MFT National Exam Study Guide with
Complete Solutions
Who is the founder of Bowenian therapy? - ANS-Murray Bowen & James Framo
(follower, although some argue he is more object-relations, he feels he is
transgenerational)
Which theory focuses on ledgers and balances? - ANS-Contextual therapy
Who created the rubber fence theory? - ANS-Wynn
Who created the term garage mechanic? - ANS-Carl Whitaker
What is the emphasis in Bowenian therapy? - ANS-Differentiation of self
What is Bowen's differentiation of self defined? - ANS-refers to the autonomy of function
which results in being less reactive to family systems dynamics and other members
emotional states; the extent to which they have learned to manage emotionality.
what is the core problem in Bowenian theory? - ANS-triangles and emotional reactivity
what are Bowenian's key techniques? - ANS-genogram and process questions
who are the founders of experiential therapy? - ANS-Virginia Satir & Carl Whitaker
What is the emphasis in experiential therapy? - ANS-authenticity and self-actualization
what is the core problem in experiential therapy? - ANS-emotional suppression and
mystification
what are key techniques used in experiential therapy? - ANS-confrontation and
structured exercises
who are the founders of solution-focused therapy? - ANS-Steve de Shazer and Insoo
Kim Berg
What is the emphasis in solution-focused therapy? - ANS-language creates reality
What is the core problem in solution-focused therapy? - ANS-problem talk
,what are key techniques used in solution-focused therapy? - ANS-focusing on solutions
and identifying exceptions
who are the founders of strategic therapy? - ANS-Don Jackson and Jay Haley
What is the emphasis in strategic therapy? - ANS-homeostasis and feedback loops
what is the core problem in strategic therapy? - ANS-more-of-the-same solutions
what are key techniques used in strategic therapy? - ANS-reframing directives
who are the founders of psychodynamic therapy? - ANS-Nathan Ackerman, Henry
Dicks, and Ivan Boszormenyi-Nagy
What is the emphasis in psychodynamic therapy? - ANS-drives
self objects
internal objects
what are the core problems in psychodynamic therapy? - ANS-conflict
projective identification
fixation and regression
what are the key techniques used in psychodynamic therapy? - ANS-silence and
interpretation
who are the founders of narrative therapy? - ANS-Michael White & David Epston
what is the emphasis in narrative therapy? - ANS-Narrative theory & social
constructionism
what is the core problem in narrative therapy? - ANS-problem-saturated stories
What are key techniques used in narrative therapy? - ANS-externalization, identifying
unique outcomes, & creating audiences of support
who are the founders of structural therapy? - ANS-Salvador Minuchin
what is the emphasis in structural therapy? - ANS-subsystems and boundaries
what is the core problem in structural therapy? - ANS-enmeshment and disengagement
what are key techniques used in structural therapy? - ANS-enactments and boundary
making
who are the founders of cognitive behavioral therapy? - ANS-Gerald Patterson, Robert
Liberman, and Richard Stuart
,what is the emphasis in cognitive behavioral therapy? - ANS-reinforcement, extinction,
and schemas
what is the core problem in cognitive behavioral therapy? - ANS-inadvertent
reinforcement and aversive control
what are key techniques used in cognitive behavioral therapy? - ANS-functional
analysis and teaching positive control
what theory emphasizes negative-feedback loops or cycles? - ANS-Structural
what theory emphasizes positive-feedback cycles? - ANS-strategic
what theory emphasizes the importance of structure in dysfunction? - ANS-structural
what theory emphasizes the importance of maladaptive behavioral sequences in
dysfunction? - ANS-strategic
what theory is straight-forward and confrontive? - ANS-structural
what theory is indirect and nonconfrontive? - ANS-strategic
in what theory does the therapist generally work with the whole family? - ANS-structural
in what theory does the therapist often work with only 1 or 2 members of a family
system? - ANS-strategic
what theory focuses on immediate in-session behaviors? - ANS-structural
what theory retrospectively focuses on out-of-session behavioral sequences? - ANS-
strategic
what theory focuses on behavioral sequences? - ANS-strategic
what theory focuses on in-session enactment? - ANS-structural
what theory emphasizes out-of-session directives? - ANS-strategic
what is ambivalence in couples therapy? - ANS-one or both partners may be unwilling
to forgive past behaviors
how would assessment and therapy initiation be conducted in a structural approach? -
ANS-the therapist would work with the family to help them realize how their actions or
behaviors might be contributing to the problem
, who is the founder of MRI Brief Therapy? - ANS-Paul Watzlawick
What are examples of mandated reporting? - ANS-Tarasoff, child abuse, dependent
adult abuse, and elder abuse
what is enmeshment? - ANS-inappropriate rigid boundaries (in a family system
everyone is thinking and feeling alike)
what is redefining? - ANS-putting a positive connotation on behavior that is usually
considered to be undesirable
who is the founder of collaborative therapy? - ANS-MC Bateson
Why did the Milan associates interview families about their history? - ANS-to find
evidence of how the children's symtpoms became necessary for the system
what is accommodation in the structural process? - ANS-the process by which a couple
transitions from courtship and adjusts to a partnership
Solution-focused family therapists prefer to focus the treatment time on the past, here
and now, future, or present? - ANS-future, where problems can be solved
What is the main goal of the Bowenian model? - ANS-differentiation of self
What is fair exchange? - ANS-the process by whereby members of a system act upon
each other and the system
The structural family therapy view of health families states that healthy families.... -
ANS-accommodate to change in circumstances
Schemas can _____ family member's perceptions and affect their responses to each
other's actual behaviors. - ANS-distort
Contextual therapy pays attention to background history and past experiences in order
to - ANS-assess ways in which individuals have been hurt in the past
Which of the following represents a key strength of the Mental Research Institute? -
ANS-its interdisciplinary staff
Being easily driven by emotionality, lacking a sense of self, inability to express your own
thoughts and constantly reacting to those around you, are characteristics of what type of
person? - ANS-an undifferentiated person
Experiential therapists believe that as a result of parental attempts to control children's
feelings, children: - ANS-Learn to suppress emotions
Complete Solutions
Who is the founder of Bowenian therapy? - ANS-Murray Bowen & James Framo
(follower, although some argue he is more object-relations, he feels he is
transgenerational)
Which theory focuses on ledgers and balances? - ANS-Contextual therapy
Who created the rubber fence theory? - ANS-Wynn
Who created the term garage mechanic? - ANS-Carl Whitaker
What is the emphasis in Bowenian therapy? - ANS-Differentiation of self
What is Bowen's differentiation of self defined? - ANS-refers to the autonomy of function
which results in being less reactive to family systems dynamics and other members
emotional states; the extent to which they have learned to manage emotionality.
what is the core problem in Bowenian theory? - ANS-triangles and emotional reactivity
what are Bowenian's key techniques? - ANS-genogram and process questions
who are the founders of experiential therapy? - ANS-Virginia Satir & Carl Whitaker
What is the emphasis in experiential therapy? - ANS-authenticity and self-actualization
what is the core problem in experiential therapy? - ANS-emotional suppression and
mystification
what are key techniques used in experiential therapy? - ANS-confrontation and
structured exercises
who are the founders of solution-focused therapy? - ANS-Steve de Shazer and Insoo
Kim Berg
What is the emphasis in solution-focused therapy? - ANS-language creates reality
What is the core problem in solution-focused therapy? - ANS-problem talk
,what are key techniques used in solution-focused therapy? - ANS-focusing on solutions
and identifying exceptions
who are the founders of strategic therapy? - ANS-Don Jackson and Jay Haley
What is the emphasis in strategic therapy? - ANS-homeostasis and feedback loops
what is the core problem in strategic therapy? - ANS-more-of-the-same solutions
what are key techniques used in strategic therapy? - ANS-reframing directives
who are the founders of psychodynamic therapy? - ANS-Nathan Ackerman, Henry
Dicks, and Ivan Boszormenyi-Nagy
What is the emphasis in psychodynamic therapy? - ANS-drives
self objects
internal objects
what are the core problems in psychodynamic therapy? - ANS-conflict
projective identification
fixation and regression
what are the key techniques used in psychodynamic therapy? - ANS-silence and
interpretation
who are the founders of narrative therapy? - ANS-Michael White & David Epston
what is the emphasis in narrative therapy? - ANS-Narrative theory & social
constructionism
what is the core problem in narrative therapy? - ANS-problem-saturated stories
What are key techniques used in narrative therapy? - ANS-externalization, identifying
unique outcomes, & creating audiences of support
who are the founders of structural therapy? - ANS-Salvador Minuchin
what is the emphasis in structural therapy? - ANS-subsystems and boundaries
what is the core problem in structural therapy? - ANS-enmeshment and disengagement
what are key techniques used in structural therapy? - ANS-enactments and boundary
making
who are the founders of cognitive behavioral therapy? - ANS-Gerald Patterson, Robert
Liberman, and Richard Stuart
,what is the emphasis in cognitive behavioral therapy? - ANS-reinforcement, extinction,
and schemas
what is the core problem in cognitive behavioral therapy? - ANS-inadvertent
reinforcement and aversive control
what are key techniques used in cognitive behavioral therapy? - ANS-functional
analysis and teaching positive control
what theory emphasizes negative-feedback loops or cycles? - ANS-Structural
what theory emphasizes positive-feedback cycles? - ANS-strategic
what theory emphasizes the importance of structure in dysfunction? - ANS-structural
what theory emphasizes the importance of maladaptive behavioral sequences in
dysfunction? - ANS-strategic
what theory is straight-forward and confrontive? - ANS-structural
what theory is indirect and nonconfrontive? - ANS-strategic
in what theory does the therapist generally work with the whole family? - ANS-structural
in what theory does the therapist often work with only 1 or 2 members of a family
system? - ANS-strategic
what theory focuses on immediate in-session behaviors? - ANS-structural
what theory retrospectively focuses on out-of-session behavioral sequences? - ANS-
strategic
what theory focuses on behavioral sequences? - ANS-strategic
what theory focuses on in-session enactment? - ANS-structural
what theory emphasizes out-of-session directives? - ANS-strategic
what is ambivalence in couples therapy? - ANS-one or both partners may be unwilling
to forgive past behaviors
how would assessment and therapy initiation be conducted in a structural approach? -
ANS-the therapist would work with the family to help them realize how their actions or
behaviors might be contributing to the problem
, who is the founder of MRI Brief Therapy? - ANS-Paul Watzlawick
What are examples of mandated reporting? - ANS-Tarasoff, child abuse, dependent
adult abuse, and elder abuse
what is enmeshment? - ANS-inappropriate rigid boundaries (in a family system
everyone is thinking and feeling alike)
what is redefining? - ANS-putting a positive connotation on behavior that is usually
considered to be undesirable
who is the founder of collaborative therapy? - ANS-MC Bateson
Why did the Milan associates interview families about their history? - ANS-to find
evidence of how the children's symtpoms became necessary for the system
what is accommodation in the structural process? - ANS-the process by which a couple
transitions from courtship and adjusts to a partnership
Solution-focused family therapists prefer to focus the treatment time on the past, here
and now, future, or present? - ANS-future, where problems can be solved
What is the main goal of the Bowenian model? - ANS-differentiation of self
What is fair exchange? - ANS-the process by whereby members of a system act upon
each other and the system
The structural family therapy view of health families states that healthy families.... -
ANS-accommodate to change in circumstances
Schemas can _____ family member's perceptions and affect their responses to each
other's actual behaviors. - ANS-distort
Contextual therapy pays attention to background history and past experiences in order
to - ANS-assess ways in which individuals have been hurt in the past
Which of the following represents a key strength of the Mental Research Institute? -
ANS-its interdisciplinary staff
Being easily driven by emotionality, lacking a sense of self, inability to express your own
thoughts and constantly reacting to those around you, are characteristics of what type of
person? - ANS-an undifferentiated person
Experiential therapists believe that as a result of parental attempts to control children's
feelings, children: - ANS-Learn to suppress emotions
