Discuss the following:
Mary is 27 years old and has had a history of alcohol dependence for several years. Mary has a daughter Kylie, aged 3 years, who displays signs of fetal alcohol syndrome. Social work services have been involved with Mary and Kylie since her birth, culminating in Kylie being looked after by the local authority as a result of Mary arriving to collect Kylie from the local nursery while significantly under the influence of alcohol. Mary has demonstrated ambivalence regarding her ability to control her alcohol use. Mary has referred herself to a local counseling agency as suggested by the social worker and her PCP.
Discuss how you might use the principles of motivational interviewing with Mary.
Provide a detailed overview of how the interview may progress. Include each step of motivational interviewing in your discussion.
Describe how a provider would recognize this patient is ready to change. Use principles of motivational interviewing to support your answer.
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Utilizing Motivational Interviewing with Mary
Principles of Motivational Interviewing
Motivational Interviewing is a client-centered, collaborative approach that aims to elicit behavior change by resolving ambivalence. In the case of Mary, who has a history of alcohol dependence and whose daughter displays signs of fetal alcohol syndrome, applying motivational interviewing principles can help her explore and resolve her ambivalence towards changing her alcohol use behavior.
Overview of the Interview Progression:
1. Engagement: The provider establishes rapport with Mary, showing empathy and understanding towards her situation. The focus is on building a trusting relationship to facilitate open communication.
2. Assessment: The provider explores Mary’s thoughts and feelings regarding her alcohol use, her concerns about her daughter’s well-being, and her readiness for change. Open-ended questions are used to encourage Mary to express herself.
3. Eliciting Change Talk: The provider encourages Mary to articulate reasons for considering change, such as concerns for her daughter’s health or personal goals she wants to achieve. Reflective listening is used to amplify Mary’s own motivations for change.
4. Rolling with Resistance: If Mary expresses resistance or ambivalence towards changing her behavior, the provider acknowledges her feelings without judgment and explores the underlying reasons for her reluctance. This helps Mary feel understood and validated.
5. Developing a Change Plan: Collaboratively, the provider and Mary identify small, achievable steps towards reducing or quitting alcohol use. Setting specific, measurable goals helps Mary build confidence in her ability to change.
6. Enhancing Self-Efficacy: The provider reinforces Mary’s strengths and past successes, highlighting her ability to overcome challenges. Positive affirmations and encouragement boost Mary’s self-belief in her capacity to make positive changes.
7. Closing and Follow-Up: The provider summarizes the discussion, reaffirms support for Mary’s efforts, and discusses a plan for follow-up sessions or additional support resources. This ensures continuity in the change process and maintains motivation for progress.
Recognizing Patient Readiness for Change:
A provider can recognize that Mary is ready to change based on several indicators observed during the motivational interviewing process:
– Change Talk: Mary expresses genuine desire and willingness to make changes in her alcohol use behavior.
– Commitment Language: Mary uses language that indicates commitment to taking action, such as “I want to do this for my daughter” or “I am ready to make a change.”
– Exploration of Solutions: Mary actively engages in discussing potential strategies or solutions for managing her alcohol dependence.
– Increased Confidence: Mary demonstrates growing confidence in her ability to control her alcohol use and address the underlying issues contributing to her dependency.
By leveraging the principles of motivational interviewing, the provider can effectively support Mary in exploring her motivations for change, resolving ambivalence, and ultimately empowering her to take steps towards overcoming her alcohol dependence for the well-being of herself and her daughter.
