Deck 6: Complexities Within Client-Therapist Relationships: Inevitable Interpersonal Events of Therapy

Question 1

Which of the following is at least one interpersonal event that characterizes the following situation? Mike, an intelligent and high-achieving 15-year-old client, has relocated to your area and you are now assigned as his new occupational therapist. His mother requests that you work with him on becoming more independent in his self-care and hygiene. When you meet Mike, it is very evident in his appearance and odor that he does not practice adequate hygiene. You are faced with a situation in which you must discuss these issues with Mike, who seems disinterested and angry about others' concerns about his hygiene.

A) Boundary violation
B) Crisis point
C) Emotionally charged therapy situation
D) Contextual inconsistency

Answer 1

Emotionally charged therapy situation

Question 2

Which of the following does not represent an interpersonal event in therapy?

A) A court reporter attempts to type on a keyboard for the first time since the stroke that affected her left upper extremity.
B) A therapist must tell a young client, who tends to be very attached to her in therapy, of her plans to take maternity leave.
C) A therapist forgets to order the scooter in time for the client's field-trip to Washington, DC.
D) A therapist consults with her supervisor about a client.

Answer 2

A therapist consults with her supervisor about a client.

Question 3

Ms. Fallible is a client who has just injured her wrist while competing in a sport that means the world to her, judo. As the clinician is in the process of making a splint for her, Ms. Fallible laughs nervously and confides that she feels as if she has really failed because she not only lost the match but she also injured herself. According to the Intentional Relationship Model (IRM), what, if any, of the following are true?

A) This is an interpersonal event that should not be ignored.
B) It would be important to ignore the comment so she does not feel worse about it.
C) This is an intimate self-disclosure.
D) Both answers A and C

Answer 3

Both answers A and C

Question 4

When a therapist fails to notice or understand a communication from a client or unintentionally initiates a communication or behavior that the client feels is hurtful or insensitive, he/she is engaging in which interpersonal event?

A) Expression of strong emotion
B) Boundary testing
C) Emotionally charged therapy tasks and situations
D) Empathic break

Question 5

When a client asks a therapist if she is married, which of the following possibilities should the therapist consider?

A) Responding to the fact that an interpersonal event just occurred
B) Recognizing the situation as boundary testing
C) Entertaining the possibility that sexual harassment may have occurred
D) All of the above

Question 6

When a client has something unexpected happen in his/her life that interrupts the normal process and flow of therapy, how would you categorize this in terms of an interpersonal event?

A) Boundary testing
B) Limitations of therapy
C) Crisis point
D) A conundrum

Question 7

Which of the following statements is not correct?

A) Reluctance may be explained by a task being perceived as too difficult or demanding.
B) The inevitable interpersonal events of therapy usually weaken the therapeutic relationship.
C) Therapists should be prepared to adapt when crisis points occur.
D) Clients may naturally test the limits of their relationship with you.

Question 8

When a client and therapist realize they need more sessions to accomplish a therapy goal but the facility and insurance will not pay for the additional sessions, it is defined as:

A) An interpersonal event known as a crisis point
B) A client interpersonal characteristic known as capacity for trust
C) An interpersonal event known as a power dilemma
D) An interpersonal event known as limitations of therapy

Question 9

A 6-year-old client tells his occupational therapist that he is his only friend in the world. What kind of an interpersonal event would this be considered?

A) A limitation of therapy
B) A power dilemma
C) An empathic break
D)An intimate self-disclosure

Question 10

Relationships that involve one or more interpersonal event cascades, particularly if they occur across multiple therapy sessions, are considered complicated therapeutic relationships.

Question 11

Review what the client asked the therapist in question number 5. According to the Intentional Relationship Model (IRM), it would be important to discuss with the client what prompted her to ask the therapist this question.

Question 12

Intimate self-disclosure has the potential to have positive and/or negative outcomes in the therapeutic relationship.

Question 13

An interpersonal event has the potential to challenge the therapeutic relationship, but if handled appropriately it can result in a positive therapeutic outcome.

Question 14

Depending upon how they are handled, interpersonal events can either weaken or strengthen the therapeutic relationship.

Question 15

An interpersonal event may be what the therapist perceives as a benign and naturally occurring communication, but if perceived as important by the client, it is something that has the potential to disrupt or fortify the therapeutic relationship.

Question 16

According to the Intentional Relationship Model (IRM), client interpersonal characteristics are important to attend to because they allow a therapist to anticipate interpersonal events that commonly occur in people who share certain characteristics and allow a therapist to plan how to respond to the client using modes.

Question 17

A client asks an occupational therapist if she ever cleans the toilet at home and a therapist chooses to respond by disclosing that she does indeed do all of her own housecleaning. The therapist is choosing to relax the boundaries of therapy.