Deck 12: Systemic Family Counseling and Therapy

Question 1

Systemic counselors view the presenting problem not as an individual problem but a __________ one, specifically an interactional one, even if the counselor is working with an individual.

A) dysfunctional
B) pathological
C) independent
D) relational

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The purpose of enactments in systemic counseling is ___________________________________________________.

A) to avoid seeing couples or family arguing in your office
B) to observe and restructure couple and family interactions in your office
C) to hear couples and families describe how they interact
D) to help couples and families to argue in a healthy manner in your office

Answer 2

B

Question 3

In a session with a single-parent family, a mother and daughter, the systemic counselor notices that mom often makes remarks about her daughter's father, such as "I am so glad you didn't get your father's kinky hair" or "Most men are unreliable." The daughter has regular visits with her father and appears distressed when her mother makes these comments. The counselor might categorize the mother's comments as a form of ______________.

A) commands
B) coalitions
C) subsystems
D) triangulation

Answer 3

D

Question 4

_____________ refers to the idea of no change or "more of the same" feedback, whereas __________________ may be experienced by a family as a problem or crisis such as a fight with a spouse.

A) Positive feedback; negative feedback
B) Universal feedback; positive feedback
C) Negative feedback; positive feedback
D) General feedback; positive feedback

Question 5

Systemic counselors view the family as ___________________________________.

A) defensive and unable to change without significant intervention on behalf of the counselor
B) continually growing and changing in response to stages of development and unexpected life events
C) a dysfunctional system where a deficits-approach is the best way to communicate with the family the areas of change they should focus on
D) the enemy of its individual members

Question 6

Family systems counselors are fundamentally strengths-based. This means focusing on each of the following EXCEPT: ___________________________________.

A) viewing the individual as the enemy of the family
B) advocating against labeling families as dysfunctional
C) focusing on spiritual beliefs or hobbies to develop interventions
D) recognizing the family as supportive and protective to individuals

Question 7

___________________ refers to shifts in family structure during the early stages of counseling, which seem like radical change, but the underlying family rules remain the same.

A) Self-correcting
B) Cybernetics
C) First-order change
D) Second-order change

Question 8

Systemic approaches are a set of theories that conceptualize an individual's symptoms as arising ______________________________.

A) in the unconscious mind
B) from social oppression
C) when a person is not self-actualized
D) within family and relational dynamics

Question 9

Which of the following is an important part of the process of systemic counseling?

A) Helping clients to understand the mistaken beliefs to them improve their social relatedness.
B) Analyzing and intervening upon observable measurable behaviors.
C) Transforming behavioral practices to use compassionate acceptance of thoughts and feelings to paradoxically promote change.
D) Interrupting and redirecting the interactional sequence.

Question 10

Which of the following statements is TRUE when viewing the family as a system?

A) One single person in the family orchestrates the interactional patterns.
B) One single person can be blamed for family distress.
C) Personal characteristic are independent of the system.
D) All behavior makes sense in context.

Question 11

When a counselor views the family as a system, this means that the counselor accepts the basic premise that ____________________________________.

A) one cannot not communicate
B) the whole is greater than the sum of its parts
C) one must be constantly in flux to maintain a sense of stability
D) people possess the ability to self-correct

Question 12

Jamie, a systemic counselor, is working with Don, who reports having repeated arguments several time a week with his girlfriend because he gets upset when she is running late. Which of the following is an example of a suggestion Jamie might make to interrupt and alter this pattern?

A) Don should avoid saying anything to his girlfriend.
B) Don should first give her a sincere compliment before making a comment about her running late.
C) Don should tell his girlfriend about he feels unloved when she runs late.
D) Don should firmly tell her that if she is late again, he will break up with her.

Question 13

When a parent and child team up against the second parent, this is an example of _______________.

A) lifecycle stage
B) subsystem
C) behavioral sequences
D) cross-generational coalition

Question 14

The term, homeostasis, in the case of families can be defined as ____________________.

A) chaos that create instability for the family
B) norms that create stability for the family
C) lack of movement to create stability for the family
D) a set of changes initiated for the purpose of catalyzing family change

Question 15

Which of the following statements is TRUE regarding a counselor's assessment of a family's boundaries?

A) Boundaries are far less complex than they appear at first glance.
B) Rigid boundaries can be accurately assessed without taking cultural and developmental variables into consideration.
C) Counselors must proceed slowly and mindfully to accurately assess where and how boundaries are a problem.
D) A family should not have boundaries as they inhibit intimacy and closeness among family members.

Question 16

Systemic counselors believe that the symptoms clients present within counseling are ___________________.

A) dysfunctional
B) homeostatic
C) related to systemic dynamics
D) abnormal

Question 17

The concept of "joining" a system is best described by which of the following statements?

A) The counselor verbally expresses empathy toward the client.
B) The client accommodates the counselor's position.
C) The client projects onto the counselor.
D) The counselor accommodates to the client.

Question 18

Systemic counselors view ______________ as playing a role in maintaining relational homeostasis and a sense of normalcy.

A) dysfunction
B) symptoms
C) defenses
D) parents

Question 19

____________________ is the concept that refers to when a system restructures its homeostasis in response to positive feedback. During this time, the rules that govern the system fundamentally shift.

A) Second-order change
B) Self-correcting
C) First-order change
D) Positive feedback

Question 20

New information or news, experienced in a system is referred to as which of the following?

A) universal feedback
B) negative feedback
C) positive feedback
D) general feedback

Question 21

What are the benefits of using systemic therapy with diverse client populations?

Question 22

Each of the following: good/bad child, understanding/strict parent, logical/emotional, role model/rebel are examples of ___________________.

A) hierarchies
B) complementary roles
C) coalitions
D) subsystems

Question 23

List and describe 3 effective interventions employed by systemic therapists?

Question 24

How does homeostasis play a role in the family structure and system?

Question 25

Virginia Satir's Human Growth model conceptualizes family interactions in terms of the communication or survival stances, which a person adopts as a child for the purpose of ___________________________.

A) coping with difficult family interactions.
B) acculturating to a new environment.
C) allowing their authentic self to shine through in the family system.
D) dominating the family system.

Question 26

How are symptoms viewed by systemic therapists?

Question 27

When working with more than one person in a room, circular questions are used to help ____________________________.

A) minimize interactional patterns
B) exacerbate the problem for all participants
C) "confront" clients' problematic patterns
D) establish the counselor's expertise

Question 28

Behavioral difference questions allow the counselor to ___________________________.

A) trace the entire sequence of behaviors that constitute the problem
B) shatter the illusion a particular behavior is part of a person's inherent personality
C) reduce labeling and other rigid descriptions of self and others
D) help illuminate problem interaction patterns

Question 29

How do boundaries play a role in the family system?