Miss E Came for Therapy

Miss E came to therapy for weight loss wanting to lose 2 ½ stone in all. She is 29 and came out of a failed relationship 6 months ago. She is now ready to look for another partner but she is scared as her previous partner of 6 years was very controlling and almost seemed to want her stay overweight.   She had struggled with her weight since she was 12 or 13 and her parents badgered her about being unattractive and eating too much. She has tried many diets but always seems to put the weight back on after a while.   She is going on an all girls' holiday in 3 months and hopes to have lost the weight by them.

This essay will examine and assess Miss E’s issues as presented in the case notes provided.   It will also examine any further questions that need to be explored in order to establish a fuller picture of her situation.   Whether Miss E’s goal regarding her desired weight loss is realistic in the timeframe will also be deliberated.   In addition any negative beliefs she may have that could be affecting her self-esteem and self-image, which may well be at the root of her behaviour and her relationship with food, need to be considered. The ethical therapist must be certain there are no medical issues or contradistinctions that may render hypnotherapy unsuitable. Finally, a course of treatment will be suggested and described for Miss E.

Before any treatment can be initiated a detailed medical history from Miss E needs to be established to check that she is in general good health and to see whether she had visited the doctor regarding her weight where any conditions that could explain the difficulty to lose weight, for example, a thyroid problem have been ruled out.   Furthermore, some medications can increase weight gain, for example, steroids, antidepressants (which would be of vital importance) and some contraceptives.   If Miss E is already on any prescribed weight-loss drugs (or indeed other drugs) then the hypnotherapist will need to get permission from the...