fe. Along with her mother and siblings, Ann spent the next several months residing with different relatives until the family could find another permanent home. She remembers feeling really sad. She also felt terribly isolated which ruled out the possibility of establishing close relationships with anyone. I observed feelings of inferiority and depression quite frequently throughout the interview. It is apparent that Ann has a low self-esteem. She admits being needy and feeling deprived of a normal family life. I believe that her early family structure as well as the changes following the divorce has contributed tremendously to her poor self image and her self concept of being socially incompetent. I am under the impression that Ann has identified with her low self-esteem but feels there is not much she can do to improve it. She blames herself. Dr. Gold claims that girls tend to internalize problems of divorce which seems exactly the case for Ann. I believe this is attributable to her strict upbringing which did not provide her with the proper independence and support which she so desperately needed. Today, she is still coping with her low self-esteem; attempting to raise it through social approval. Of the divorce effects on children for the first few years following the divorce discussed by Dr. Gold, the most prevalent in Ann was experiencing difficulties in social relationships. Apparently, growing up Ann felt as a social isolate because she believed her situation at home was so different from the norm. She accepted that she did not develop normal communication skills because of her extraordinary situation. Ann still believes today that she can not always accurately express her thoughts and feelings to others. She knows she will have to work on this for the rest of her life. A major change for Ann following the divorce was the difference in parenting techniques. She switched from a very strict rule und...
