Case Study 3: Through CBT and positive affirmation techniques, a patient overcame self-image issues and anxiety to successfully secure employment, demonstrating significant improvement in mental health and confidence.
Why was the patient referred to you?
A patient was referred to me due to struggles with anxiety and depression, this patient identified that they were struggling with their self-image which was having a negative impact on their mental health and placed a barrier into finding employment.
How did you engage with the patient?
I contacted the patient once I had processed the referral and booked them in for a telephone triage to identify what they need help with and to explore support options surrounding this.
What suggestions did you make?
I suggested that Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) may be a good starting place to help change that perspective of themselves regarding a poor self-image, this type of therapy would enable the patient to learn new skills and techniques to control negative and unwanted thoughts they may be having about themselves.
What changes did the patient put in place?
waiting for this support, the patient and I identified what they could do in the meantime to make some changes. These changes included the patient recognising what is good about themselves – making note of this and using positive affirmations.
What was the overall outcome?
The patient was able to learn how to change and control the negative perception they had of themselves, through the support of the Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT). This patient went on to gain the confidence to find new employment in which they were successful with, whereas previous to this, the poor self-image prevented them from applying for jobs as they felt they were not good enough.