I felt like having fun today so this post goes out to all my fellow multi-theory eclectic therapists as well as to my beloved furry friend. I miss you, buddy. How does it relate to business? Give a dog a bone and he’ll follow you home.
What follows is my experience with him many years ago while I was still studying psychology in college, written from the perspective of my younger (and somewhat academically irreverent) self. Okay, in full disclosure, this is an excerpt from an assignment I once completed for class. Ah, memory lane…enjoy.
“Without delving into a technical analysis of all psychotherapeutic models, I’d like to point out applications for which I find Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and a few others particularly appealing. First, I once had a dog named Blaze who was, in many ways, like a child. He was a black-and-white Cocker Spaniel that liked to get into the trash and steal food from the table.
“Recently, I learned that Blaze enjoys eating money as well as dining from the garbage can. Forty dollars that was supposed to go toward a cell phone bill but mysteriously disappeared recently turned up in the backyard…rather discolored, I might add. Funds were short so, alas, what to do…what to do. Don’t judge me.
“I tried some of Beck’s techniques, explaining to Blaze that trash is unhealthy and that continuing to spread the trash can’s contents across the kitchen floor is maladaptive and self-destructive (he could get sick by eating it and it doesn’t make him especially popular with the family). Of course, this approach didn’t work too well, probably because his cognitive distortions stem more from instinct than faulty learning.
“Thus, I changed my approach to an existential one. “Why,” I asked him, “do you feel you need to eat your owner’s food?” We explored the possibilities of his impoverished childhood (abandoned at age one, never knew his father, etc.) to no avail. When considering that he might be trying to bring meaning to his life by overpowering the boundaries of his master, I pointed out that love is better shown through sacrifice, and that this was a healthy existential goal.
“Just when I thought we were making real progress, I looked up to see he’d placed his paws upon the living room table and was lapping up my coffee. Sadly, I fear he wasn’t really taking our session seriously.
“My third attempt embodied many of Berne’s principles. Perhaps Blaze needed to move from a “Free Child” state (always “wanting” and expressing himself nonverbally) to that of the “Adaptive Child.” Perchance I had even been operating as the “Critical Parent,” thereby hindering healthier transactions.
“With Blaze’s internal homeostasis interrupted (placing him firmly within the realm of “not okay”) it was obvious his life script would have to be revised to incorporate more positive strokes as motivators for constructive behavior. The “game” of trash wrangling would have to be replaced with “warm fuzzies,” i.e. genuine intimacy.
“I cuddled with him for a while, thereby fostering an “I’m OK, you’re OK” mentality until we both fell asleep on the couch. Unfortunately, I woke to hear a crash in the kitchen as empty soup cans clattered across the floor.
“The time had come for serious intervention. I considered medication and institutional commitment, but disregarded this approach after realizing he’d come from the pound to begin with. Throwing him back into such an environment would likely prompt a state of regression and a flaring up of his ego defenses.
“Quite frankly, I was not prepared to deal with the resultant flood of Freudian unconscious drives. Furthermore, a referral would be a counterproductive measure. Because we’d already built such a strong therapeutic alliance, it would be a waste to force Blaze to begin anew. After consulting with my colleagues, I decided to take a systemic approach.
“Although I was unable to locate any of Blaze’s immediate family, I succeeded in using the Gestalt “empty chair” technique, thereby bringing them into the room with us. We contemplated the triangulation that occurred between Blaze’s older and younger siblings against him (he was the middle child).
“This hostility contributed to his role as the “identified patient” and caused an unhealthy dependence upon his mother for nurturing and support. Although his father was never an influential force in the lives of his bastard pups, the roaming vagabond did appear in the chair and Blaze was able to resolve some of his emotive conflicts caused by his father’s absence.
“I attempted group work at this point, and involved Blaze in a carefully selected band of dogs that shared similar disorders. A female associate assisted me in creating a male/female leadership dynamic, thereby simulating a family and making the group participants act out their subconscious issues as though they were all siblings.
“We exuded genuine caring, promoted courage, and fostered sincerity and authenticity. The group decided upon the goals of scratching at fleas and gnawing on bones, but we steered them toward finding personal identity and enhancing social skills, objectives we felt would be much more productive. Although we transitioned into the feeling phase rather quickly, a mailman passed by, causing the session to deteriorate into barking and snarling growls.
“At last, my research unearthed a breakthrough that was sure to help Blaze. It would seem a theorist named Pavlov was able to condition his dog to salivate at the sound of a bell, apparently altering its behavior with the stimulus. Eureka! This is precisely what I needed!
“I decided upon a Fixed Interval Schedule, which I believed would be most effective. Through shaping, I gradually brought Blaze’s behavior in line with our goals. Over time, he transitioned from scattering the trash everywhere to merely clawing at the trash can to leaving it alone entirely.
“I attributed this monumental success to positive reinforcement (doggie treats for obedience) and positive punishment (spankings for disobedience). Regardless of opinions to the contrary, physical reprimands worked remarkably well.
“Finally, after reviewing the data collected over the course of his behavior modification, I can say with confidence that Blaze has made a solid recovery. Wait a moment, I just heard a noise coming from the kitchen…”
Until next time, don’t just be transformed: be Kinged.
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