There is not a lot of
research on self-injury among young women; nevertheless, the research that has
been done normally only includes women that are 18-26 years old and not
younger. Self-injury is more common in women than men; therefore, this paper
will focus on women but the information applies to men as well. “Self-injury
typically occurs within the age range of 13-23,” because this is when they are
developing (p. 76). According to Laurie Craigen and Victoria Foster, “the act
of self-injury may be a means of expressing feelings of discontent and anger
and a form of psychological resistance articulating a need to be heard and to
be taken seriously” (p.77).
It would benefit young
women if the research was conducted targeting them when they start the
self-injury, because self-injury among young adults is on the rise. Due to a
lack of empirical date, it appears that this type of behavior is resistant to
treatment (p. 77). Therefore, the article discusses the helpful and unhelpful
behaviors the counselor does demonstrate during their sessions with their
client. It also discusses the counseling process, and the counseling
reflection. The data suggest that, “the most helpful counseling did address
these issues” referring to the underlying issues that triggered the self-injury
(p.89).
The study provides an
accurate picture of individuals that self-injure, because it takes the time to
speak to the individuals and ask them about their counseling and the treatment
that they received. The study gathered information through qualitative
interviews. The research provides insight for counselors that work with clients
that self-injure, because the results show that helpful behaviors displayed by
counselors were “respectful listening, understanding, and acting as a friend”
(p.82). The results of the data help to educate the counselors, so that they
focus on the ‘underlying issues’ through talk therapy. The article made a very
good point that if you ignore the underlying reasons behind the cutting, then
you are not addressing the needs of the clients. The counselor needs to find
out why the client is hurting themselves, and they can do this by asking
questions. For example, they could ask “If your wounds could speak, what would
they say about you? What are your wounds trying to communicate? What feelings
drive you to self-injure? What wounds exist beneath your scars?” (p.91). The
counselor needs to be nonjudgmental when responding in order to develop the
counselor-client relationship.
The participants were
ten woman aged 18-23, and that limits the information that was received through
the interviews. Ten participants is not a lot of people, and the participants
do not give any insight into counseling experiences of young girls – girls that
start to cut prior to 18. More studies need to be done to determine what
strategies are effective in treating clients that self-injure, because an
effective treatment plan needs to be developed.
I believe the study would have been better if
the participants ranged from 12-23, and if it focused on gathering data from multiple
types of therapy. For example, is Dialect Behavior Therapy (DBT) being used as
a treatment for young women that self-injure? Is DBT impacting clients that
self-injure? How is it impacting them? What would the data show if the research
was done? The data is unclear about the treatment approach, and that is a
problem, because the number of people that self-injure is on the rise and it is
important to have evidence/data that will support the best way to treat the individuals
that self-injure.
My daughter has been
cutting for almost two years now, and the information for families is not very
comforting or helpful. I have been told she is just trying to manipulate me,
and I have been told that she wants attention. I know that she has not cut in a
few months, but that is because we have an agreement – if there are no marks
she is allowed to be alone (because that is when she cuts), but if she cuts
then she needs us (her family) around 24/7. The door to her room cannot be
closed, and I check on her when she uses the restroom. I don’t know if it is
the right thing to do or the wrong thing to do, and the experts have given us conflicting
messages. But, I know that it is hard to do nothing when your child is hurting
themselves. My daughter is talking to me more about the thoughts that trigger
her to cut, and we made a poster of positive affirmations to counter act the
negative thoughts. It is posted on the back of her door. She says that, “I am
annoying” and she thinks about losing her privacy when she has the urge to cut
and it has helped.
We made tool-kits
together, so we could use them if we needed them. She took mine out of my room
and as she brought it into hers, she commented “I need it more than you do!”
However, I think she liked the tools in my kit (classical music, candles,
breathing exercises, and permission slips: Permission to write down the thought
and to talk about it at a later time, in a safe place).
Reference
Craigen, L. M.,
& Foster, V. (2009). "It Was
like a Partnership of the Two of Us Against the Cutting": Investigating
the Counseling Experiences of Young Adult Women Who Self-Injure. Journal Of
Mental Health Counseling, 31(1), 76-94.
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