Question 1

You begin working with Marcy, who believes that she has a lot of insight into her issues. One of the theories most likely to work with Marcy would be:

Accepted Answer

For those who do have a lot of insight, they are often able to stay focused and in the present on certain issues that relate to their personal well-being. Narrative therapy may also be useful, but is not always based on having insight so much as changing the current situation, so that insight is less necessary.

Question 2

As a therapist, you believe that much of what an individual experiences can be traced back to their early childhood. The individual(s) from whom you would take your professional cues are:

Accepted Answer

Virginia Satir worked with family systems in the present moment and was able to promote the idea that wellness came from understanding the need for change. B.F. Skinner, on the other hand, pointed out that no understanding of that need was necessary. Michael White believed in the client's ability to re-tell their own story. It was Freud and Jung who believed that an individual's experiences could be traced back to what happened in early childhood and re-experienced on a regular basis.

Question 3

Jack is a 30-year-old Caucasian male, recently diagnosed with HIV. Which of the following communities would Jack most likely be a part of?

Accepted Answer

From the list above, Jack is most likely a part of the LGBT community, since this community is most hard-hit with HIV. While terminally ill may be another option here, it is important to recognize a continued number of advancing drug therapies that could add in treatment and detection that make HIV somewhat manageable.

Question 4

When attending to the physical environment of the counseling room, you are ensuring that:

Accepted Answer

Without feeling comfortable enough to share, the client cannot be prepared to detail his or her trials and tribulations with someone he hardly knows. One of the goals is to make clients as comfortable as possible and that includes their ability to feel welcome. Keep in mind that as with the other options, you are not always in control of the therapy, as much as the client may be.

Question 5

After about six weeks of therapy, Joanna gets really angry with her therapist. The anger reveals that the therapist:

Accepted Answer

Usually when a client is angry with a therapist, it is not personal, but instead reflects the idea that the therapist was able to uncover something that had been successfully tucked away and hidden from view until discussion brought it forward. Knowing how to cope with what comes next is key.

Question 6

When a family arrives for their intake session, the therapist greets them with, "Hi, I wonder what brings you in today." The difficult job here is that:

Accepted Answer

Beginning with clinical questions around the problem can lead to people feeling judged, alienated, and not listened to. When people are judged, there is no safety in the environment and the client needs to work on being heard, rather than the therapist working to listen.

Question 7

The idea that humanistic theory is an individual treatment approach, coupled with CBT as a systemic approach, makes therapy possible because:

Accepted Answer

Everyone is clearly not driven by the same motives, but CBT certainly helps to reveal those motives and speak to them while giving individuals a chance to express differences amongst themselves within a family. While B is true, it does not contribute to how CBT and humanistic are able to work together to address issues.

Question 8

When working with a woman who tells you that she is considering transgender reassignment, you should at the very least be able to:

Accepted Answer

While some people may object on moral grounds and be unable to support the client from that perspective, supporting the client is still the name of the game here. However, you want to be sure not to provide so much support initially that she fails to consider any consequences or drawbacks. However, we must always remind ourselves that such information being shared is a huge risk and there is always credit to be given for that.

Question 9

Developing sensitivity around the issues of sexuality would include developing an understanding of all of the following except:

Accepted Answer

As therapists, it is important to allow sensitivity into our work in the event that we encounter those who have different experiences than ours. However, never is it necessary, wise, or appropriate for a therapist to condone or uphold practices that are categorically unsafe.

Question 10

Systemic theory may suggest that you use thought records in order to assist with panic disorders, including PTSD. In clinical practice, however, you encourage clients to journal about their PTSD experiences in as much detail as possible. Overall, this seems:

Accepted Answer

Many clients can perseverate on the past, so journaling could be a risk At the same time, it could very well be a risk worth taking, since there is a chance of pursuing their recovery in this way. Many people are able to write as a way of sharing the experience, without feeling like they need to stay in the past or that their privacy has been invaded.

Question 11

Systemic theory may suggest that you encourage parents of an out-of-control teen to use behavior contracting. In clinical practice, however, you encourage clients to talk, more than wheel-and-deal in a contract sort of way. One consequence might be:

Accepted Answer

When it comes to getting what they want, parents have been able to embrace empathy more and more as a way of understanding that they will go farther by understanding, or trying to understand, where their child is coming from. While there is a slight risk of manipulation, what happens there in the room can be addressed in the room. Instead of X for Y, Y for Z, the empathic approach considers what else can be brought forward.

Question 12

One of the consequences of not appropriately addressing a family's cultural issues may be:

Accepted Answer

The family will likely be open to many methods. The issues arise when they begin to feel alienated by the therapist, or another individual coming from a relatively dominant culture. Feeling dominated will often lead ethnic and cultural minorities to shut down. Keeping an open, welcoming mind is always important.

Question 13

Providing an environment that is physically safe can be especially important for which type of client?

Accepted Answer

When speaking of physical safety, very often our minds tend to go immediately to those who have been assaulted or who have experienced quite a bit of physical trauma. However, therapists should be able to recognize the importance that all individuals receive a safe and non-judgmental therapeutic space.

Question 14

While some agencies tend to give different feedback for different ethical issues, one issue where every professional organization lines up with a firm stand is:

Accepted Answer

For many, this goes without a need for explanation. But while many things are discernible as to whether or not there could be some potential client benefit, a sexual relationship of any kind does not fall into that category and could never be supported by any organization.

Question 15

Psychotherapists have been working for many years to undo the stigma around mental health. What is one of the best ways to undo the stigma in your own practice?

Accepted Answer

Avoiding nebulous questions is an important skill in making those we work with feel comfortable. Mental health already has all kinds of misconceptions about how people are talked to and questions they are asked. You want to be really careful not to play into those questions like, "How does that make you feel?"

Question 16

You are working with a client who has some social phobias, but who also shares that she really relates to animals. By bringing an animal into therapy, you would be:

Accepted Answer

Pets have become an increasingly important part of many individual recovery processes. To bring a pet into therapy is not uncommon and can really assist in helping someone to begin to relate in a big way to others. Whether or not you had pets, this is a great opportunity for growth where clients aren't always socially inclined.

Question 17

Once clients develop trust with you, it can be a great experience. However, in order to maintain it, you must be aware that some clients will need to be given some reassurances over time. These assurances might include:

Accepted Answer

Really, when it comes down to reiterating information, the most important piece is that the bond of confidentiality will not be broken. The other options here are bordering on what could be uncomfortable for many clients, although the intention would be to provide safety and comfort.

Question 18

In order to be philosophically in line with the discipline of marriage and family therapy, one must be:

Accepted Answer

Not every recovery will happen at light-speed, but not all of them will crawl, either. You will find a number of clients who are able to recover at normal, steady paces as well. The other options are not always wise to blindly accept, since you may find yourself in a place where it would be difficult to follow through or would set up an expectation later on.

Question 19

Janessa is coming to therapy at the recommendation of her mother, who points out that she has no strong female role models at home or in her life that she can look up to. When she points this out, you begin to ask her questions about her family of origin. Questions center around power, equality, and strength. Which type of therapy may be most effective for her?

Accepted Answer

When issues of power and strength arise, it is always best to consider feminist therapy when working with women who are dealing with issues of power and strength. That's not to say that other therapies are not effective, but it would be critical to make sure that the client is given a lens through which to view her own situation that has been time-tested and proven with many practitioners.

Question 20

Which of the following is an example of language that should be avoided in the therapeutic relationship at any cost?

Accepted Answer

As previously discussed, there is a very large danger that has the potential to feed the misconception about the nebulous nature of therapy. The other options all present with an answer that could be therapeutically beneficial. However, it will always feel like C has a right/wrong, qualitative feel to it.

Quiz 4: Practice