Presenting Problem and Client Description
John is a 50-year-old white male, originally born in Canada. He is a schoolteacher who had been married for 15 years and has a 13-year-old son. John was diagnosed with major depressive disorder and interpersonal problems. At the start of treatment John reported that he had difficulty feeling comfortable being himself and that he did not know how to express himself in a healthy way as he felt that he would always say the wrong thing. Furthermore, he described himself as having a “short fuse” and his wife and son complained about his temper. John had seen many therapists before and conveyed that the past therapies focused on the ongoing difficulties he was having in his relationships and his temper, and he felt that he still was struggling with these issues.
John felt that his problems must be because of his childhood and adolescence and how his father treated him. From childhood until his early teens, John suffered ongoing physical abuse and extreme criticism from his father who drank heavily. John reported having unresolved anger towards his father who was also verbally abusive to his mother. John felt that did not have a normal upbringing where he could be himself because his father was often angry and criticized him for everything. John reported that he would try to spend as much time at his friends’ homes because he wanted an escape from his father and his abusive home life.