Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy - a Remedy for Chronic Stuttering Coursework

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy - a Remedy for Chronic Stuttering - Coursework Example Ahmed, a 13-year old student and the focus of my case, suffers from chronic stuttering due to untreated social fear. He shows difficulty in speaking whenever he is in front of other people; particularly those whom he knows have authority over him. Hence, the objective of this reflective paper is to narrate and discuss the essential practice issues and challenges that are involved in my social work experience with Ahmed. First, the essay will explain my rationale for choosing the cognitive-behavioral theory as a model for the treatment of chronic stuttering. Second, I will narrate the challenges of social work in Saudi Arabia, particularly with regard to working with women and families. And lastly, I will reflect on my own strengths and weaknesses as a social worker based on my experience with Ahmed. In principles, in cognitive-behavioral therapies, the manner and content of patients’ speech should manifest reforms in the cognitive processing of their core problem (Bothe 2004). Stein, Baird, and Walker (1996) propose that individuals who have social anxiety and stutter would gain from cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) sessions for social phobia. They described subjective substantiation of this in three subjects within their group who allegedly the encountered declines in avoidance, social phobia, and general disability throughout a 3-month CBT program (Stein et al. 1996). Moreover, a statement of a speech restructuring treatment course subjectively revealed the favorable outcomes of employing CBT processes along with speech restructuring therapy. Blood (1995 as cited in Onslow, Packman, Block, Menzies, O'Brien, & St. Clare 2008) merged a computer-assisted biofeedback system for easing stuttering with a relapse management course founded on the self-efficacy model of Bandura, CBT, and the relapse prevention model of Donovan and Marlatt (1980 as cited in Onslow et al. 2008). The relapse package of Blood (1995 as cited in Onslow et al. 2008) is composed of the following parts: ‘(a) problem solving, (b) cognitive restructuring/reframing, and (c) nondirective supportive counseling’ (p. 3) Four male individuals participated in the experiment, with a ‘multiple-baseline, across subjects’ (Onslow et al. 2008: 3) framework. All four subjects exhibited substantial and steady drops in stuttering throughout the trial, and these improvements were sustained at one-year follow-up. Inopportunely, the study’s design does not permit identification of the relative inputs of the psychological therapy and speech res tructuring course. No participants were given either a therapy module individually.