Deck 1: Competency and Theory in Family Therapy

Question 1

Being a competent therapist requires which of following specific personal characteristics?

A) The ability to exude empathy, compassion, and charisma to connect with clients
B) The ability to ignore personal emotions and reactions when working with clients
C) The ability to avoid personal issues in order to build therapeutic relationships
D) The ability to use personal bias to pathologize clients

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Two key practices of evidence-based family therapy include:

A) using anecdotal opinions and determining therapies based on your own family life.
B) relying on the advice of other practitioners and on your own beliefs to determine your approach.
C) using previous theories to determine your approach and creating new theories about therapy treatment.
D) using existing research to inform decisions and learning to use evidence-based treatments.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

How can all the talk about competency in family therapy help you to better serve your clients?

A) It clearly defines what therapists should know to be able to help their clients.
B) It ensures that students know how to meaningfully apply the knowledge and skills of their given profession.
C) It both clearly defines what therapists should know to be able to help their clients and ensures that students know how to meaningfully apply the knowledge and skills of their given profession.
D) It neither clearly defines what therapists should know to be able to help their clients nor ensures that students know how to meaningfully apply the knowledge and skills of their given profession.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Therapists can rule out possible medical issues and identify psychiatric issues by doing which of the following with their client?

A) A treatment plan
B) Case management
C) Mental status exam
D) A therapeutic inventory

Question 5

Which of the following statements about the role of diversity in the therapy process is FALSE?

A) Diversity factors include age, gender, race, ethnicity, ability, and language.
B) Diversity factors of the client should not be considered when selecting theory.
C) Everything you think, do, or say as a professional should be informed by diversity factors.
D) Effectively responding to diversity is not easily learned and can be messy.

Question 6

Which of the following statements is TRUE about a therapist competent in working with and acknowledging diversity issues in the counseling relationship?

A) A competent therapist is one who admits that handling diversity issues is a career-long struggle and journey that adds depth to the person-of-the-therapist.
B) A competent therapist is one who says, "I don't have any culture," so they cannot help with diversity issues.
C) A competent therapist is one who reports that being from a diverse or marginalized group qualifies them as an expert in diversity issues.
D) A competent therapist is one who assumes that, because they have read about topics in diversity, they are competent in diversity issues.

Question 7

The key to mapping a successful therapeutic journey involves which of the following?

A) Labeling clients into groups such as depressed clients or clients with anxiety
B) Understanding each client's life as a one-of-a-kind journey
C) Honing in on the small picture of the client's life
D) Conceptualizing the client's situation without the help of theory

Question 8

When working with clients in therapy, it is very important to make sure the plan is working and that you and the client are sticking with the plan. If the client is not making progress, it is recommended that the therapist do all of the following EXCEPT:

A) always stick to the original treatment plan.
B) reassess the accuracy of the treatment plan.
C) make improvements where needed on the treatment plan.
D) assess the client's perspective of their progress.

Question 9

To be a competent therapist, you are required to do all of the following EXCEPT:

A) figure out what worked best in your personal therapy and apply it to your clients.
B) get outside your comfort zone and learn what works for you.
C) learn a wide range of theories and techniques.
D) understand which of the many possible approaches will be most effective for the client.

Question 10

In family therapy, our case conceptualizations can be considered our ______ to identify the steps that will need to be taken along the way to the resolution of a family issue.

A) list
B) map
C) client resource
D) all of these are correct

Question 11

It is important for therapists to leave a trail of where they have been when working with a client. The purpose of the trail is to:

A) get paid by third-party payers.
B) avoid lawsuits.
C) help therapists find their way back if they get lost.
D) All of these are correct.

Question 12

What should a competent therapist do with the research-related material in their mental health field?

A) Avoid the research literature altogether to prevent confusion
B) Stop reading the research literature upon graduation
C) Use the research literature to inform clinical decisions and treatment planning throughout their career
D) Learn at least one evidence-based treatment and implement it with all clients

Question 13

When working with clients, therapists should create a preferred path or general set of directions for the course of therapy. This document is known as:

A) a road map.
B) a clinical assessment.
C) a treatment plan.
D) a case management file.

Question 14

Countertransference refers to:

A) inappropriate observation of the client's language.
B) inappropriate relationship with the client.
C) inappropriate pathologizing of the client.
D) inappropriate determination of the client's therapeutic presence.

Question 15

According to the author, why do theories matter in therapy?

A) They provide a means for dominating clients.
B) They allow therapists to target specific thoughts, behaviors, or emotional processes for change.
C) They help clients to explain their presenting problems.
D) They allow therapists to select the proper medications for clients.

Question 16

When thinking about family therapy theories, the author of the text suggests which of the following to make the most of your theoretical education?

A) Pick your favorite theory and stick with it, because it is likely to meet the needs of all of your clients just by the nature of it being in this book
B) Appreciate that every theory is universally useful
C) Theories are generally equally effective because they are simply different modes for delivering the same factors
D) All of these are correct

Question 17

Which of the following is the primary tool therapists use to help their clients?

A) A theory
B) A hammer
C) A treatment plan
D) A supervisor