Ellen S. was referred to the clinic shortly after her "miscarriage". She was a 32-year-old woman who was employed as an administrative assistant for Mr. Johnson. She and Mr.
Johnson had recently terminated their 2-year-old love affair because Mr. Johnson was
unwilling to divorce his wife because of his children.
Although medical tests indicated that she was not actually pregnant, Ellen had shown
classic symptoms of early pregnancy during the 3 months when she believed she was
pregnant. She ceased menstruation, was chronically fatigued and nauseated, and had
gained weight
Ellen was raised by fundamentalist religious parents with whom she still lived. She had
been told repeatedly about the sins of sex and alcohol. Her affair with Mr. Johnson was
her first relationship.
I
Assume you are Ellen's therapist. Using one or more of the seven approaches to
Psychotherapy in your textbook, answer the following questions.
1. What issues do you think are important to the development of Ellen's problems?
2. How would you treat Ellen?