PSY376 Psychology of Trauma: Theories and Applications PSY376 End-Of-Course Assessment Answer ALL questions.
Case Study Amy is a 31-year-old single mother, raising her 9-year-old son, Jay. She currently works fulltime, and has sole custody of Jay, who still sees his father occasionally.
Amy’s own childhood was marked by a volatile relationship between her parents. Her father had a history of alcohol dependence, often leading to angry outbursts and occasional physical altercations directed at Amy’s mother. The family maintained a facade of normalcy in public, adhering to the strong cultural emphasis on “saving face”. In her youth, Amy met Jay’s father, who also struggled with substance abuse, and their relationship was marked by similar patterns of verbal and physical aggression. Amy left the relationship six months ago.
Her son, Jay, has been exhibiting aggressive behaviour at school. He struggles to express his emotions, and socialise with his peers. He is also falling behind in his schoolwork. The school shares these concerns with Amy, and wonders whether Jay’s behaviours may be attributed to his past experiences. Amy agrees to bring Jay to see a counsellor, and they both turn up for their first session with you, their assigned counsellor.
Question 1(A) From an attachment and neurobiological perspective of trauma, illustrate the impact adverse childhood experiences might have on Jay’s behaviours, and evaluate the relationship between Jay’s family history and his current functioning.
[Word limit = 700] (40 marks)
Question 1(B) As a trauma-trained counsellor, you are preparing for your first session with Jay and his mother, Amy. Analyse the ways in which you can apply the four trauma-informed principles (i.e., safety, trust, collaboration & empowerment) on the setup of your intake session for Jay and Amy. Consider factors such as physical environment, verbal behaviours, and non-verbal behaviours.
[Word limit = 500] (35 marks)
Question 2 Consider your role as a support person (e.g., a friend, family member, colleague, provider, etc.) and appraise one potential challenge you foresee yourself experiencing if you were to support someone you know who is showing signs of traumatic stress and/or has a known trauma history. Reflect and apply possible solutions that may help you overcome this challenge.
[Word limit = 300] (20 marks)
References (5 Marks) The References lists the full reference of all sources cited or referred to in your assignment. Intext citations also need to be presented accurately in APA format.
Note: Valid academic sources include peer-reviewed academic journal articles, academic books and book chapters. The iStudyGuide, student theses, and online websites, blog posts, or videos are NOT considered valid academic sources.
There will be no awarding of 1, 2, or 3 marks.
5 marks: Perfect use of APA style. Demonstrates a thorough understanding of APA format and referencing conventions. A minimum of 5 valid academic references are cited.
4 marks: Near perfect use of APA style. Demonstrates a very good understanding of APA format and referencing conventions. A minimum of 5 valid academic references are cited.
0 marks: Fails to meet the above requirements.
English competency
No marks are allocated to English competency, but a penalty of up to 5 marks will apply for errors.
1–2 mark penalty: Minor errors present, such as typos and spelling or punctuation mistakes.
3–5 mark penalty: Major errors or a fair number of minor errors present, such as spelling or punctuation mistakes, or use of colloquial and/or non-academic writing style.
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