This case is really only about Deborah as Trish is perfectly satisfied with her associate professorship at a state university but does wonder if Deborah is unhappy with their 5-year relationship which she denies..
Can you help me understand this Psychology question?In each response, critique how the learner applied the theories and identify at least one theoretical factor the learner may have overlooked. 175 words per response discussion One This case is really only about Deborah as Trish is perfectly satisfied with her associate professorship at a state university but does wonder if Deborah is unhappy with their 5-year relationship which she denies. We’ll assume her job displeasure may be spilling over into home-life as this isn’t a course in family therapy. It must also be assumed that the therapist that Deborah receives at the community agency specializing in women’s issues has had more than an introductory course in career counseling. If so, will Holland’s theory (HT) or Super’s developmental theory (SDT) best address Deborah’s work issues (Swanson & Fouad, 2015). Considering the academic rigor not to mention the price tag for becoming an attorney, an HT assessment sometime in high school or early college would have, no doubt, shown strong enterprising scores for Deborah. So, what can HT do for her at 33 following a decade of a law career? At this stage, a reassessment of her personality types may help as specialties for attorneys are as varied as those for doctors. Perhaps she has the social leanings to be a law instructor or a politician but HT probably won’t help her with the job dissatisfaction she’s experiencing at the DA. But can SDT solve those issues (Swanson & Fouad, 2015)? Per SDT, Deborah should be in the establishment stage, that is, she’s in the process of stabilizing and learning the job, consolidating what she knows and comfortable with her skills, and eventually advancing. SDT has been expanded into a model of counseling named the career development assessment and counseling model or C-DAC. Her job requires long hours which does not allow more time with her female partner nor can she divulge this relationship with her boss. A counselor can help Deborah hone her coping resources such as developing a better view of herself so that her lack of disclosure of sexual leanings isn’t a concern. A self-exploration of her strengths and weaknesses for her current job as well as areas where she may be underestimating her abilities and skills may also be beneficial (Swanson & Fouad, 2015). Life span, life-space theory leaves practitioners with a useful guide and tools for practice and reminds them that career choice and development encompasses a lifelong, developmental process that begins with childhood and proceeds continuously over the course of life (Brown & Lent, 2013).Discussion TwoThe case selection for this case is that of Deborah and Trish. This case presented many interesting facts that added to the case conceptualization and the theories to apply. Deborah is 33 and Trish is 38. They have been in a relationship for 5 years. Their perception of what is happening within the relationship is different. Trish believes that Deborah is dissatisfied with the relationship but Deborah says it is work. Where they agree is that Deborah is depressed and this affecting their relationship. This is why they have sought counseling. This discussion will apply both Super’s theory and the theory of work adjustment. Deborah is an attorney in a district attorney’s office. She is extremely dissatisfied in her current environment. This is due to the fact she has a lack of opportunity for advancement. Deborah also states she is unable to disclose her sexual orientation. Due to this, she comes home depressed. Deborah was offered a position in San Francisco but she did not take the position because of having to relocate. Trish is a Biology professor. She is extremely happy with her profession and environment. She supported Deborah in taking the job although she did feel it would be a hard adjustment for herself. They are both very committed to their jobs and this is shown in their home life. It is not uncommon for them to be working on projects for work so their time together is limited. Deborah stated this is bothersome as she wishes she had more time with Trish. Looking first at the theory of work adjustment, they are both expressing different emotions based upon Deborah’s dissatisfaction and depression. The theory of work adjustment is appropriate is because they are both questioning Deborah and her current position. An evaluation of both Deborah and Trish’s needs and their abilities need to be addressed in order to determine the path that they should take (Swanson, Fouad 2014). There is a need to understand Deborah’s tolerance and interaction with the environment are part of either her active adjustment or reactive adjustment. Not being able to disclose her sexual orientation is problematic as well. As previously discussed in the theory of work adjustment, values can be an even stronger indication of dissatisfaction with a career (Hartung, & Cadaret 2017). Deborah is not able to express who she is thus she is repressing her values. This may be imparted to the work climate and cultural concerns. Because Trish is at a university the cultural environment there is more open to all forms of sexual orientation. Deborah sees Trish happy and being open with who she is and this is the opposite for Deborah. This alone could be a cause of Deborah’s depression and dissatisfaction with her work environment.Super’s Theory looks at a series of stages that an individual goes through and the manner in which environment and interaction create satisfaction (Swanson et al 2014). The stages that Trish and Deborah are at are different and as they are not progressing similarly and this is a factor to consider as to the dynamic of the relationship. Trish is clearly in an establishment stage. Deborah should be in that same stage but she shows signs of recycling back the exploration stage (Brown, Lent, & Lent 2013). One fact that would be needed to fully understand Deborah and her positioning is that of previous relationships. Has Deborah always been homosexual or is this the first homosexual relationship? The reason this is of importance it this could explain why she is in a mini-cycle as Super theory suggests (Swanson et al 2014). Understanding where is in a stage of life and then using a theory of work adjustment she could determine where to go from here. Although she is in a relationship with Trish and they came in together for counseling this case is more about Deborah than Trish. Deborah needs to make some decisions as to what she wants and needs from her work environment and based upon that her how the environment should improve.
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