Between Two Worlds: The Story of a Boy

Abstract

This study is the evolution of a single case. IN the introductory chapters, an arguement is made for the adoption of a basic philosophical attitude, and no philosophical dogma. This arguement pertains to the study in three ways: (1) As the suggested best way to approach another human being in an effort to understand him, the approach being philosophically, rather than scientifically, grounded. (2) In a refusal to adopt, a priori, a theoretical position with which to examine the case study material, and a decision to let the theory arise from the data; and, (3) In a decision, in a case such as this, when the investigatory is also the counsellor, to transcend systems of belief when adopting a psychotherapeutic approach, the emphasis again on the attitude rather than the technique. The subject of the study, a 13 year old boy, is introduced with a brief description of his referral problem, his symptomatology, and his history. The biographical material is then presented, the information made available to the reader in the same order in which it became available to me, so that the reader can, in the reading, draw his own conclusions, based on his own intuitions. My interpretation of the data, based on recurring themes of importance to the subject, follows. This chapter includes my diagnosis of the problem, what I expected to happen, what did happen, and my prognosis, at the time, for the Boy in the future. Test results and interpretation of various tests administered, including intelligence and projective tests, are presented next. This is followed by a brief epilogue in which I describe what has happened to the client since the counselling came to an end. The final chapter deals briefly with a consideration of how this case study material could be further utilized.