Page 1 of 320
MFT Comprehensive Exam 1460 QUESTIONS WITH 100%
VERIFIED ANSWERS|TEST BANK || GRADED A+ ||2025-
2026| BRAND NEW!!
Theory, Practice, Development & Diversity
Exam Questions (Terms) WITH GRADED A+ SOLUTIONS
Exam Questions from Volini Study Guide with solutions
Clinical Exam (Theories of Psychotherapy) questions
with answers
A characteristic that distinguishes one particular approach from others is its emphasis on the self-
development of the therapist. The belief is that it is hard for the patient to mature beyond the maturity
level of the therapist, no matter how good his or her technique. This approach is: - Answer: Bowenian
Studies show what about race/ethnicity and the therapeutic relationship? - Answer: There is no
significant relationship between client's race/ethnicity and that of the therapists.
Vignette: A family enters therapy, having a 21 year old son who lives in the basement. He dropped out
of college 2 years ago and is currently not working or going to school. He has refused all counseling. The
father states he found evidence of marijuana smoking in his son's room. The mother states that the
father and son argue and sometimes push each other. A 16 year old daughter is in high school but
increasingly avoiding coming home.'Non-summativity' applies to this situation as follows: - Answer: A
system has been created when the family was formed, but is now maintained by a pattern of
inadequate communication and conflict. (Non-summativity is a concept that describes the foundation
and formation of systems.)
No matter if the clinician has taken all the steps to be HIPPA-compliant... - Answer: The clinician is still in
violation of HIPPA unless she has documented the security measures she has taken to prevent
unauthorized access to her files and her computer.
An MFT has been seeing a divorced father with two daughters, 8 and 12 years old. After not showing up
for an appointment, the MFT receives a call from the police stating that the mother reported the
children and the father as missing and that he is the primary suspect in the children’s' disappearance.
,Page 2 of 320
The police demanded copies of his psychotherapy notes to see if there's anything in them that will help
determine the children’s' location. In this situation: - Answer: The MFT should hand over his
psychotherapy notes so that the police can determine if there's anything of value to them in the notes.
Solution-focused therapists prefer to focus on: - Answer: The past and the future
According to research alcohol abuse is the most studied phenomenon in family therapy research.
According to some outcome studies which of the following approaches have been particularly useful in
dealing with substance abuse in families, especially for engaging young substance abusers? - Answer:
Psychoeducational approach.
When viewed from the wide lens of an ethnic group, which families might one expect to have high
expectations of family togetherness with low patterns of flexibility? - Answer: Italian Americans.
Research found one year following divorce to be the peak of maximum negative behaviors for children.
Such behaviors were "most likely" sustained in: - Answer: boys than in girls
Prior to the DSM, the 'Statistical Manual for the Use of Institutions for the Insane' was developed by -
Answer: the National Commission on Mental Hygiene.
One of the changes from the DSM-IV TR to the DSM-5 is how a disorder is named and classified. Which
of the following is the incorrect ICD-9 classification? - Answer: Childhood-Onset Fluency Disorder
(Stuttering) F80.81
A therapist seeing an extended family consisting of a grandmother, mother and 2 daughters, notices
that the grandmother speaks to her daughter with a certain disdain. This seems similar to the way the
older daughter speaks to her sister. This is an example of: - Answer: isomorphism. (Isomorphism is a
structure or pattern that repeats itself from one level of a system to another.)
The Structural School of family therapy utilizes a model of "normal family functioning" based upon: -
Answer: Family organization
A couple comes in for therapy. The husband complains his wife is too close to her family and she has
trouble separating from them. In fact, he states that his wife is in constant contact with her mother and
,Page 3 of 320
looks to her mother constantly to help her make decisions. Often these decisions are in opposition to
decisions made previously by he and his wife.
After hearing the husband's statement, the therapist says, "You really care about your wife and don't
want to lose the relationship you have." Which model is this therapist most likely following? - Answer:
Strategic (it's a positive reframe)
Mary feels threatened by the arrival of her baby sister so she pouts and becomes temperamental. When
Mary acts out this way, her father thinks she is regressing and tries to get her to act her age by punishing
and criticizing her. Father's harshness confirms Mary's belief that her sister is displacing her. The
therapist suggests that when Mary behaves this way, the father should ignore her. If this suggestion
worked, it would be a good example of: - Answer: first-order change
Therapeutically, family rituals are designed to: - Answer: address a family conflict, intervene in
established family patterns, and change behavior. (all of the choices offered)
When a family therapist is working with people with schizophrenia, the likelihood of a positive outcome
is related to the: - Answer: family members exchanging their experiences and ideas in support group,
while the patient complies with his/her medication.
In assessing a couple which of the following family therapists would use an approach that includes:(1)
Probing for stream-of-consciousness and visual images each spouse has when describing past marital
events that did (or presently do) elicit negative affect and (2) Using a series of questions of the form
"and if that were true, then what would the implications be?" to identify the "bottom line" most
upsetting meanings the person attaches to the event? - Answer: a cognitive-behavioral therapist
The Beavers Model integrates FST with developmental theory, classifying families on two axis. The first
identifies the stylistic quality of family interaction, the second axis classifies the family as: - Answer:
Optimal, Adequate, Midrange, Borderline or Severely Disturbed.
A family therapist is working with a family of a mother and father whose children refuse to listen to
them. She decides to use the miracle question with the family. How would she begin introducing it? -
Answer: Suppose one night you were asleep, a miracle happened and your problem was solved. Upon
waking, what would be the first thing you would notice that would tell you that the miracle had
occurred? (not all of the responses can be a set up for the miracle question)
, Page 4 of 320
The belief that the complaint is the problem, not a symptom of an underlying disorder, is a therapeutic
distinction made by which approach? - Answer: MRI Approach
When working with couples, Satir was not interested in: - Answer: a change in or removal of the
presenting problem. (Satir is known for emphasizing the development of the client self and never
directly addressing the presenting problem.)
Circular causality speaks to the non-linear nature of systems. This concept originates from: - Answer:
General Systems Theory and Cybernetics. (not just one or the other)
The Adlerian concept that behavior has a purpose and that an Adlerian therapist should look to the
purpose behind the behavior is: - Answer: Teleology.
LoPiccolo is a well-known sex therapist who helped developed: - Answer: a sexual growth program for
women who have problems in experiencing orgasm.
In working with families, a therapist working from the Feminist Model of Family Therapy would most
likely: - Answer: align with the wife in the couple system.
Specific techniques used by a Strategic therapist would include all of the following EXCEPT: - Answer:
reinforcing of gradual behavioral changes that will ultimately lead to the goal of therapy. (this is
behavioral)
The DSM-5 has evolved from the DSM-IV TR in a variety of ways and now - Answer: assesses
development across the life span.
Which of the following family therapists would see all family members as part of the problem and
reformulate symptoms into concrete observable behaviors? - Answer: Behavioral
A therapist is seeing a 7-year-old girl who reported that when her daddy kisses her, he puts his tongue in
her mouth. An ethical therapist would err if he: - Answer: contracted with the father to not kiss his
daughter this way. (this does not include a report, as the other answers do)
MFT Comprehensive Exam 1460 QUESTIONS WITH 100%
VERIFIED ANSWERS|TEST BANK || GRADED A+ ||2025-
2026| BRAND NEW!!
Theory, Practice, Development & Diversity
Exam Questions (Terms) WITH GRADED A+ SOLUTIONS
Exam Questions from Volini Study Guide with solutions
Clinical Exam (Theories of Psychotherapy) questions
with answers
A characteristic that distinguishes one particular approach from others is its emphasis on the self-
development of the therapist. The belief is that it is hard for the patient to mature beyond the maturity
level of the therapist, no matter how good his or her technique. This approach is: - Answer: Bowenian
Studies show what about race/ethnicity and the therapeutic relationship? - Answer: There is no
significant relationship between client's race/ethnicity and that of the therapists.
Vignette: A family enters therapy, having a 21 year old son who lives in the basement. He dropped out
of college 2 years ago and is currently not working or going to school. He has refused all counseling. The
father states he found evidence of marijuana smoking in his son's room. The mother states that the
father and son argue and sometimes push each other. A 16 year old daughter is in high school but
increasingly avoiding coming home.'Non-summativity' applies to this situation as follows: - Answer: A
system has been created when the family was formed, but is now maintained by a pattern of
inadequate communication and conflict. (Non-summativity is a concept that describes the foundation
and formation of systems.)
No matter if the clinician has taken all the steps to be HIPPA-compliant... - Answer: The clinician is still in
violation of HIPPA unless she has documented the security measures she has taken to prevent
unauthorized access to her files and her computer.
An MFT has been seeing a divorced father with two daughters, 8 and 12 years old. After not showing up
for an appointment, the MFT receives a call from the police stating that the mother reported the
children and the father as missing and that he is the primary suspect in the children’s' disappearance.
,Page 2 of 320
The police demanded copies of his psychotherapy notes to see if there's anything in them that will help
determine the children’s' location. In this situation: - Answer: The MFT should hand over his
psychotherapy notes so that the police can determine if there's anything of value to them in the notes.
Solution-focused therapists prefer to focus on: - Answer: The past and the future
According to research alcohol abuse is the most studied phenomenon in family therapy research.
According to some outcome studies which of the following approaches have been particularly useful in
dealing with substance abuse in families, especially for engaging young substance abusers? - Answer:
Psychoeducational approach.
When viewed from the wide lens of an ethnic group, which families might one expect to have high
expectations of family togetherness with low patterns of flexibility? - Answer: Italian Americans.
Research found one year following divorce to be the peak of maximum negative behaviors for children.
Such behaviors were "most likely" sustained in: - Answer: boys than in girls
Prior to the DSM, the 'Statistical Manual for the Use of Institutions for the Insane' was developed by -
Answer: the National Commission on Mental Hygiene.
One of the changes from the DSM-IV TR to the DSM-5 is how a disorder is named and classified. Which
of the following is the incorrect ICD-9 classification? - Answer: Childhood-Onset Fluency Disorder
(Stuttering) F80.81
A therapist seeing an extended family consisting of a grandmother, mother and 2 daughters, notices
that the grandmother speaks to her daughter with a certain disdain. This seems similar to the way the
older daughter speaks to her sister. This is an example of: - Answer: isomorphism. (Isomorphism is a
structure or pattern that repeats itself from one level of a system to another.)
The Structural School of family therapy utilizes a model of "normal family functioning" based upon: -
Answer: Family organization
A couple comes in for therapy. The husband complains his wife is too close to her family and she has
trouble separating from them. In fact, he states that his wife is in constant contact with her mother and
,Page 3 of 320
looks to her mother constantly to help her make decisions. Often these decisions are in opposition to
decisions made previously by he and his wife.
After hearing the husband's statement, the therapist says, "You really care about your wife and don't
want to lose the relationship you have." Which model is this therapist most likely following? - Answer:
Strategic (it's a positive reframe)
Mary feels threatened by the arrival of her baby sister so she pouts and becomes temperamental. When
Mary acts out this way, her father thinks she is regressing and tries to get her to act her age by punishing
and criticizing her. Father's harshness confirms Mary's belief that her sister is displacing her. The
therapist suggests that when Mary behaves this way, the father should ignore her. If this suggestion
worked, it would be a good example of: - Answer: first-order change
Therapeutically, family rituals are designed to: - Answer: address a family conflict, intervene in
established family patterns, and change behavior. (all of the choices offered)
When a family therapist is working with people with schizophrenia, the likelihood of a positive outcome
is related to the: - Answer: family members exchanging their experiences and ideas in support group,
while the patient complies with his/her medication.
In assessing a couple which of the following family therapists would use an approach that includes:(1)
Probing for stream-of-consciousness and visual images each spouse has when describing past marital
events that did (or presently do) elicit negative affect and (2) Using a series of questions of the form
"and if that were true, then what would the implications be?" to identify the "bottom line" most
upsetting meanings the person attaches to the event? - Answer: a cognitive-behavioral therapist
The Beavers Model integrates FST with developmental theory, classifying families on two axis. The first
identifies the stylistic quality of family interaction, the second axis classifies the family as: - Answer:
Optimal, Adequate, Midrange, Borderline or Severely Disturbed.
A family therapist is working with a family of a mother and father whose children refuse to listen to
them. She decides to use the miracle question with the family. How would she begin introducing it? -
Answer: Suppose one night you were asleep, a miracle happened and your problem was solved. Upon
waking, what would be the first thing you would notice that would tell you that the miracle had
occurred? (not all of the responses can be a set up for the miracle question)
, Page 4 of 320
The belief that the complaint is the problem, not a symptom of an underlying disorder, is a therapeutic
distinction made by which approach? - Answer: MRI Approach
When working with couples, Satir was not interested in: - Answer: a change in or removal of the
presenting problem. (Satir is known for emphasizing the development of the client self and never
directly addressing the presenting problem.)
Circular causality speaks to the non-linear nature of systems. This concept originates from: - Answer:
General Systems Theory and Cybernetics. (not just one or the other)
The Adlerian concept that behavior has a purpose and that an Adlerian therapist should look to the
purpose behind the behavior is: - Answer: Teleology.
LoPiccolo is a well-known sex therapist who helped developed: - Answer: a sexual growth program for
women who have problems in experiencing orgasm.
In working with families, a therapist working from the Feminist Model of Family Therapy would most
likely: - Answer: align with the wife in the couple system.
Specific techniques used by a Strategic therapist would include all of the following EXCEPT: - Answer:
reinforcing of gradual behavioral changes that will ultimately lead to the goal of therapy. (this is
behavioral)
The DSM-5 has evolved from the DSM-IV TR in a variety of ways and now - Answer: assesses
development across the life span.
Which of the following family therapists would see all family members as part of the problem and
reformulate symptoms into concrete observable behaviors? - Answer: Behavioral
A therapist is seeing a 7-year-old girl who reported that when her daddy kisses her, he puts his tongue in
her mouth. An ethical therapist would err if he: - Answer: contracted with the father to not kiss his
daughter this way. (this does not include a report, as the other answers do)
