Exam Content
Therapists can practice observing behaviors and recognizing pathologies by studying individuals in nonclinical settings. Fictional characters frequently portray a variety of behaviors that can be assessed using clinical methods to practice diagnosis and case conceptualization.
Choose a character from a movie, television show, or fictional story with a possible personality disorder. You may use any of the characters listed on the Personality Disorders: Character Cases list, or use a different one of your choosing, with instructor approval.
Develop a DSM-5 diagnosis for the character based on your assessment of the presenting symptoms and behaviors.
Present your assessment and diagnosis of your character in a 10- to 15-slide Microsoft® PowerPoint® presentation.
Support the diagnosis with excerpts from the movie, show, or story. These could be clips embedded into the presentation or quotes with descriptions of the behaviors. Include any assessment tools you might use for diagnosis or rule-outs of differential diagnosis. Include any specifiers with your diagnosis. Write a case conceptualization for your character based on a theoretical perspective.
Research common treatment goals for the chosen diagnosis, then develop a treatment plan. Your treatment plan should include:
A description of the target problem
Specific short-term goals for the target problem
Objectives for the target problem
Strategies/interventions to achieve goals for the target problem
Academic, peer-reviewed evidence that supports the goals, objectives, and interventions for the target problem