed. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1998; Miller, Lisa L. “The Use of Case Studies in Law and Social Science Research.” Annual Review of Law and Social Science 14 (2018): TBD; Mills, Albert J., Gabrielle Durepos, and Eiden Wiebe, editors. Encyclopedia of Case Study Research . Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 2010; Putney, LeAnn Grogan. "Case Study." In Encyclopedia of Research Design , Neil J. Salkind, editor. (Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 2010), pp. 116-120; Simons, Helen. Case Study Research in Practice . London: SAGE Publications, 2009; Kratochwill, Thomas R. and Joel R. Levin, editors. Single-Case Research Design and Analysis: New Development for Psychology and Education . Hilldsale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1992; Swanborn, Peter G. Case Study Research: What, Why and How? London : SAGE, 2010; Yin, Robert K. Case Study Research: Design and Methods . 6th edition. Los Angeles, CA, SAGE Publications, 2014; Walo, Maree, Adrian Bull, and Helen Breen. “Achieving Economic Benefits at Local Events: A Case Study of a Local Sports Event.” Festival Management and Event Tourism 4 (1996): 95-106.

Writing Tip

At Least Five Misconceptions about Case Study Research

Social science case studies are often perceived as limited in their ability to create new knowledge because they are not randomly selected and findings cannot be generalized to larger populations. Flyvbjerg examines five misunderstandings about case study research and systematically "corrects" each one. To quote, these are:

Misunderstanding 1 : General, theoretical [context-independent] knowledge is more valuable than concrete, practical [context-dependent] knowledge. Misunderstanding 2 : One cannot generalize on the basis of an individual case; therefore, the case study cannot contribute to scientific development. Misunderstanding 3 : The case study is most useful for generating hypotheses; that is, in the first stage of a total research process, whereas other methods are more suitable for hypotheses testing and theory building. Misunderstanding 4 : The case study contains a bias toward verification, that is, a tendency to confirm the researcher’s preconceived notions. Misunderstanding 5 : It is often difficult to summarize and develop general propositions and theories on the basis of specific case studies [p. 221].

While writing your paper, think introspectively about how you addressed these misconceptions because to do so can help you strengthen the validity and reliability of your research by clarifying issues of case selection, the testing and challenging of existing assumptions, the interpretation of key findings, and the summation of case outcomes. Think of a case study research paper as a complete, in-depth narrative about the specific properties and key characteristics of your subject of analysis applied to the research problem.

Flyvbjerg, Bent. “Five Misunderstandings About Case-Study Research.” Qualitative Inquiry 12 (April 2006): 219-245.

<< Previous: Writing a Case Analysis Paper
Next: Writing a Field Report >>
Last Updated: Jun 3, 2024 9:44 AM
URL: https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/assignments

Verify originality of an essay

Get ideas for your paper

Cite sources with ease

How to Write a Case Study Assignment: Writing Tips and Examples

Published 22 Nov 2023

Case studies are a powerful tool for students and professionals. They offer a practical way to explore real-world situations, sharpen analytical skills, and communicate findings effectively. In this article, we’ll provide a concise and informative guide on writing a compelling case study assignment. We’ll delve into the various types of these tasks and present practical examples demonstrating how to write a case study assignment. You’ll learn the step-by-step process of creating well-structured content and get the knowledge and skills needed to excel in crafting effective case studies, whether for academic or professional purposes.

What is a case study assignment?

This task type centers on a real-world professional situation that presents workplace challenges. It poses specific questions about the scenario, tasking students or professionals with identifying and scrutinizing the issues and providing appropriate responses, preventive measures, or solutions. This entails a comprehensive examination and analysis of practical situations, with the primary objectives of deepening understanding, applying knowledge, honing analytical and problem-solving skills, cultivating research capabilities, refining communication, acquiring hands-on experience, and contributing to the body of knowledge. It serves as a structured framework for the exploration, analysis, and resolution of issues, proving its worth in both academic and professional settings.

How do research papers differ from case studies?

While research papers address particular issues, a case study assignment takes a more in-depth approach as its guidelines emphasize a meticulous examination of specifics, employing diverse analytical methods. They often delve into individual or group experiences and encompass rich narratives.

Essential types of case study

Case studies represent a versatile and widely employed approach within academic and research contexts, manifesting in various forms tailored to distinct objectives and disciplines. Among the most common types of these assignments are the following:

Illustrative case study , which involves an in-depth examination of a well-known case to enhance comprehension. This task type is primarily descriptive and is frequently employed in research methodology.
Exploratory case study , typically initiated as a preliminary investigation preceding more extensive research endeavors. Often utilized within Social Sciences, it centers on real-life situations.
Cumulative case study , frequently employed in qualitative research, gathers data from diverse sources multiple times. This assignment serves as a means of data analysis, minimizing the need for redundant investigations.
Critical instance case study , discerning the causes and consequences of specific events. It is employed to scrutinize cases of unique significance, those lacking general interest, or to challenge widely accepted beliefs.

How to write a case study assignment: a step-by-step guide

Are you ready to craft a compelling assignment? If you’re wondering how to navigate this task effectively, here’s an in-depth guide that breaks down the essential steps to create an outstanding text.

Step 1: Select a topic.

The initial phase of completing this document involves selecting a suitable topic. This decision should align with your interests and course requirements. Brainstorm various topic ideas related to your field of study, ensuring they match your academic goals. For example, if you're pursuing a course in environmental science, your topic might be “Sustainable Urban Planning Strategies.”

This step can be circumvented if your instructor has already provided a specific topic relevant to your course.

Step 2: Define the case study type.

Once you've settled on a topic, determine the appropriate type of assignment that best fits your subject. Case studies can be exploratory, cumulative, illustrative, or critical instances. To ensure alignment with your instructor's expectations, cross-reference your choice with the grading rubric or ask for case study help from our writing service.

Step 3: Create an outline.

To lay the foundation for an outstanding paper, create a well-structured outline. It should encompass crucial elements, such as the problem statement and background information. Start by highlighting essential facts pertinent to your research objectives, and then incorporate the notes you’ve compiled during your investigation. A comprehensive outline typically includes details about the case study problem, objectives, viable solutions, research outcomes, and a call to action.

For instance, if you're exploring “Sustainable Urban Planning Strategies,” your outline might commence with a problem statement, shedding light on the urban planning challenges faced by cities striving for sustainability. Subsequently, you would detail the study's objectives, present potential solutions, elucidate the research findings, and conclude with a call for further exploration in sustainable urban planning.

Step 4: Complete a thesis statement.

Developing a robust thesis statement is pivotal in guiding your case study. To formulate an effective thesis, examine existing papers to identify gaps in the literature. Construct your thesis based on these gaps, ensuring it is well-supported by credible evidence.

In the context of sustainable urban planning, your thesis statement might read: “This case study investigates the challenges faced by urban centers in achieving sustainable development and offers innovative solutions to address these issues.”

Step 5: Write the text.

With a well-defined thesis statement, it’s time to start composing your case study assignment example. Organize your paper into key sections, including the introduction, body, and conclusion.

Continuing with our example of sustainable urban planning, let’s explore this in more detail. Imagine you are focusing on the city of Greenfield, which faced the daunting task of transforming into a sustainable urban center.

Introduction: In this section, set the stage by defining the study's purpose and presenting your thesis statement. For instance, your thesis statement could state, “This case study explores the challenges faced by Greenfield as it pursues sustainability.”
The body: Here, dive into the core of your research. Meticulously dissect the challenges supported by empirical evidence. For example, dissect issues like traffic congestion's impact on air quality, the growth of urban green spaces, the success of a comprehensive public transportation system, and community engagement in sustainable urban planning.
Conclusion : Summarize the key insights from the body and propose further research or actions. Highlight the positive impact of sustainable urban planning, such as reduced emissions and improved air quality. Suggest avenues for future exploration, like long-term sustainability assessment.

It's essential to ensure proper citation of your sources throughout the assignment, adhering to the citation style specified by your institution. It not only enhances the credibility of your case study but also demonstrates rigorous academic practice.

Step 6: Make editing and proofreading.

After completing the writing process, allocate time for meticulous proofreading and editing. Verify that you’ve addressed all the questions in your assignment, and meticulously scrutinize the content for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. Only after you’re confident that your document is error-free should you submit your final copy.

Now, you know how to do a case study assignment. By diligently following these steps, you can navigate the intricacies of crafting top-notch assignments. Remember that while this guide provides a comprehensive overview, it's essential to consider your instructor's specific requirements as you embark on this academic endeavor.

How to format a case study?

When you have established your outline, you can start the writing process. It's important to note that you can skip the sequence where the sections appear in the final presentation. Starting your case study assignment with the main body, specifically the background, followed by solutions and the primary answer or solution, often proves to be the most effective approach. After that, you can tackle the conclusion with your recommendations and address the introduction. This sequencing can simplify the writing process, as the conclusion offers a summary of the entire assignment, and the introduction provides an overview of the task, both of which become more straightforward to write after completing the main sections.

Introductory paragraph: Begin by crafting a precise and succinct thesis statement, which shouldn’t exceed one or two sentences. Proceed to elucidate the problem's significance, the rationale behind this case study, and its relevance in mitigating the issue.
Background: This section entails a comprehensive exploration of pertinent issues and facts, achieved through meticulous research employing trustworthy information sources like research papers, scholarly articles, academic journals, etc.
Solutions: Present potential solutions to the problem and outline them in detail. Assess the pros and cons of every solution, providing a well-rounded analysis.
Fundamental answer: Articulate your choice for the most suitable solution and substantiate it with supporting evidence. You may also include insights from lectures, class discussions, relevant texts, and personal viewpoints to fortify your solution.
Conclusion : Clarify the reasons for advocating the implementation of your proposed solution and elucidate how it will resolve or ameliorate the issue, supported by relevant theories.

It's worth noting that educational institution requirements can vary significantly, and the suggested format provided above serves as a general guideline. You should always pay careful attention to the specific assignment brief provided by your professor.

Final thoughts

Completing a persuasive case study assignment is an invaluable skill that opens doors to in-depth exploration, insightful analysis, and effective communication. If you want to master this skill, remember that the ability to present real-world situations with clarity and precision is a powerful tool, both in academic and professional contexts.

However, should you encounter challenges or wish to ensure the highest quality for your case study assignment, don’t forget that professional assistance is just a click away. Our case study writing service is always ready to help you navigate the complexities of academic papers and deliver top-notch content.

So, as you continue honing your skills, remember that support is readily available, ensuring that your assignments shine with expertise and excellence. Happy writing, and should you need it, professional guidance is just a message away.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback, related blog posts, writing lab report observations: your ultimate guide.

The key to an effective observation is the absence of subjectivity — it ensures all the data is consistent and accurate. That’s when some students ...

Learn How to Write a Hypothesis in a Lab Report

Lab Report: What is the Purpose of a Lab Report in Scientific Experiments? In learning how to write a hypothesis for a lab report, it is crucia...

How to Write a Good Conclusion For a Lab Report

As a rule, your conclusion part in a report should provide a clear and accessible summary of the experiment or research that has been presented in ...

Join our 150K of happy users

Get original papers written according to your instructions
Save time for what matters most

How Do You Write A Client Case Study Counselling

Table of Contents

How do you write a client case study counselling?

Describe the client’s presenting problem and a background to this problem. Take the reader on the client’s therapeutic journey, from start to current status. Relate the case to your therapeutic modality. Identify any common themes and how these relate to the case and how you conducted therapy.

What is a counseling case study?

As this is a very particular type of academic assignment, we created this guide to help you write psychotherapy case studies as a professional. A counseling case study is basically a simulation of your future work as a counselor. You have got a case about a person who has some psychological or mental challenges.

How do you write a case report for counselling?

Writing a good report on a psychotherapy case calls for an integration of the following kinds of material: (1) background information about the case, including relevant case history, presenting problem and diagnosis, (2) the framework of research methodology that will serve as a basis for using the case material to …

What is an example of a case study?

Some famous examples of case studies are John Martin Marlow’s case study on Phineas Gage (the man who had a railway spike through his head) and Sigmund Freud’s case studies, Little Hans and The Rat Man. Case studies are widely used in psychology to provide insight into unusual conditions.

How do you start a case study in counselling?

It’s usual to start your case study with a ‘pen portrait’ of the client – e.g. giving their age, gender and presenting issue. You might also like to describe how they seemed (in terms of both what they said and their body language) as they first entered the counselling room and during contracting.

What is a client case study?

So, What is a Customer Case Study? Customer Case Study can be defined as: A marketing strategy to show the opinions of people that have actually purchased and used the product/service a company offers. It actually works because users will research the company they’re willing to buy the product.

What are the 5 P’s in counselling?

They conceptualized a way to look at clients and their problems, systematically and holistically taking into consideration the (1) Presenting problem, (2) Predisposing factors, (3) Precipitating factors, (4) Perpetuating factors, and (5) Protective factors.

What are the 4 types of case study?

Descriptive case studies.
Explanatory case studies.
Exploratory case reports.
Intrinsic case studies.
Instrumental case studies.
Collective case reports.

How to write a case study PDF?

Write a case study outline. You can use bullet points here. The problem section: In a couple of paragraphs, introduce your client and the challenge they faced. Include quotes if possible. The solution section: Explain why the client chose you, how you approached their problem, and how your service solved it.

What is the difference between counseling and case study?

In counseling, help is provided to the client without social services whereas in casework, administration of services in concrete forms is an essential component of the intervention strategy. An agency setting is not essentially necessary for counseling but casework is always practiced in an agency setting.

What is an example of a client presenting problem?

For example, a person with anxiety who seeks help only when he/she begins having panic attacks conveys to his/her treatment provider that the panic attacks are the most worrisome problem–in this case, panic attacks are the presenting problem.

How do you present a patient case study?

Case Presentation. The case report should be chronological and detail the history, physical findings, and investigations followed by the patient’s course. At this point, you may wish to include more details than you might have time to present, prioritizing the content later.

How to write a good case study?

Identify your goal. Start by defining exactly who your case study will be designed to help. …
Choose your client or subject. Who you highlight matters. …
Conduct research and compile data. …
Choose the right format. …
Write your case study. …
Promote your story.

How do you start a case study example?

Start with a clear headline. This should be like a newspaper headline that gives the most important information. …
Provide a snapshot. …
Introduce the client. …
State the problem, consequences, & hesitations. …
Describe the solution. …
Share the results & benefits. …
Conclude with words of advice and a CTA.

How is case study written?

Executive Summary/Synopsis. Introduce the topic area of the report. …
Introduction. Summarise the your task. …
Findings. Identify the key problems you have identified by: …
Discussion. Summarise the major problem(s). …
Conclusion. …
Recommendations. …
References. …
Appendices (if any)

How do you write a good client case study?

Think of your case study like a story—it needs a beginning, a middle, and an end. Present your client’s problem at the beginning, and fill in the middle with the details of how you solved it. Cap things off with a description of how your client benefited from working with you.

How do you present a case study to a client?

Introduction.
Company overview.
The problem/challenge.
Your solution.
Customer quotes/testimonials.
Next steps.

What is the format of a patient case study?

In a case study, the discussion section should include discussion on the patient’s experience, clinical observations, the patient’s diagnoses (and why those diagnoses are accurate), therapy and treatments (along with an explanation of the pathophysiology of medications and treatments), and a reflection on the patient.

How do you write a case study format example?

Related posts, why is art journaling therapeutic, what is art journal therapy, why is art journaling important, does journaling help with mental health, what is the goal of expressive arts therapy, what is dbt art therapy, what is gestalt art therapy, what are 3 writing prompts, what are four benefits of art therapy, leave a comment cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Please enter an answer in digits: one × 1 =

Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Case Example: Jill, a 32-year-old Afghanistan War Veteran

This case example explains how Jill's therapist used a cognitive intervention with a written worksheet as a starting point for engaging in Socratic dialogue.

About this Example

Jill's Story

Jill, a 32-year-old Afghanistan war veteran, had been experiencing PTSD symptoms for more than five years. She consistently avoided thoughts and images related to witnessing her fellow service members being hit by an improvised explosive device (IED) while driving a combat supply truck. Over the years, Jill became increasingly depressed and began using alcohol on a daily basis to help assuage her PTSD symptoms. She had difficulties in her employment, missing many days of work, and she reported feeling disconnected and numb around her husband and children. In addition to a range of other PTSD symptoms, Jill had a recurring nightmare of the event in which she was the leader of a convoy and her lead truck broke down. She waved the second truck forward, the truck that hit the IED, while she and her fellow service members on the first truck worked feverishly to repair it. Consistent with the traumatic event, her nightmare included images of her and the service members on the first truck smiling and waving at those on the second truck, and the service members on the second truck making fun of the broken truck and their efforts to fix it — “Look at that piece of junk truck — good luck getting that clunker fixed.”

After a thorough assessment of her PTSD and comorbid symptoms, psychoeducation about PTSD symptoms, and a rationale for using trauma focused cognitive interventions, Jill received 10 sessions of cognitive therapy for PTSD. She was first assigned cognitive worksheets to begin self-monitoring events, her thoughts about these events, and consequent feelings. These worksheets were used to sensitize Jill to the types of cognitions that she was having about current day events and to appraisals that she had about the explosion. For example, one of the thoughts she recorded related to the explosion was, “I should have had them wait and not had them go on.” She recorded her related feeling to be guilt. Jill’s therapist used this worksheet as a starting point for engaging in Socratic dialogue, as shown in the following example:

Therapist: Jill, do you mind if I ask you a few questions about this thought that you noticed, “I should have had them wait and not had them go on?”

Client: Sure.

Therapist: Can you tell me what the protocol tells you to do in a situation in which a truck breaks down during a convoy?

Client: You want to get the truck repaired as soon as possible, because the point of a convoy is to keep the trucks moving so that you aren’t sitting ducks.

Therapist: The truck that broke down was the lead truck that you were on. What is the protocol in that case?

Client: The protocol says to wave the other trucks through and keep them moving so that you don’t have multiple trucks just sitting there together more vulnerable.

Therapist: Okay. That’s helpful for me to understand. In light of the protocol you just described and the reasons for it, why do you think you should have had the second truck wait and not had them go on?

Client: If I hadn’t have waved them through and told them to carry on, this wouldn’t have happened. It is my fault that they died. (Begins to cry)

Therapist: (Pause) It is certainly sad that they died. (Pause) However, I want us to think through the idea that you should have had them wait and not had them go on, and consequently that it was your fault. (Pause) If you think back about what you knew at the time — not what you know now 5 years after the outcome — did you see anything that looked like a possible explosive device when you were scanning the road as the original lead truck?

Client: No. Prior to the truck breaking down, there was nothing that we noticed. It was an area of Iraq that could be dangerous, but there hadn’t been much insurgent activity in the days and weeks prior to it happening.

Therapist: Okay. So, prior to the explosion, you hadn’t seen anything suspicious.

Client: No.

Therapist: When the second truck took over as the lead truck, what was their responsibility and what was your responsibility at that point?

Client: The next truck that Mike and my other friends were on essentially became the lead truck, and I was responsible for trying to get my truck moving again so that we weren’t in danger.

Therapist: Okay. In that scenario then, would it be Mike and the others’ jobs to be scanning the environment ahead for potential dangers?

Client: Yes, but I should have been able to see and warn them.

Therapist: Before we determine that, how far ahead of you were Mike and the others when the explosion occurred?

Client: Oh (pause), probably 200 yards?

Therapist: 200 yards—that’s two football fields’ worth of distance, right?

Client: Right.

Therapist: You’ll have to educate me. Are there explosive devices that you wouldn’t be able to detect 200 yards ahead?

Client: Absolutely.

Therapist: How about explosive devices that you might not see 10 yards ahead?

Client: Sure. If they are really good, you wouldn’t see them at all.

Therapist: So, in light of the facts that you didn’t see anything at the time when you waved them through at 200 yards behind and that they obviously didn’t see anything 10 yards ahead before they hit the explosion, and that protocol would call for you preventing another danger of being sitting ducks, help me understand why you wouldn’t have waved them through at that time? Again, based on what you knew at the time?

Client: (Quietly) I hadn’t thought about the fact that Mike and the others obviously didn’t see the device at 10 yards, as you say, or they would have probably done something else. (Pause) Also, when you say that we were trying to prevent another danger at the time of being “sitting ducks,” it makes me feel better about waving them through.

Therapist: Can you describe the type of emotion you have when you say, “It makes me feel better?”

Client: I guess I feel less guilty.

Therapist: That makes sense to me. As we go back and more accurately see the reality of what was really going on at the time of this explosion, it is important to notice that it makes you feel better emotionally. (Pause) In fact, I was wondering if you had ever considered that, in this situation, you actually did exactly what you were supposed to do and that something worse could have happened had you chosen to make them wait?

Client: No. I haven’t thought about that.

Therapist: Obviously this was an area that insurgents were active in if they were planting explosives. Is it possible that it could have gone down worse had you chosen not to follow protocol and send them through?

Client: Hmmm. I hadn’t thought about that either.

Therapist: That’s okay. Many people don’t think through what could have happened if they had chosen an alternative course of action at the time or they assume that there would have only been positive outcomes if they had done something different. I call it “happily ever after” thinking — assuming that a different action would have resulted in a positive outcome. (Pause) When you think, “I did a good job following protocol in a stressful situation that may have prevented more harm from happening,” how does that make you feel?

Client: It definitely makes me feel less guilty.

Therapist: I’m wondering if there is any pride that you might feel?

Client: Hmmm...I don’t know if I can go that far.

Therapist: What do you mean?

Client: It seems wrong to feel pride when my friends died.

Therapist: Is it possible to feel both pride and sadness in this situation? (Pause) Do you think Mike would hold it against you for feeling pride, as well as sadness for his and others’ losses?

Client: Mike wouldn’t hold it against me. In fact, he’d probably reassure me that I did a good job.

Therapist: (Pause) That seems really important for you to remember. It may be helpful to remind yourself of what you have discovered today, because you have some habits in thinking about this event in a particular way. We are also going to be doing some practice assignments that will help to walk you through your thoughts about what happened during this event, help you to remember what you knew at the time, and remind you how different thoughts can result in different feelings about what happened.

Client: I actually feel a bit better after this conversation.

Another thought that Jill described in relation to the traumatic event was, “I should have seen the explosion was going to happen to prevent my friends from dying.” Her related feelings were guilt and self-directed anger. The therapist used this thought to introduce the cognitive intervention of "challenging thoughts" and provided a worksheet for practice. The therapist first provided education about the different types of thinking errors, including habitual thinking, all-or-none thinking, taking things out of context, overestimating probabilities, and emotional reasoning, as well as discussing other important factors, such as gathering evidence for and against the thought, evaluating the source of the information, and focusing on irrelevant factors.

More specifically, Jill noted that she experienced 100 percent intensity of guilt and 75 percent intensity of anger at herself in relation to the thought "I should have seen the explosive device to prevent my friends from dying." She posed several challenging questions, including the notion that improvised explosive devices are meant to be concealed, that she is the source of the information (because others don't blame her), and that her feelings are not based on facts (i.e., she feels guilt and therefore must be guilty). She came up with the alternative thought, "The best explosive devices aren't seen and Mike (driver of the second truck) was a good soldier. If he saw something he would stopped or tried to evade it," which she rated as 90 percent confidence in believing. She consequently believed her original thought 10 percent, and re-rated her emotions as only 10 percent guilt and 5 percent anger at self.

Treating PTSD with cognitive-behavioral therapies: Interventions that work

This case example is reprinted with permission from: Monson, C. M. & Shnaider, P. (2014). Treating PTSD with cognitive-behavioral therapies: Interventions that work . Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Other Case Examples

Cognitive Therapy Philip, a 60-year-old who was in a traffic accident (PDF, 294KB)
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Mike, a 32-year-old Iraq War Veteran
Narrative Exposure Therapy Eric, a 24-year-old Rwandan refugee living in Uganda (PDF, 28KB)
Prolonged Exposure Terry, a 42-year-old earthquake survivor

Sign up for your FREE e-newsletter

You’ll regularly recieve powerful strategies for personal development, tips to improve the growth of your counselling practice, the latest industry news and much more.

We’ll keep your information private and never sell, rent, trade or share it with any other organisation. And you can cancel anytime.

Counselling Case Study: Working with Grief

Grief is a complex and individual process. There are a number of well documented stages to the grief process such as numbness, guilt, despair, panic and acceptance to name a few. The order in which these stages are experienced and the intensity and duration of each stage will be different for each individual.

It is therefore understandable that an eclectic counselling approach to grief can be beneficial in allowing for the flexibility needed to work with individuals through various stages of the grief process. The following case study is a practical application of a variety of counselling approaches to one client and her experience of grief.

The client’s name is Joan. Joan sought counselling to deal with the unexpected loss of her daughter in a car accident. She received counselling about 2 weeks after her daughter’s death and continued with the counselling process over a period of 8 months.

The key features of Joan’s grief were her feelings of guilt and despair. In these areas, the counsellor worked mainly from a Person-Centered approach (PCT). The counsellor also utilised some techniques from Solution-Focussed Therapy (SFT) and Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy (CBT). A brief analysis of the case study and application of the various techniques are provided below.

Case Information

Joan is a semi-retired accountant, maintaining contract work with a few long-term clients to support herself in retirement. Joan is a divorcee, who lives on her own, in her family home. She is a mother of 2 children, Kirsten and Mathew, aged in their mid 20s. Joan has a supportive network of family and friends, including her sister, father, children, and friends from her gardening club.

Joan’s relatively steady life was overturned with the sudden death of her daughter, Kirsten. Kirsten was 24 when she died from head injuries caused during a car accident. She was admitted to hospital in a coma. Joan spent several anxious days with Kirsten, before she passed away.

In the days that followed, Joan arranged her daughter’s funeral and affairs and deferred her work commitments. Joan described this as a whirlwind period, where she operated in a mechanical way. She was completely absorbed in the organisation of Kirsten’s funeral and pushed aside her feelings of grief. Joan said that she found some security in the numbness that filled her during that time.

After a couple of weeks, however, Joan became concerned that she was not coping as she couldn’t move on from these feelings. People had commented that she should try to carry on as usual, however her numbness persisted and she couldn’t motivate herself to “carry on” as if nothing had happened.

Joan thought that there must have been something wrong with her and it was this fear that led her to counselling some weeks after her daughter’s funeral.

For ease of writing, the professional counsellor in this case will be referred to as “C”.

The Initial Stages

(Numbness) In the first session, Joan appeared somewhat vague and tired. She seemed focussed on describing the details of the funeral, the family members who attended and her concern about her daughter not having a will. “C” observed that Joan’s behaviour reflected a need to be in control of the situation and was a useful coping strategy for Joan at this time. “C” used PCT to build an empathetic understanding of Joan’s experience. She did not attempt to move Joan towards experiencing her grief, but trusted that Joan would reach this stage in her own time.

Joan began discussing the rapid way in which the whole event had occurred and the numbness that she was feeling. “C” used paraphrases and encouragers to assist Joan to express herself. “Everything has happened so quickly that you haven’t had time to absorb it all, is that right Joan?” “Yes”, Joan replied, “I’ve hardly had time to miss my little girl.” “You miss her,” responded “C”.

With this encourager, Joan began to cry and express her grief. Joan cried for some time whilst “C” sat with her in silence. At one point Joan apologised for her crying. “C” responded “It seems that you have a lot to cry about Joan. It shows me how much you loved your daughter.”

In the first session, Person-Centered therapy and Active Listening techniques enabled “C” to be guided by Joan’s readiness to express her feelings. The encouragers and reflection of feeling used, demonstrated to Joan that “C” understood her and allowed Joan to experience her feelings of grief, rather than to keep them at arms length.

Whilst “C” could have indicated to Joan that she was avoiding her grief, “C” instead trusted in Joan’s ability to express her grief in her own time. If Joan had not expressed her grief in this session, “C” would not have pressed the issue, although she may have encouraged Joan to have a further session within a few days.

(Grief and Despair) The following sessions were characterised by further experiences of grief and despair. Joan had found that her grief was no longer avoidable and her days were mostly filled with mourning. Joan abandoned her daily routines such as grooming, making meals and other basic self-care practices.

Joan’s disheveled appearance at the counselling sessions were concerning. At this point, “C” became more directive and suggested that Joan might have someone live-in with her for a while. Whilst “C” was encouraged by Joan’s regular adherence to the counselling sessions, she felt that Joan may need some extra support at home.

Joan contacted her sister Kerrie, who was available to stay with her for a month. Kerrie proved to be good support for Joan and provided her with gentle, yet insistent encouragement to face the everyday challenges.

Over several weeks of counselling, Joan had moved further into stages of despair and guilt. She described her life as being swallowed by a black hole and felt that she would never get over her daughter’s death. She felt that every day dragged by with no release from the pain. She had difficulty getting out of her bed in the morning and was constantly tired from lack of solid sleep.

“C” continued to employ PCT to allow Joan to explore and express her feelings and thoughts about her daughter’s death. Joan focussed heavily on her pain and seemed to stay with these feelings for a long time. “C” observed that Joan’s thoughts did not seem to be focused; she quickly moved from one topic to the next. “C” used summarising skills to help Joan highlight the key recurring issues from her thoughts.

“C” continued to trust that Joan would move through her feelings of grief in her own time. “C” did however experience some frustration with Joan’s continual despair. “C” sought the counsel of a colleague, who advised her to maintain her faith in Joan’s ability to grow and heal and reminded “C” of how the resolution of grief can often be a long-term process. The colleague also suggested some role-play techniques that “C” could use to work on Joan’s experience of her feelings.

(Guilt) Guilty feelings about her inability to prevent her daughter’s death were also of concern for Joan. “C” avoided telling Joan that she was not responsible for Kirsten’s car accident, and encouraged Joan to explore her guilt. In many instances grieving people feel guilt in relation to their loss. Often they will be told that they are not at fault, by well meaning people. The concern for counsellors is that grieving people are feeling guilty and will benefit more from expressing their guilt.

Dismissing guilty feelings won’t stop the grieving person from feeling blame and may lead to the increase of these feelings. “C” realised that Joan’s guilt was a means of expressing how fervently she wished to have her daughter with her still. “C” invited Joan to express her sorrow and guilt to Kirsten in a role play activity.

Afterwards, “C” encouraged Joan to debrief and talk about the effect of the activity. Joan was able to acknowledge the depth of her love and concern for Kirsten. “C” supported Joan by offering encouraging feedback. “C” was particularly taken with the extent of love and devotion that Joan displayed towards her daughter.

Joan left the session a little lighter for the experience. She said that she had been able to release some of her guilt and that she felt her despair ease a little. After two months of counselling, both Joan and “C” recognised this as a small breakthrough of acceptance.

Middle Stages

Joan’s grief and despair continued into the middle phase of the counselling sessions. Her emotions came in waves, rather than the constant fog of despair that had characterised her earlier sessions. “C” was continuing to utilise PCT with Joan to explore her issues. Joan expressed a readiness to establish goals during this stage. “C” implemented some CBT techniques for this purpose.

(Feelings of Panic) Kerrie had been encouraging Joan to take on small, everyday tasks such as walking to the shops, or posting the mail, in order to get out of the house for a while. Joan said she had done these tasks reluctantly as she was concerned about trying to “put on a brave face” in public.

Joan related a particular incident where she was at the local shop. She explained that when picking items from the shelves, she had selected her daughter’s favourite brand of biscuits. Feelings of panic had come over her as she realised that she no longer needed to buy the item, but she couldn’t bring herself to return the item to the shelf. In this state, she left all her purchases in the shop and walked straight home.

This incident had increased Joan’s anxiety about her ability to cope and accept her daughter’s death. In the session, “C” validated Joan’s experiences as being normal and a legitimate part of her grieving. As a part of the CBT process, “C” clarified and identified the causes and effects of Joan’s feelings of panic. These were as follows:

A realisation that her daughter was absent in her everyday life A rejection of awareness that her daughter was absent in her everyday life Conflicting emotions about acceptance of daughter’s absence

Causing anxiety
Causing a belief that she will never be able to accept her daughter’s loss
Causing a fear of losing control in public places

“C” and Joan discussed the nature of the anxious feelings, and Joan’s associated beliefs and fears. Together they devised a number of goals, including (1) the development of new beliefs, (2) relaxation and (3) taking it one step at a time – otherwise referred to as a graded-task assignment.

Joan’s new beliefs included:

It is normal to want my daughter back
I am normal to grieve for and miss my daughter
It doesn’t matter if I cry in public
Time will help me to heal

She kept notes in a personal journal about when she used these new beliefs. The journal writing was also a process that allowed her to identify other problematic beliefs and thoughts. Once identified, she developed more appropriate and accepting beliefs.

In preparation of taking it one step at a time, Joan and “C” devised some relaxation techniques for Joan to use when she felt a sudden onset of panicky or anxious emotions. Joan had used imagery before and found that an effective method of relaxation. Joan was to imagine a warm, white light surrounding her whenever she felt even slightly anxious. They also devised some imagery to help Joan continue to experience the overwhelming nature of her grief.

Joan often referred to her feelings as a fog, and so “C” encouraged her to imagine sitting in a fog, which was black, thick and impenetrable. Little by little, she suggested that Joan should try to make the fog thin out with her mind. (It is important to note that this imagery was to be used at times when Joan felt bogged down in despair, but not during her anxious moments).

Joan was to record her practice of her relaxing imagery (white light) and to note her responses to the technique. She also recorded the times she used her despairing imagery (black fog) and the extent to which she was able to thin the fog with her mind. The purpose of the exercise was to increase her relaxation and to give her an image of her despair and a means to control it as time went on.

The ‘one step at a time’ goal consisted of Joan taking small steps towards running errands and taking on more of her everyday responsibilities. Her tasks involved the following:

Plan meals for week
Write a grocery list
Go shopping with Kerrie.

Using her relaxation imagery, Joan completed the following graded tasks:

Imagine walking around the shops
Drive with Kerrie to the shop and stay in the car
Walk with Kerrie to the shop door
Walk with Kerrie around the shop for 10 minutes approximately
Start to purchase a small number of items
Complete an entire grocery shopping task

Each week, Joan completed a harder task. It took her only 4 weeks to complete a full shopping trip, although she experienced several occasions of feeling overwhelmed. Each time this occurred she gripped the shopping trolley and imagined the white light. Kerrie encouraged her to breathe deeply and relax. A couple of times, they left the shop (abandoned the trolley) when Joan felt she could not cope. They came back the following day to complete the shopping.

The important thing for Joan was to accept the times when she could not cope. Kerrie proved to be a supportive role model for Joan, helping her to accept her reduced ability to cope by offering encouraging comments and faith that Joan would heal.

Joan applied the graded-task technique to other areas of her life. “C” observed Joan’s increasing attention to self-care and other routines of everyday living.

Final Stages

(Acceptance) Joan’s increasing acceptance of the loss of Kirsten became more obvious with the passing of time. By dealing thoroughly with her despair and grief, she naturally moved on with her life and mourned less and less. After six months, the rewards for both “C” and Joan were evident in her long term improvement and growth.

Joan’s ability to develop goals for herself was greatly improved, as was her motivation. Joan was living independently again and without Kerrie around, she took on more responsibility and began to make plans for her life without Kirsten. Joan’s plans included a number of support mechanisms, as well as long-term goals for herself.

Joan had taken to visiting her daughter’s grave on a monthly basis. During her intense despair, she had been unwilling to venture to the cemetary. Due to her increasing acceptance, she was more inclined to visit and found the visits to be a sad, yet calming experience. The visits allowed her the opportunity to tell Kirsten the things she had left unsaid, and to update her daughter about her life, as she would have when Kirsten was alive. Joan found the visits kept Kirsten’s spirit and memory alive within her.

In these stages, “C” continued using PCT, and incorporated SFT to assist Joan to define her goals. “C” complemented Joan on her inventive ways of honoring her daughter’s memory. “C” was encouraged to see that Joan was actively seeking personal ways to express her grief.

Together, they worked to build Joan’s miracle picture. Joan expressed an interest to honor Kirsten’s life, by writing a book. Joan wanted to combine her own and Kirsten’s journals to recount the significance of her life and death. The process would also be a means to resolve her grief and offer a parting gift to her daughter.

Joan’s miracle picture included redefining her life goals to determine what was important for her. Kirsten’s death, whilst painful, had also brought growth and changes with it, and Joan was increasingly inclined to shed parts of her life that no longer held meaning for her. She threw out material things such as old furniture, files and boxes of junk and mentally discarded the maintenance of acquaintances that she no longer felt obliged to remain in contact with.

She renewed her bonds with close friends and family. Kirsten’s death allowed her family to grow closer to one another. Joan was buoyed by the love and support of these few, special people during her long months of despair.

Joan accepted that she would never completely ‘get over’ Kirsten’s death and that that was okay. Counselling assisted her to realise that her daughter would remain a part of her forever. She made a pledge to herself that she would continue to learn ways to live with Kirsten’s absence. Her journal writings and the possibility of publishing a book for Kirsten, would provide her with some therapeutic means of coping and expressing her grief. Joan would also draw from the support of her family and friends in times of need, particularly around the times of Kirsten’s birthday and the anniversary of her death.

End of Session

The case study has illustrated some of the stages that clients may experience due to the loss of a loved one. It has also attempted to demonstrate the way in which PCT lent itself to the complex and individual experience of Joan. The key issue from the PCT perspective was “C’s” respect for Joan to grieve and grow to acceptance in her own way and time.

CBT was applied to changing Joan’s negative thoughts about her ability to cope with her daughter’s loss and the fear of losing control of her emotions in public places. The imagery was a technique that Joan had prior experience with and was therefore ideal for her. Another client, may prefer other relaxation methods. It is important to identify strategies that the client is comfortable with.

Graded task assignments, journal writing, role plays, homework and other practical strategies such as developing support networks are also invaluable CBT techniques. Timing is important when introducing strategies, and the client should not be pushed into solutions before they are ready to accept them. Wherever possible, the counsellor should consult with the client about their ideas for, and their suitability to, particular techniques.

Once the client is ready to focus on solutions to their problems, SFT can be an invaluable tool for identifying the client’s goals through development of the miracle picture. The use of SFT has been briefly presented in the case of Joan, to illustrate its effectiveness in drawing out the plans and goals that Joan aspired to.

Author: Jane Barry

Related Case Studies: A Case of Grief and Loss , A Person Centred Approach to Grief and Loss , A Case of Acceptance and Letting Go

March 15, 2007
No Comments
Case Study , CBT , Person-centred , Solution-focused
Case Studies , Loss & Grief

how to write a case study assignment counselling

IMAGES

VIDEO

COMMENTS

How to Write a Case Conceptualization: 10 Examples (+ PDF)

This Article Contains:

Download 3 Free Positive CBT Exercises (PDF)

Download 3 Free Positive CBT Tools Pack (PDF)

How to write a case conceptualization: An outline

Sample #1: Conceptualization for CBT case

World’s Largest Positive Psychology Resource

Sample #2: Conceptualization for DBT case

Sample #3: Conceptualization in a family therapy case

Introduction to case conceptualization – Thomas Field

17 Science-Based Ways To Apply Positive CBT

Article feedback

Let us know your thoughts Cancel reply

Related articles

Youth Counseling: 17 Courses & Activities for Helping Teens

How To Plan Your Counseling Session: 6 Examples

65+ Counseling Methods & Techniques to Apply With Your Clients

Read other articles by their category

041 – Writing Case Studies – Carl Rogers’ 19 Propositions – Counselling Skills

Writing Case Studies (starts at 3.26 mins)

Carl Rogers’ 19 Propositions (starts at 13.51 mins)

Free Handout Download

Counselling Skills (starts at 19.40 mins)

Links and Resources

What is Case Conceptualization & How to Write it (With Examples)

The Ultimate Guide to Case Conceptualization: Our Top Tips, Outlines, and Real-life Examples

What Is Case Conceptualization?

Why Is Case Conceptualization Important to Mental Health Professionals?

Let Mentalyc AI Write Your Progress Notes Fast

How to Write a Case Conceptualization

Client Information

Theoretical Orientation

The Eight P’s of Case Conceptualization Framework

Take your time back! Get your progress notes done automatically.

Predisposing Factors

Precipitating Factors

Increase your practice's revenue and reduce therapist burnout

Perpetuating Factors

Protective Factors and Strengths

Have your progress notes automatically written for you!

Tips for Mastering Effective Case Conceptualizations

Focus on the client's strengths.

Look for themes and patterns.

Consider multiple perspectives.

Be flexible.

Paint the whole picture.

Discuss your conceptualization with colleagues.

Continuously evaluate your conceptualization.

Review research and theory.

Case Conceptualization Template

Sample Case Conceptualization #1: John

Example of John's Case Conceptualization

Sample Case Conceptualization #2: Jane

Example of Jane's Case Conceptualization

Sample Case Conceptualization #3: Sally

Example of Sally's Case Conceptualization

FAQs: Your Top Case Conceptualization Questions Answered

See More Posts

Therapy Termination: All You Need to Know

Cognitive Restructuring: Techniques for Therapists

Case conceptualization: Key to highly effective counseling

Person-Centered Therapy Case Study: Examples and Analysis

What Is Person-Centered Therapy?

You're on the page of custom research paper writing service

How to write counseling case studies

1. Read your assignment and the case description carefully

2. Review the textbook chapters on that theory paying attention to particular approaches to diagnosis and therapeutic techniques.

3. Re-read the case again paying attention to special terms

4. Read additional resources (optional)

5. Summarize the client’s situation in the case.

6. Formulate a diagnosis for the client.

7. Outline the developmental context of the problem.

8. Propose interventions and techniques that might benefit the client.

9. Add reflections on the therapeutic process.

Final thoughts

Our academic writing service guarantees

Our Services

NEWSLETTER SIGNUP

Our services

Our Keywords