NURS 661 Exam 2 Practice Exam 2026 | 250+ Questions with Correct Answers | Group Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, Psychodrama, Therapeutic Communication & Defense Mechanisms

Prepare for NURS 661 Exam 2 with this comprehensive 250+ practice questions and verified answers study guide covering group psychotherapy, therapeutic communication, psychodynamic therapy, psychodrama, psychoeducational groups, group leadership, counseling techniques, defense mechanisms, and developmental theories. This exam-focused resource reviews essential psychiatric mental health nursing concepts, including therapeutic group stages, leadership interventions, informed consent, confidentiality, transference, countertransference, group counseling, task groups, psychotherapeutic techniques, Erikson's psychosocial development, psychoanalytic principles, catharsis, role-playing, and evidence-based group therapy practices. The structured question-and-answer format promotes active recall, strengthens clinical reasoning, and prepares graduate nursing students for course examinations, PMHNP coursework, and national Nurse Practitioner certification review. This comprehensive study guide provides an in-depth review of the principles and practice of therapeutic group work in psychiatric mental health nursing. Topics include therapeutic communication skills such as facilitating, clarifying, summarizing, reflecting feelings, interpreting, giving feedback, supporting, empathizing, initiating, blocking, protecting, evaluating, and goal setting; stages of group development from pregroup formation through evaluation; characteristics of homogeneous and heterogeneous groups; open versus closed groups; psychoeducational, counseling, psychotherapy, task, encounter, and self-exploration groups; informed consent and ethical responsibilities; confidentiality and risk management; transference and countertransference; psychodynamic group therapy; brief psychodynamic therapy; psychodrama techniques including role reversal, auxiliary ego, protagonist, soliloquy, empty chair, mirror technique, and catharsis; defense mechanisms such as denial, repression, projection, displacement, rationalization, regression, and reaction formation; free association, dream interpretation, multicultural counseling, and Erikson's stages of psychosocial development. The material also emphasizes leadership responsibilities, therapeutic alliance, group cohesion, conflict resolution, cognitive restructuring following cathartic experiences, and evidence-based interventions essential for graduate-level psychiatric nursing practice and PMHNP certification preparation. This document is particularly suitable for: NURS 661 students Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) students Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) students Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) students Graduate psychiatric nursing students Mental Health Nursing students Group Therapy and Counseling students Psychiatric clinical rotation students PMHNP board certification candidates Nurse Practitioner students preparing for psychiatric examinations References Corey, G. (2023). Theory and Practice of Group Counseling (10th ed.). Cengage Learning. Yalom, I. D., & Leszcz, M. (2020). The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy (6th ed.). Basic Books. American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed., text rev.; DSM-5-TR). American Psychiatric Association Publishing. Varcarolis, E. M. (2024). Essentials of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing: A Communication Approach to Evidence-Based Care (5th ed.). Elsevier. American Nurses Association. (2022). Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice (3rd ed.). American Nurses Association. Keywords NURS 661, NURS 661 Exam 2, Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing, PMHNP, Group Therapy, Group Counseling, Group Psychotherapy, Therapeutic Communication, Therapeutic Techniques, Group Leadership, Facilitating, Clarifying, Summarizing, Reflecting Feelings, Giving Feedback, Interpreting, Supporting, Empathizing, Goal Setting, Group Process, Group Dynamics, Open Groups, Closed Groups, Homogeneous Groups, Heterogeneous Groups, Psychoeducational Groups, Task Groups, Encounter Groups, Self Exploration Groups, Psychodynamic Therapy, Brief Psychodynamic Therapy, Psychoanalytic Therapy, Free Association, Dream Interpretation, Psychodrama, Catharsis, Role Playing, Protagonist, Auxiliary Ego, Empty Chair Technique, Soliloquy, Transference, Countertransference, Defense Mechanisms, Denial, Projection, Repression, Regression, Rationalization, Displacement, Reaction Formation, Erikson Developmental Stages, Therapeutic Alliance, Mental Health Nursing, Graduate Nursing, Advanced Practice Nursing, PMHNP Board Review