Running head: THERAPEUTIC APPROACH OF ALICE GREEN

Therapeutic Approach of Alice Green

Christine Pryor
Capella University
Theories and Models of Addiction and Compulsive Behaviors
COUN-5260
Lawrence Pattington
February 25, 2016
Therapeutic Approach of Alice Green
In the movie when a man loves a woman, Alice Green is a school counselor who is
married to a pilot and has to beautiful daughters. At first glance this family seems picture perfect
and happy, but inside tells a very different story. Alice Green has a serious drinking problem that
is slowly running her relationship with her husband, her daughters as well as her career as a
school counselor. Alice Green is the lead character in the movie and the movie showcases her
addiction to alcohol. Alice addiction began in high school and continued way into adulthood and
as time goes by the problem gets progressively worse. Alices behavior often appears to be
manic, since her moods can change very rapidly and can even seem bipolar. However,

according to the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual (DSM-5), Alice is not suffering from bipolar
but substance abuse disorder.
The diagnosis and Treatment plan
Diagnosing Alice Green is the first step in creating a treatment plan. Recently the DSM-5
has been updated and the terms to treat substance abuse and substance dependency has changed
(SAMHSA, 2015). No longer do we use the terms substance abuse or substance dependency, but
we refer to the substance that is used to classify the disorder, and define them as mild, moderate,
and severe, which is determined by the number of diagnostic criteria met by Alice. According to
the DSM-5 Alice is suffering from Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). For this paper Alice diagnosis
is Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) 305.00 Alcohol Abuse and 303.90 Alcohol Dependency and her
classification would be severe due to her meeting more than six of the symptoms of the disorder
(APA, 2013) .
In substance abuse treatment of Alice it is important to get an accurate diagnosis so that
we can develop an effective, personalized treatment plan. In order for us to get the root cause of
Alice addiction to alcohol we need to employ a number of diagnostic tools, which will include,
face-to-face interviews, interviews with family members, and may also include standardized
tests. To further ensure the treatment plan is meeting Alices needs and that the therapy is being
effective, we will preform assessments at the admission stage, and during the later stages of her
rehabilitation. Further, we may use standardized testing before discharge to measure how Alices
progress in treatment has progressed and to choose what types of aftercare services may be
beneficial both to Alice and her family.
Working with Green family the solution-focused model of therapy will be an effective
tool since it will increase the communication between Alice and Michael as well as the whole

THERAPEUTIC APPROACH OF ALICE GREEN

family. Alice and Michael need to learn to communicate with one another about serious topic so
that their relationship will become stronger and so that they can begin to heal the entire family.
Solution-focused Therapy (SFT) is a short-term, strength-orientated model of therapy that helps
to identify and enhance the clients ways of coping with many difficulties in life. SFT originated
as a family therapy model, but has recently proved that it is affected working with families that
have addiction problems (De Shazer et al., 1986).
Solution-Focused Treatment of Alice Green and family
One of the key elements in Solution-focused therapy (SFT) is how it places the focus on a
clients present and future circumstances and goals, unlike other methods that focus on the
clients past experiences. SFT is goal-orientated therapy therefore the symptoms or issues that
the client is bringing to counseling is not targeted (Iveson, 2002). For example, Alice Greens
alcohol dependency would not be targeted, instead such things as coping skills, communication
etc. will be focused on.
Another key component of SFT is its ability to look at a family system as a whole, in
doing this the notion of change can occur. This concept of changing one part of a behavior
sequence will allow for the rest of the system to change (Iverson, 2002). Since SFT is a
collaborative approach the client and the counselor are partners in the treatment process. Often
the client and the counselor have conversations that are led by key questions that can pave the
way in which a client views his/her self, allowing this to occur the client can make small changed
to the problem behavior. One of the many reasons why SFT has been successful when working
with the addiction is because it proposes that the solution to a clients issues may have very little
to do with the problems that originally brought them to counseling. Using SFT with the green

THERAPEUTIC APPROACH OF ALICE GREEN

family will allow Alice to be treated without focusing on the alcohol problem but to rather focus
on the goals she sets for herself.
Techniques of SFT
Initially, it is important in this type of therapy to first develop a vision for Alice future
and determine how Alices internal abilities will be enhanced in order for her to attain the desired
outcomes. It is important as Alices counselor to guide her in therapy through the process of
recognizing things that are working for her and encourage Alice to acknowledge and celebrate
her success as well as helping her explore how to continue to practice these strategies in her life
and her familys life.
To begin treating Alice and helping her to achieve her goals we will need to ask her
specific questions that will help guide our sessions. One type of questioning that may be useful
to Alice and her goals, is coping questions. Copying questions will demonstrate to Alice the
resiliency she has deep inside here. It will also help her to better cope with the challenges that
might occur in her life as a mother, wife, and employee. Coping questions should look similar to
How do you meet you daily obligations when you are constantly facing so much difficulties? By
using these types of questions allows Alice to see that she have positive coping skills even
though she has so much adversity in her life. Coping questions are intended to help clients who
have been managing in spite of their addiction problems. Furthermore, coping questions will
bring Alice hope and self-efficacy as well as show her empathy while acknowledging her
struggles (Wormer & Davis, 2008).
Miracle questions are also a great way to help Alice envision her future, minus the
alcohol problems. The point of these types of questions is that it allows Alice to explain how
her life would look different if the drinking did not exist. This will allow Alice to identify steps

THERAPEUTIC APPROACH OF ALICE GREEN

that she can take immediately towards the change. For example, Alice might describe a feeling
of ease with her husband or daughters and believe that this ease in therapy can only be felt is the
drinking problem was absent. Essentially, when Alice can imagine a scene where the present
problems does not exisit will remind Alice of the behavioral changes are possible and these
changes will allow her to see what can be done to create the changes in her lives. By imagining
a scenario where the present problem does not exist.
Finally, scaling question can be used to help Alice asses the level of hope, determination,
confidence, sadness and how much change has occurred. Scaling question are used to gage how
Alice is feeling and are very similar to motivational interviewing questions (Wormer & Davis,
2008). We simply ask Alice on a scale of 1-10 (1 being the worst and 10 being the best) how do
you feeling today? are very similar to motivational interviewing scales.
Theory of Change
Solution-focused therapists often believe that change can happen quickly, despite the
issues that may be in a client past. It is this belief that will empower Alice because of its
conventional wisdom that says change happens slowly (Hepworth, 2006). Accompanying this
belief with rapid change is the inherent method of focusing on the solution (Hepworth, 2006).
This is why solution focused therapy is not a problem-focused approach to therapy. Initially,
working with Alice s a way to begin identifying problems and putting them in the proper order.
However, we must focus on the language and interaction since they are the Alices strengths, it is
important shows Alice that these strengths can change the undesired symptoms and behaviors.
Alices problems will only be the stepping-stone to finding her solutions. There are many
research studies that show that when you shit the focus from the problem to the solutions it
becomes more effecting for positive outcomes and helps motivate the client (Hepworth, 2006).

THERAPEUTIC APPROACH OF ALICE GREEN

Outcomes, and Therapeutic Relationship

There are several outcomes that we can gather from using the SBT method of therapy
with the Green family. Focusing on the positive of Alice life will bring upon the change in her
behavior and provide her with coping methods to handle tough situations. It is the hope that
Alice and Michael will be able to better communicates with one another so they can support one
another through any difficult issues that may arise. Since Alices behaviors are changing, her
daughter will feel more secure in their moms ability to care for them as well.
Conceptualizing the process of change is one of SBT key concepts, therefore SFT
counselors categorize the types of clients they have counseling relationships with. Identifying
the types of client-counseling relationships has two major benefits. First, it will remind them
that both the client and the counselor are part of a team. Secondly, it will help will help the
counselor to determine which therapeutic intervention will be most successful with each client.
SFT give of us three different types of clients: the visitor, the compliment and the customer. The
visitor is usually the gambler who has no clear problem or goal and may be seeking treatment on
the advice or pushing of others. The complainants, are aware of the problem, and may be able to
set goals but have no motivation. Finally the customer, this client most counselors would like
but is very rare. Customers understand their problems and have clear goals; they are not only
responsible but are extremely motivated to change.
Conclusion
Solution-Focused Therapy is a form of therapy where changes occur rapidly. When
working with SFT and the Green family, it is important to use positive client centered interaction
so that the specific change can occur. There are many people that are in favor of the
effectiveness of solution-focused therapy, but there is also many people that citizen the approach.

THERAPEUTIC APPROACH OF ALICE GREEN

One major criticism of SFT is that its quick and goal-orientated that may not allow some
counselors time to empathize with the clients they are working with. Another area that has been
critical the fact that SFT does not take into consideration past experiences, proponents of SFT
suggest that SFT counselors simply discard or ignore information deemed important by any other
approach. When working with the Green family SFT will fit nicely since Alice is struggling with
an addiction and its that addiction that is harming the family. It is beneficial for the family and
Alice since the alcohol addiction will not be the main focus of the therapy sessions. Finally, the
family will be worked with as a whole, Alice and Michael will be work with as a couple and
Alice will be worked with individual both in and out of rehab. All of these things will reunite the
family back together, stronger than they have ever been

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