Case Study Assignment For the case study assignment, you are to take on the guise of either a psychotherapist (for those of
you interested in counseling or clinical psychology) or a consultant (for those of you interested in social or industrial-
organizational psychology). In this role, you may select one of the books listed in the conference area (or another book with
the approval of your instructor) and analyze the client and circumstances according to the criteria in the outline and
rubric.
Outline for Clinical Cases
I. Title page
II. Background history
This section includes information about your client’s background including details about their past family situations, the
educational experiences, and their social relationships.
III. Presenting problem
This section contains a description of the presenting problem, or the reason the client might be seeing a therapist. It
includes an explanation of the symptoms that the client is experiencing, along with the results of any assessment tools that
have been administered.
IV. Diagnosis
In this section you should provide a diagnosis for the client. Also include an explanation of how you reached the diagnosis;
how the symptoms are indicative of the diagnosis and any potential difficulties you had in reaching the diagnosis. If you are
writing the case study as a clinical psychologist you should include a complete DSM IV diagnosis. You should also check to
see what changes may be in the DSM V for your disorder.
V. Treatment strategy
This section of the case study will highlight the strategy used to help the client. In your role, you should choose a
particular theoretical perspective (i.e., psychoanalytic, cognitive-behavioral, humanistic, etc.) and discus s the client’s
presenting problem from that viewpoint. Include a discussion of the basic background your chosen theory (including
appropriate reference) and explain how the theory would be used to treat the client, specific techniques that would be used,
and how the client might be expected to respond to therapy. Be sure to include the theoretical perspective throughout. Make
it clear.