CENTRO ESCOLAR UNIVERSITY

OF MALOLOS

CASE STUDY
IN
GUIDANCE AND
COUNSELING
PSYCHOLOGY

Submitted by:

Submitted to:

Denise Gishelle P. Alegre

Maam Ponce

BSPSYCH3A

Introduction:
The following is a case study of a female client, Maggie Yabo, suffering
from a Domestic Violence and Abusive relationship. Domestic violence is
the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or
other abusive behavior as part of a systematic pattern of power and control
perpetrated by one intimate partner against another. It includes physical
violence, sexual violence, psychological violence, and emotional abuse.
The frequency and severity of domestic violence can vary dramatically;
however, the one constant component of domestic violence is one partners
consistent efforts to maintain power and control over the other.
Domestic violence is an epidemic affecting individuals in every community,
regardless of age, economic status, sexual orientation, gender, race,
religion, or nationality. It is often accompanied by emotionally abusive and
controlling behavior that is only a fraction of a systematic pattern of
dominance and control. Domestic violence can result in physical injury,
psychological trauma, and in severe cases, even death. The devastating
physical, emotional, and psychological consequences of domestic violence
can cross generations and last a lifetime. And Abusive Relationship. The
most telling sign is fear of your partner. If you feel like you have to walk on
eggshells around your partner, constantly watching what you say and do in
order to avoid a blow-up, chances are your relationship is unhealthy and
abusive. Other signs that you may be in an abusive relationship include a
partner who belittles you or tries to control you, and feelings of selfloathing, helplessness, and desperation.
An emotionally abusive man controls his partner by manipulating her fear
of harm, isolation, and deprivation; he threatens or implies that he might

hurt her, leave her, or keep her apart from the things she loves. An
emotionally abusive woman controls her partner by manipulating his dread
of failure as a provider, protector, lover, or parent.
This difference in vulnerability to fear and shame is why the gender
symmetry present in emotionally abusive behaviors vanishes in emotionally
abusive relationships. In other words, women engage in as much
emotionally abusive behavior as men, but the systematic use of emotional
abuse to control another person is usually the domain of men, simply
because it is easier to control someone with fear than shame.
A typical defense against shame is to tune out the person provoking it.
Although we never forget humiliation, it is relatively easy not to think about
things that cause shame. (The root of the word, "shame" means to cover or
hide. That's one reason we tend to make the same mistakes over and over,
by the way.) The clich of the numb husband ignoring the nagging or
strident wife isn't far from the truth. The abuse, though inexcusable, is not
as painful for him. He is more likely to describe himself as adaptively
following the path of least resistance than as a victim living under the
thumb of someone more powerful. In my experience, emotionally abused
men do not live in fear, even though they are ill-treated and far from happy.
In many ways, emotional abuse is more psychologically harmful than
physical abuse. There are a couple of reasons for this. Even in the most
violent families, the incidents tend to be cyclical. Early in the abuse cycle, a
violent outburst is followed by a honeymoon period of remorse, attention,
affection, and generosity, but not genuine compassion.
Background:

This section presents a brief patient assessment, including a case

history of the client considered in the study. Maggie Yabo, thin proportioned
and nearly 411 feet tall, is a 35yrs old Filipina originally from Tuguegarao.
She worked as a maid in Manila before. She has been married to his
husband Norman, for nine years, and they already have two daughter.

Personal History: (Family relationship, School history, Performance)

At the age of 20, Maggie met her husband Norman in their province.
Maggie was the youngest in her family. Her father worked as a farmer and
her mother is a housewife. Because of poverty Maggie only finished
elementary, she was forced to stop because her father salary wasnt that
enough for her school allowance, supplies and projects. Maggie found her
job (which is a helper in a farm) extremely boring; therefore, she kept
herself occupied by going to her neighbors to pass time.
Maggie and her boyfriend decided to get married when theyre both got
the age of 22. She loves her husband so much; she gives all the things that
her husband wants. After two years they decided to have their own house
and build their own family. She agrees on what Norman said to her
because she thought that Norman was the most wonderful man that she
met. Normal was so kind at fist. They spend lovely times together just
having fun. She thought that she was important to him.

Problems:
After one year Maggie got pregnant with Norman, but Maggie wants
to terminate the baby because she wasnt that ready to have their baby on
their own, because they just recently move together in Manila. Maggie
thinks that they need to know more on how they should live in a city unlike
in province where she was so close in her mother and father. When she
told to Norman that she wants to terminate the baby Norman became an
unknown person for her.
He kept her home and forced her to leave her job. For the first time
she hit her right across the face because she said she was leaving him. He
dragged her into the dept. store and said that they are going shopping so
stop crying like a baby. He acted like it was nothing and she knew it was
wrong. The hitting became beatings almost every day. Even though she
was pregnant, he did not care.
Two years later she became pregnant again and she was not at all
happy with that. But of course she had to stay pregnant. It cooled him down
a little and he always said he was sorry. She hated her life and she wanted
it to end but she had children whom she loved and she couldn't leave them.
That is what keeps her alive.
Her father was angry to her because she had children and he said it
was her fault, she put herself in that type of position. Her mom couldn't
even help her because she was too far from her. She was vulnerable and
suicidal.

Adler:

Inferiority Complex: Maggie felt worthless because she was manipulated,

used and controlled by his partner.
Birth order: Maggie was the youngest child in their family, and because of
that she became more matured and it was too easily for her to made a big
decision.

Freud:
Defense Mechanism: (Reaction Formation)
This is where Maggie goes beyond denial and behaves in the opposite way
to which he or she thinks or feels. By using the reaction formation, the id is
satisfied while keeping the ego in ignorance of the true motives. Conscious
feelings are the opposite of the unconscious. Love - hate. Shame - disgust
and moralizing are reaction formation against sexuality. Usually a reaction
formation is marked by showiness and compulsiveness. For example,
Freud claimed that men who are prejudice against homosexuals are
making a defense against their own homosexual feelings by adopting a
harsh anti-homosexual attitude which helps convince them of their
heterosexuality.

Counselling: (Psychoanalysis Intervention-Recommendations to the

Client)

Increase victim safety and support victims in protecting themselves and

their children by validating their experiences, providing support, and
providing information about resources and options.
Inform patients about any limits in confidentiality for example, child abuse
or domestic violence reporting requirements.
The goal is not to get patients to leave their abusers, or to "fix" the problem
for the patient, but to provide support and information.
Listen to the patient and provide validating messages:

"You dont deserve this. There is no excuse for domestic violence. You
deserve better."
"I am concerned. This is harmful to you (and it can be harmful to your
children)."
"This is complicated. Sometimes it takes time to figure this out."
"You are not alone in figuring this out. There may be some options. I will
support your choices."
"I care. I am glad you told me. I want to work together to keep you as safe
and healthy as possible."
"Stopping the abuse is the responsibility of your partners, not yours"