Killing Monsters

Abstract

The following case study examines a novel treatment strategy used to address one boy's fears, employed in the context of an 8-week psychoeducational counseling experience. As the focus of this article is a specific intervention strategy that occurred during the counseling process, brief information on the theoretical underpinnings, organization, and constituency of the counseling group is provided, although the authors emphasized a single critical incident during which the strategy was implemented. This article emphasizes (a) the flexibility required in conducting this type of group work and the need to adapt group structure to the needs of the members; (b) the need to sometimes develop novel, and often spontaneous, treatment strategies; (c) the related convergence of multiple disciplines (e.g., psychology, religion, medicine); and (d) empathy when working with childhood fears. Related to these factors, specific recommendations for practice and training are outlined. THEORETICAL AND RESEARCH BASISAs the specific treatment strategy, which will be discussed later, is novel and neither theoretically nor empirically grounded, such a discussion is not considered feasible or applicable. However, the following summary of the theoretical and empirical basis for the counseling group, in which the approach was developed, may provide the reader with some helpful contextualization. The theory and motivation behind the group represents a convergence of three broad areas: cognitive-behavioral theory (CBT; Dobson,