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Apr 3, 2024

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1 Case of Stress Management: Social and Culturally-Just Factors Esther Kamenetsky Department of Behavioural Sciences, Yorkville University PSYC6104: A Biopsychosocial Approach to Counselling Dr. Angela McCoy-Speight February 18th, 2024

2 Case of Stress Management: Social and Culturally-Just Factors I am a 24-year-old heterosexual Caucasian cis woman. In my first session, I identified that my primary focus area was stress management. Due to the fact that my work and school domains are continuously competing for time and attention, I have been lacking in social aspects of my life. I rarely take moments for community activities or self-care due to fear of falling behind. Growing up, I noticed that my mother was inherently a hard worker. My parents were born in Russia and taught me the value of financial security, however, they separated at the age of ten. My father obsessed over success to an unrealistic point, where attempting to voice my needs came at the cost of tough love and criticism . My partner and I moved to Vancouver seeking an opportunity for growth and change though I still feel like an unwanted foreigner here, learning to navigate my surroundings while struggling to trust others. I have been putting a lot of pressure on myself to justify my choice in moving and find it difficult to integrate myself into my new community. My faith (Judaism) is not widely practiced in my new city, and I have neglected seeking spiritual guidance. In my next therapy session, my counselor asked me to share who belongs to my support system. This question probed me to tear up thinking of the distance from my family and close friends. Lately, I have been caught up in self-doubt and yearning to return to the feeling of emotional safety . When I am with my close family and friends, I could always be myself and relax. Upon visiting them recently, they noticed my high emotional sensitivity which they assumed was my partner of six years’ fault for exhibiting a modern, egalitarian view on relationships. While emphasis on stability remains at the core of what I need, the constant flux I am experiencing in this life stage has me questioning my relationship and my future.

3 Social Factors Related to Stress The counselor identified some pertinent factors related to my stress. The first factor was lack of social support. The combination of physical distance from family and friends, constantly working from home and busy schedule, has impacted my mental well-being. The therapist noted that having a supportive social network can promote resilience to stress (Watkins & Hill, 2018). My busy schedule and the fear of falling behind have inevitably caused me to neglect interaction with my community. This feeling of isolation and disconnect from my inner needs contributes to stress and maintains emotional vulnerability (Shebib, 2022). In addition, my relationship dynamics are another key social factor maintaining my stress. Revisiting my father may have reignited some attachment anxiety behaviours such as hypervigilance to rejection, and attachment avoidance learned in childhood (Dugan, 2023). Looking at my family dynamics, my parents’ inconsistent responses (i.e., caring sometimes and rejecting other times) formed an avoidant attachment in times of distress (Dugan, 2023). Furthermore, experiences of gender oppression (i.e., getting ignored, scolded or belittled) may have contributed to internalized anger, decreased self-respect and shortage of confidence. Nonetheless, the final social factor identified was increased involvement in educational and work-related demands leading to isolation (Wood et. al, 2018). Balancing my personal commitments with commitments to my partner, friends, and colleagues has contributed to an imbalanced lifestyle (Washington University School of Medicine, 2021) leading to a higher perceived level of stress (Wood et. al, 2018). The societal pressure to succeed, as reflected in my father's expectations and broader societal norms around achievement restrained me from task initiation and completion. Thankfully, my therapist invited me to deepen my awareness and offered space with curiosity and support to express myself entirely (Jay. M & Brown J., 2021).

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