MFT PRACTICE SET EXAM SCRIPT 2026
COMPLETE ANSWERS VERIFIED
◉ Clinician from the middle of the 20th century who built on
Sullivan's work and developed interactional theory (focus on
present interactions) and conjoint family therapy (a single effort to
treat a family or couple). Also offered the idea of "family rules" of
which family members may be unaware. Answer: Don Jackson
◉ Clinician from the middle of the 20th century who developed
family therapy, with the basis that family mental health is critical to
individual mental health. Also formulated the homeodynamic
principle: dysfunctional families are rigid in nature, and it is the role
of the therapist to be a catalyst for families to face difficult issues.
Answer: Nathan Ackerman
◉ Late 20th century clinician who developed structural family
therapy, and suggested that therapists need to integrate themselves
within the family system in order to make the family more open to
change. Answer: Salvador Minuchin
◉ Researched the role of communication in schizophrenia in the
1950s, formulating the concept of the double bind. Answer: Gregory
Bateson
, ◉ Early family therapist who was inspired by traditional group
therapy and developed stages of family treatment: child-centered
stage, parent-centered stage, and family-centered stage. Answer:
John Bell
◉ Social worker turned family therapist who focused on considering
the family life cycle and the impact of extended families and
historical documentation of problems through the generations. Also
a key proponent of women's issues. Answer: Betty Carter
◉ Known for his direct, confrontational approach to therapy that
prioritized action (directives) over discussion about why the
problems exist. Answer: Jay Haley
◉ Developed strategic family therapy while working at MRI. Used
hypnosis, confusion technique, and metaphors. Observed resistance
as a key obstacle to success in treatment. Answer: Milton Erickson
◉ Austrian biologist who proposed general systems theory.
Purported the concept of equifinality in living systems (many
possibles solutions to achieve a desired end result). Answer: Ludwig
von Bertalanffy
◉ Theory that asserts that all behavior is a form of communication,
and both the message and the method are important. Grew out of
COMPLETE ANSWERS VERIFIED
◉ Clinician from the middle of the 20th century who built on
Sullivan's work and developed interactional theory (focus on
present interactions) and conjoint family therapy (a single effort to
treat a family or couple). Also offered the idea of "family rules" of
which family members may be unaware. Answer: Don Jackson
◉ Clinician from the middle of the 20th century who developed
family therapy, with the basis that family mental health is critical to
individual mental health. Also formulated the homeodynamic
principle: dysfunctional families are rigid in nature, and it is the role
of the therapist to be a catalyst for families to face difficult issues.
Answer: Nathan Ackerman
◉ Late 20th century clinician who developed structural family
therapy, and suggested that therapists need to integrate themselves
within the family system in order to make the family more open to
change. Answer: Salvador Minuchin
◉ Researched the role of communication in schizophrenia in the
1950s, formulating the concept of the double bind. Answer: Gregory
Bateson
, ◉ Early family therapist who was inspired by traditional group
therapy and developed stages of family treatment: child-centered
stage, parent-centered stage, and family-centered stage. Answer:
John Bell
◉ Social worker turned family therapist who focused on considering
the family life cycle and the impact of extended families and
historical documentation of problems through the generations. Also
a key proponent of women's issues. Answer: Betty Carter
◉ Known for his direct, confrontational approach to therapy that
prioritized action (directives) over discussion about why the
problems exist. Answer: Jay Haley
◉ Developed strategic family therapy while working at MRI. Used
hypnosis, confusion technique, and metaphors. Observed resistance
as a key obstacle to success in treatment. Answer: Milton Erickson
◉ Austrian biologist who proposed general systems theory.
Purported the concept of equifinality in living systems (many
possibles solutions to achieve a desired end result). Answer: Ludwig
von Bertalanffy
◉ Theory that asserts that all behavior is a form of communication,
and both the message and the method are important. Grew out of
