Question 1

As a Marriage and Family Therapist, one may assist clients in interpreting results from psychoeducational exams only if:

Accepted Answer

For the most part, clinical psychologists reserve the right to administer and interpret certain psychological exams. However, if a marriage and family therapist has received training and the test applies specifically to MFT practice, MFTs are allowed to use them. For example, the BAI, BDI, and Achenbach (ADHD) all fall under the category of basic measurements for which MFTs can interpret and provide data.

Question 2

A client comes to you asking your opinion on whether or not she should seek the services of a career counselor instead of continuing to see you regularly. You know that this could mean the loss of a client. Nonetheless, you explain to the client:

Accepted Answer

Even though it could mean the loss of a client, you are ethically obligated to explain to each client the role and scope of alternative practitioners. There are no apparent dangers to using licensed, established career counselors and they could even become valuable referral sources in the future.

Question 3

A parent has been coming to you for therapy for over two years now. He has really been able to open up and access some important issues and has made significant progress. He would like to know if you would be willing to write a letter supporting supervised visits with his children. You explain:

Accepted Answer

Whenever a client asks you about your ability to write a letter of support, it is always best to be clear about what you will be saying so that there are no surprises, and how you may be addressing some issues. While you may not always seek his approval or share a draft before you are finished, you want to let him see the finished product so that there are no surprises.

Question 4

You receive a call from the primary care physician who is treating one of your clients. He has the results of a lab test that he had run last week to determine the client's level of liver function. He reports that the news is not good and that you should be prepared in your next session to discuss it. Before acknowledging anything, you must have:

Accepted Answer

While so many believe that one form is enough to cover your bases, you need to have consent to exchange information (to and from), rather than only releasing or receiving. It can simplify things to have one form, so long as it allows both.

Question 5

When counseling in a school setting, which of the following sets of ethics usually applies?

Accepted Answer

The set of ethics set by the ASCA, the American School Counseling Association, applies in school settings. For school counselors, there are guidelines about what is shared with whom, for what reasons, or about a child's personal welfare. Everything is considered differently. HIPAA and FERPA are federal laws regulating health information and student data. AAMFT ethics may apply if the MFT is practicing on a school campus, though some schools have different requirements.

Question 6

Bryan and Brianna are siblings at the same school. You are treating Bryan for an adjustment issue and he tells you that he has been contemplating stealing exam questions from his history teacher. When you see Brianna, you are obligated to:

Accepted Answer

Since you are treating the siblings individually, you are required to say nothing to Brianna about Bryan's alleged crime, or whether or not she knew anything about it. Doing so would violate confidentiality. As with many things, the best option would be to discuss with Bryan better alternatives and choices.

Question 7

Therapists who make warnings to the police and to intended victims of crimes in order to prevent the crimes from taking place are:

Accepted Answer

For so many, there are concerns about retaliation, or what could happen if they testify re: their license and privilege. In almost every case, the therapist who discharges their duty to warn, and has done so properly, is granted immunity during any proceeding from a later prosecution from their current clients.

Question 8

Just like when clients are reporting that they intend on harming an identified victim, individuals who are providing care have a duty to:

Accepted Answer

While you are required to have the individual assessed for a psychiatric hold and you must hold them without releasing them, it is also important to provide yourself with safety in the moment, so that when and if the client goes to leave, you protect yourself first.

Question 9

You have been seeing Veronica for about eight weeks now. You receive a phone call from her parents and while you don't share any details, you do assure them that therapy is progressing relatively smoothly. In your next session with Veronica, you:

Accepted Answer

An open policy about who inquires about a patient's health and wellness is a good thing to have. Clients have a right to know who is asking about their progress, why, and when. The consent to release information is also required to be in place before sharing any information.

Question 10

Do people who are terminally ill have the right to decide on when, how, and where they will die? As therapists, our role in this question is:

Accepted Answer

As you have noted in many questions, our response to issues, no matter how up-front or controversial, is to defer to the client for some insight on how we could best assist them in making the best possible decision. To make any of the other decisions would be to impose personal beliefs on the issue, which as therapists, we vow not to do even though it is at times difficult.

Question 11

You have an interview with an agency that appears desperate to hire a licensed therapist. When you arrive, you are told that the job involves working with quite a lot of alcohol and other drug use issues, including dual diagnosis. You have never had experience with this population. Ethically, what does this mean?

Accepted Answer

Having the training and working with the population are obviously two different things. However, if you have had the training on working with the population and have made efforts to follow through on continuing education where appropriate, your first experience with different populations must come at some time. Ethically, there is no conflict.

Question 12

One of the risks involved in discussing alternatives to therapy is that clients:

Accepted Answer

While it's true that clients may in fact choose an alternative other than therapy, you must be able to feel confident that you were able to give all of the information required for an informed consent consideration. It's not possible that clients will not understand alternatives available, since you will have explained them. Losing trust will not be possible, since you have allowed yourself the openness to explain everything.

Question 13

You are practicing in a relatively rural part of northern Wisconsin, where there are a lot of dairy farms. At one point, a recession begins in the milk market. All of a sudden, the economy in the area is tough on everyone. One of your most faithful clients, who always comes early and pays on time, needs to pay you in butter, milk, cream, and cheese this week. How could you approach this?

Accepted Answer

Some may consider this an ethical quandry. After all, if someone is able to give of their livelihood, it must be meaningful, and indicate that they are equipped in other ways besides financial. On the other hand, you want to be careful of the precedent that you set, especially in difficult times, so that others don't necessarily get the wrong idea. Doing therapy in the client's home may be a personal boundary issue that brings you further into the issue. Safety says wait until the debt is paid.

Question 14

When out to dinner one night, you hear someone begin talking about why they appreciate their therapist. One person jumps into the conversation and points out that therapists are not as effective as psychiatrists or psychologists. You leap across the table to point out:

Accepted Answer

There is a misconception that arises about how much MFTs are qualified to do. While it is true that an MFT cannot prescribe medication, nor can they interpret too many assessments, the fact remains that they are allowed and expected to diagnose all types of mental disorder and illness, whether or not it is related to marriage, families, or children.

Question 15

You are being called to testify in a court of law. When you receive your summons, the first thing you are ethically obligated to do is:

Accepted Answer

Exerting privilege is always something that could benefit the client, so that in the event that your testimony may not add as much to the case of either party, that it keeps as much of the private record protected as possible. For many, this is why they keep scarce notes, but it is always better to have a plan than not.

Question 16

You are a newly licensed professional who is very proud to be spearheading some professional drives in order to bring more professionals into your organization. You would be able to tell new members that all MFTs in your group are required to:

Accepted Answer

While you might be able to require people to declare treatment specifics or see clients for a certain number of days each week, it could be a more efficient use of time if you required individuals to do something that would professionally benefit all involved, i.e. reading any necessary literature updates for legal, ethical, or practice-related issues.

Question 17

Those who are new to supervising interns, or who have interns who are new to supervision, should be aware of which of the following?

Accepted Answer

While not in and of itself a therapy relationship, the work between intern and supervisor can sometimes become very personal in nature when bringing up how to work with clients in a certain way or what, specifically, to say to a certain client in order to generate results. Disagreements will happen and they will be treated as learning experiences.

Question 18

Which of the following would not be considered professional organizations from which MFTs could draw legal and ethical references and important information?

Accepted Answer

NACAC, the National Association of College Admissions Counselors, could be full of useful information around the adolescent age group and could provide insight into what motivates adolescents around the college process, but would not specifically benefit MFTs with regard to the law and ethics around therapy.

Question 19

A fourteen-year-old boy who you have been seeing in therapy for quite some time asks if you would like to help him celebrate his Bar Mitzvah. One of the more important considerations to make in whether or not you are able to help him celebrate is:

Accepted Answer

There will be times you are approached to consider attending events on behalf of or in direct support of your clients. Before deciding on any invitation, it is important to consider whose needs would be most met by going. Would you want to go for your curiosity or to support the client? You must also consider how much you being there would sacrifice the client's confidentiality if someone were to ask who you were or how you knew the person.

Question 20

Think back on the same client who invited you to his Bar Mitzvah. As it turns out, you were unable to attend after giving it careful thought. However, the week before the big event, you offered the client which of the following compromises so that you could still connect with your client?

Accepted Answer

By preparing a miniature celebration of the Bar Mitzvah, you are able to encourage your client to further his practice and also able to experience what is most important for him when it comes to making a spiritual transition. It will build confidence in the client and appreciation for helping him to take part in one of his more important pieces of social and spiritual connection thus far. And it will do all of that without invading space or violating confidentiality.

Quiz 2: Law Ethics