Deck 11: Case Conceptualization

Question 1

Monica is a family therapist completing an assessment with a family. She says to the family, "What have you done on your own to try and solve this problem of Jesse's school failure? What have you tried that was not as successful as you had hoped?" What is Monica looking for?

A) Solutions that did work
B) Solutions that did not work
C) Solutions that she can try in therapy
D) Unique outcomes

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Obtaining background information about the problem is an important part of case conceptualization. Which of the following would NOT be considered background information or the necessary facts of the case?

A) History of trauma and abuse
B) Substance use and abuse
C) Precipitating events
D) Nine-generation family history

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Assessing for intergenerational patterns is easiest when a therapist uses:

A) a guide.
B) a model.
C) a survey.
D) a genogram.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

When a couple begins to over-value togetherness at the expense of respecting the individuality of each other, their boundaries become _________ and the relationship becomes ______________.

A) diffuse; enmeshed
B) disengaged; diffused
C) rigid; disengaged
D) none of these is correct

Question 5

Three of these four terms refer to a similar process in relationships: tension between two people resolved by drawing in a third person or thing to stabilize the original dyad. Which of the following terms does NOT fit this description?

A) Subsystem
B) Triangle
C) Covert coalition
D) Cross-generational coalition

Question 6

Which of the following is NOT recommended that the family therapist include when obtaining a description of the presenting problem?

A) The reason each client states he or she is seeking therapy
B) Information from the referring agent and his or her description of the problem
C) A brief history of the problem and the family
D) Descriptions of the failures the family has had when trying to solve the problem on their own

Question 7

Most commonly associated with structural family therapy, boundaries are the rules for negotiating interpersonal __________ and __________.

A) closeness; intimacy
B) relationships; distance
C) relationships; intimacy
D) closeness; distance

Question 8

For what purpose should a family therapist assess a client's spiritual resources?

A) To enforce spirituality and religion as a part of the solution to the client's problems
B) To access beliefs that may transform how the client feels, thinks, and responds to difficult situations
C) To promote spiritual and religious tolerance among therapists
D) All of these are correct

Question 9

The collaborative language systems approach maintains that each person who is talking about the problem is part of the ________________; therefore, each person's description of a situation should be considered when conceptualizing the problem.

A) somatic-generating system
B) solution-generating system
C) problem-generating system
D) behavior-generating system

Question 10

Case conceptualization starts by identifying the most salient demographic features that relate to treatment as well as:

A) who the client is.
B) what the client had for dinner.
C) where the client lives.
D) how the client lives.

Question 11

Assessment of family structure often begins by identifying the client or family's stage in the:

A) family circus.
B) family room.
C) family life cycle.
D) family plan.

Question 12

When eliciting descriptions of the presenting concern/problem in couples or family therapy, it is important to get a description from:

A) each client in the room.
B) extended family.
C) broader systems.
D) all systems/parties involved in therapy.

Question 13

To conceptualize client strengths and resources, therapists can think of strengths at several levels, including all of the following EXCEPT:

A) personal/individual.
B) relational/social.
C) therapeutic.
D) spiritual.

Question 14

What are the two general categories of personal/individual strengths?

A) Abilities and self-acceptance
B) Abilities and personal qualities
C) Personal qualities and traits
D) Personal qualities and self-acceptance

Question 15

A therapist says, "A child's symptom of school failure forces the couple, the child's parents, to work together and distracts the couple from their distressful marital relationship." The therapist has developed what about this family?

A) A systemic hypothesis
B) An interaction pattern
C) An intergenerational map
D) A communication configuration

Question 16

Which of the following would be considered common dominant discourses that inform a client's life?

A) Culture, race, ethnicity, and immigration
B) Gender, sexual orientation, and sexual preferences
C) Stories of divorce, death, and loss of significant relationships
D) All of these are correct

Question 17

When assessing the parental hierarchy in parent and child relationships, what is the healthy or appropriate hierarchical structure?

A) Excessive
B) Insufficient
C) Permissive
D) Effective

Question 18

The author of the text suggests that the first step in therapy is for the therapist to map the territory. To develop a good map, therapists need to master the art of __________, which in a talking profession like therapy refers to knowing where to focus your attention while listening.

A) painting
B) viewing
C) watching
D) asking

Question 19

The author of the text recommends client strengths and resources be assessed in which stage of therapy?

A) First thing in the assessment
B) Mid-way through treatment
C) When therapy is about to terminate
D) At no stage because client strengths and resources are not relevant to treatment

Question 20

One of the hallmarks of family therapy is the ability to assess the family's __________ related to the presenting problem.

A) structural patterns
B) behavior modification
C) interaction patterns
D) interpersonal relationships

Question 21

Common resources due to diversity include:

A) lack of purpose and direction.
B) beliefs that provide comfort.
C) difficulty finding opportunities.
D) isolation and difficulty meeting others.

Question 22

In case conceptualization, therapists must consider broader cultural norms, including:

A) school contexts.
B) sexual orientation subcultures.
C) religious communities.
D) all of these are correct.

Question 23

When a therapist asks the question, "How has the problem shaped each significant person's identity?" they are creating a(n) _______ for each individual involved.

A) identity narrative
B) gender discourse
C) client perspective
D) attachment behavior profile

Question 24

When a case conceptualization is complete, it is appropriate and helpful for the therapist to:

A) hand the entire case conceptualization over to the client(s).
B) discuss key findings with the client(s).
C) shield the client(s) from the content of the case conceptualization.
D) discount the client's/clients' perspective(s) when conceptualizing treatment.

Question 25

Which of the following does NOT represent a common complementary pattern in a relationship?

A) Overfunctioner/underfunctioner
B) Pursuer/distancer
C) Friendly parent/ permissive parent
D) Emotional/logical

Question 26

Therapists CANNOT rely simply on __________ descriptions of behavior in assessment. They must consider the broader culture norms, which may include more than one set of ethnic norms as well as local neighborhood cultures, school contexts, sexual orientation subcultures, religious communities, and so forth.

A) objective
B) absolute
C) pre-defined
D) all of these are correct