NSG 526 EXAM 2 THERAPEUTIC APPROACHES
Q&A PRACTICE TEST GRADED A+ ULTIMATE
PREP
This premium A+-graded study bank delivers highly tested
multiple-choice questions, accurate rationales, and theoretical
breakdowns mapping the exact curriculum for advanced
therapeutic modalities. Master high-yield board concepts
seamlessly across Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Interpersonal
Therapy, Yalom’s group dynamics, and systemic family
frameworks. Perfect for accelerating clinical reasoning,
conquering difficult nursing exams, and optimizing your board
preparation with verified peer-reviewed material.
1. A nurse psychotherapist is conducting a family
therapy session using Murray Bowen’s family
systems theory. The mother complains that her
15-year-old son is irresponsible and failing
school. The father shifts between defending the
son and withdrawing completely. Which concept
is being demonstrated?
A. Triangulation
B. Differentiation of self
C. Emotional cutoff
D. Family projection process
Answer: A
Rationale: Triangulation occurs when a two-
, person relationship experiences anxiety and
brings in a third person to stabilize the system.
In this scenario, the conflict between the
parents is shifted onto the son to reduce the
tension between the spouses.
2. During a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
session, a client states, "If I don't get an A on
this exam, it means I am a complete failure and
will never get into graduate school." The
therapist identifies this cognitive distortion as:
A. Catastrophizing
B. All-or-nothing thinking
C. Emotional reasoning
D. Personalization
Answer: B
Rationale: All-or-nothing thinking (or black-
and-white thinking) involves viewing things in
binary, absolute categories without recognizing
any middle ground. The client sees anything
less than an A as absolute failure.
3. According to Salvador Minuchin’s Structural
Family Therapy, which of the following refers to
the invisible barriers that regulate contact and
communication between family members?
, A. Coalitions
B. Hierarchies
C. Boundaries
D. Enmeshment
Answer: C
Rationale: Boundaries are the structural rules
defining who participates in the family system
and how. They can be rigid, clear, or diffuse, and
they protect the integrity of sub-systems within
the family.
4. A therapist utilizing Solution-Focused Brief
Therapy (SFBT) asks a client, "If you woke up
tomorrow and a miracle happened so that the
problem that brought you here was solved, how
would you know? What would be different?" This
is known as:
A. The exception question
B. The miracle question
C. The scaling question
D. Coping question
Answer: B
Rationale: The miracle question is a hallmark
technique in SFBT designed to help clients
conceptualize a future without the problem,
, shifting the focus from pathology to concrete
goals and solutions.
5. In a group therapy session, a member shares a
deeply painful history of childhood abuse.
Another member responds, "I experienced
something very similar, and I understand how
isolating that feels." This demonstrates Irving
Yalom’s therapeutic factor of:
A. Catharsis
B. Altruism
C. Universality
D. Instillation of hope
Answer: C
Rationale: Universality is the recognition that
one is not alone in their suffering or
experiences. Hearing that others share similar
struggles helps reduce feelings of isolation and
stigma within the group.
6. A client in psychodynamic psychotherapy
begins treating the therapist with the same
intense anger and resentment they previously
directed toward an abusive parent. This
phenomenon is termed:
A. Countertransference
Q&A PRACTICE TEST GRADED A+ ULTIMATE
PREP
This premium A+-graded study bank delivers highly tested
multiple-choice questions, accurate rationales, and theoretical
breakdowns mapping the exact curriculum for advanced
therapeutic modalities. Master high-yield board concepts
seamlessly across Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Interpersonal
Therapy, Yalom’s group dynamics, and systemic family
frameworks. Perfect for accelerating clinical reasoning,
conquering difficult nursing exams, and optimizing your board
preparation with verified peer-reviewed material.
1. A nurse psychotherapist is conducting a family
therapy session using Murray Bowen’s family
systems theory. The mother complains that her
15-year-old son is irresponsible and failing
school. The father shifts between defending the
son and withdrawing completely. Which concept
is being demonstrated?
A. Triangulation
B. Differentiation of self
C. Emotional cutoff
D. Family projection process
Answer: A
Rationale: Triangulation occurs when a two-
, person relationship experiences anxiety and
brings in a third person to stabilize the system.
In this scenario, the conflict between the
parents is shifted onto the son to reduce the
tension between the spouses.
2. During a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
session, a client states, "If I don't get an A on
this exam, it means I am a complete failure and
will never get into graduate school." The
therapist identifies this cognitive distortion as:
A. Catastrophizing
B. All-or-nothing thinking
C. Emotional reasoning
D. Personalization
Answer: B
Rationale: All-or-nothing thinking (or black-
and-white thinking) involves viewing things in
binary, absolute categories without recognizing
any middle ground. The client sees anything
less than an A as absolute failure.
3. According to Salvador Minuchin’s Structural
Family Therapy, which of the following refers to
the invisible barriers that regulate contact and
communication between family members?
, A. Coalitions
B. Hierarchies
C. Boundaries
D. Enmeshment
Answer: C
Rationale: Boundaries are the structural rules
defining who participates in the family system
and how. They can be rigid, clear, or diffuse, and
they protect the integrity of sub-systems within
the family.
4. A therapist utilizing Solution-Focused Brief
Therapy (SFBT) asks a client, "If you woke up
tomorrow and a miracle happened so that the
problem that brought you here was solved, how
would you know? What would be different?" This
is known as:
A. The exception question
B. The miracle question
C. The scaling question
D. Coping question
Answer: B
Rationale: The miracle question is a hallmark
technique in SFBT designed to help clients
conceptualize a future without the problem,
, shifting the focus from pathology to concrete
goals and solutions.
5. In a group therapy session, a member shares a
deeply painful history of childhood abuse.
Another member responds, "I experienced
something very similar, and I understand how
isolating that feels." This demonstrates Irving
Yalom’s therapeutic factor of:
A. Catharsis
B. Altruism
C. Universality
D. Instillation of hope
Answer: C
Rationale: Universality is the recognition that
one is not alone in their suffering or
experiences. Hearing that others share similar
struggles helps reduce feelings of isolation and
stigma within the group.
6. A client in psychodynamic psychotherapy
begins treating the therapist with the same
intense anger and resentment they previously
directed toward an abusive parent. This
phenomenon is termed:
A. Countertransference
