MFT Clinical Exams – Theories UPDATED
Exam Questions and CORRECT Answers
REBT - CORRECT ANSWER- Change occurs through changing irrational beliefs to rational
beliefs, which improves clients' emotional and behavioral functioning
Help clients alter illogical beliefs and things patterns in order to overcome psychological
problems.
REBT - CORRECT ANSWER- Beginning: provide psychoeducation. Identify underlying
irrational thought patterns and beliefs and the resulting feelings and behaviors.
REBT - CORRECT ANSWER- Middle: Challenge mistaken beliefs. Therapist is very direct
and confrontational in order to push people towards changing their thoughts and behaviors.
REBT - CORRECT ANSWER- Key Concepts:
A - activating event: something happens in the environment around you.
B - beliefs: you hold a belief about the event or situation.
C - consequence: you have an emotional response to you belief
Common irrational beliefs, self-acceptance, other-acceptance, and life-acceptance
DBT - CORRECT ANSWER- Change happens through mindfulness, skills to manage
distress tolerance and emotional regulations. Emphasis on accepting uncomfortable thought
instead of struggling with them.
DBT - CORRECT ANSWER- Key Concepts: mindfulness, distress of tolerance,
interpersonal effectiveness, emotional regulation, and homework.
DBT - CORRECT ANSWER- Beginning: the client to move from being out of control to
achieving behavioral control. Mindfulness and distress tolerance skills are taught.
, DBT - CORRECT ANSWER- Middle: Fuller emotional experiencing, support the client to
learn to live, define life goals, build self-respect, and find peace and happiness.
Reality therapy - CORRECT ANSWER- Change occurs through identifying and meeting
needs as well as developing satisfying interpersonal relationships.
Reality therapy - CORRECT ANSWER- Beginning: Create a therapeutic environment - both
supportive and challenging; Ask clients what they want from therapy: discuss direction of
their lives; define the wants of the client
Reality therapy - CORRECT ANSWER- Middle: Explore choices client is making in current
relationships; Identify other possible choices; encourage client to focus on what they can
control, formulate action plan for change
Reality therapy - CORRECT ANSWER- Key Concepts: everyone has four needs:
love/belonging, power/achievement, freedom, and fun/relaxation
People are always trying to meet one of their needs
People are in control of what they are currently doing and have the power to make different
choices
Client's act irresponsibly when one or more of their basic needs aren't being met
Reality Therapy - CORRECT ANSWER- Interventions: focus on the areas where clients have
choices, avoid discussions of problems in past or symptoms, challenge client to examine and
evaluate their own behavior, teach self-evaluation: Does present behavior have a reasonable
chance of getting you what you want? formulate action plan for change - focus on positive,
attainable action steps, review results of plan and adjust accordingly, and use humor
Client/Person-Centered Therapy - CORRECT ANSWER- Change occurs by creating
conditions for the client to grow through the therapeutic relationship with the presence of
three essential components: congruence/genuineness, unconditional positive regard, and
empathy.
Exam Questions and CORRECT Answers
REBT - CORRECT ANSWER- Change occurs through changing irrational beliefs to rational
beliefs, which improves clients' emotional and behavioral functioning
Help clients alter illogical beliefs and things patterns in order to overcome psychological
problems.
REBT - CORRECT ANSWER- Beginning: provide psychoeducation. Identify underlying
irrational thought patterns and beliefs and the resulting feelings and behaviors.
REBT - CORRECT ANSWER- Middle: Challenge mistaken beliefs. Therapist is very direct
and confrontational in order to push people towards changing their thoughts and behaviors.
REBT - CORRECT ANSWER- Key Concepts:
A - activating event: something happens in the environment around you.
B - beliefs: you hold a belief about the event or situation.
C - consequence: you have an emotional response to you belief
Common irrational beliefs, self-acceptance, other-acceptance, and life-acceptance
DBT - CORRECT ANSWER- Change happens through mindfulness, skills to manage
distress tolerance and emotional regulations. Emphasis on accepting uncomfortable thought
instead of struggling with them.
DBT - CORRECT ANSWER- Key Concepts: mindfulness, distress of tolerance,
interpersonal effectiveness, emotional regulation, and homework.
DBT - CORRECT ANSWER- Beginning: the client to move from being out of control to
achieving behavioral control. Mindfulness and distress tolerance skills are taught.
, DBT - CORRECT ANSWER- Middle: Fuller emotional experiencing, support the client to
learn to live, define life goals, build self-respect, and find peace and happiness.
Reality therapy - CORRECT ANSWER- Change occurs through identifying and meeting
needs as well as developing satisfying interpersonal relationships.
Reality therapy - CORRECT ANSWER- Beginning: Create a therapeutic environment - both
supportive and challenging; Ask clients what they want from therapy: discuss direction of
their lives; define the wants of the client
Reality therapy - CORRECT ANSWER- Middle: Explore choices client is making in current
relationships; Identify other possible choices; encourage client to focus on what they can
control, formulate action plan for change
Reality therapy - CORRECT ANSWER- Key Concepts: everyone has four needs:
love/belonging, power/achievement, freedom, and fun/relaxation
People are always trying to meet one of their needs
People are in control of what they are currently doing and have the power to make different
choices
Client's act irresponsibly when one or more of their basic needs aren't being met
Reality Therapy - CORRECT ANSWER- Interventions: focus on the areas where clients have
choices, avoid discussions of problems in past or symptoms, challenge client to examine and
evaluate their own behavior, teach self-evaluation: Does present behavior have a reasonable
chance of getting you what you want? formulate action plan for change - focus on positive,
attainable action steps, review results of plan and adjust accordingly, and use humor
Client/Person-Centered Therapy - CORRECT ANSWER- Change occurs by creating
conditions for the client to grow through the therapeutic relationship with the presence of
three essential components: congruence/genuineness, unconditional positive regard, and
empathy.
