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MFT Exam Questions and Correct
Answers the Latest Update and
Recommended Version
Detouring
→ From structural family therapy, when two family members attempt to preserve their
relationship by defining their conflict as a disagreement about a third person, keeping
the focus on that person rather than themselves and their problem.
Circular Questioning
→ A technique for interviewing and hypothesis validation designed by the Milan systemic
group, based on Bateson's idea that people learn by perceiving differences. In this
technique, each family member comments on the behavior and interactions of two other
members. It is hoped that beliefs will become less rigid when members are exposed to
different perspectives.
→
→ learning more about differences in family members' perceptions of their relationships.
Haley
→ Strategic Therapy: developing of a specific strategy to treat a specific problem; use
of directives; the therapist takes responsibility for directly influencing clients
Prescribing the symptom
→ A paradoxical intervention that forces a client to either give up a symptom or admit
that it is under his/her control. The intervention - e.g., telling an overprotective father
to keep a closer eye on his child - is believed to unbalance the system so that a client
or family becomes more open to change.
→
→ Changing the meaning of a situation by the way it is perceived.
Transactional Analysis
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→ treatment that focuses on patterns of interaction with others, especially patterns that
indicate personal problems
Circular Causality
→ The view that causality is nonlinear, occurring instead within a relationship context and
through a network of interacting loops; any cause is thus seen as an effect of a prior
cause, as in the interactions within families.
The Narrative Construction of Reality
→ Jerome Bruner
Tickling the Defenses
→ Ackerman's phrase to provoke people to open up and say what's really on their minds.
intended to increase anxiety.
Olson's Circumplex Model
→ - Family cohesion = emotional bonding
→ - (Ranging from: disengaged, separated, connected, enmeshed)
→ - Family adaptability = ability to be flexible and change
→ - (Ranging from: chaotic, flexible, structured, rigid)
Rosa's Law
→ changed "mental retardation" to "intellectual disability"
Communication Theory
→ Originated by the MRI group, the study of the process by which verbal and non-verbal
information is exchanged within a relationship. Communication can be analogic which
has little structure, but is rich in content, or digital which is verbal communication
perceived and interpreted based on meaning. (see various types of communications:
Haptic; Kinesthetic; Paralinguistic; and Streptic).
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analogic communication
→ combination of nonverbal communication and context.
Who developed double bind theory?
→ Bateson
Bertalanffy's general systems theory
→ Any theoretical system of interest to more than one discipline; based on awareness of
the essential interrelatedness and inter-dependence of ALL phenomena - physical,
biological, psychological, social and cultural. (It transcends orthodox disciplinary and
conceptual boundaries.)
→
→ some concepts: process, structure and isomorphism
school of thought has recently emerged placing a renewed emphasis on language and
meaning, rather than a strict adherence to the more common theories of family therapy. This
school of thought is more pluralistic, crossing disciplinary boundaries while breaking free of
old paradigms. It views the therapist as part of the therapy process, rather than as an expert.
→ Postmodernism
Premature ejaculation treatment (5)
→ Behavioral therapy, cognitive therapy, educational approach, psychodynamic therapy,
squeeze technique
Family Therapists who believe that, if left alone, people will tend towards self-actualization
are primarily working from the
→ EFT perspective (because of humanistic roots)
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In brief prescriptive therapy, termination occurs
→ when the agreed upon number of sessions is up
Psychotherapy notes
→ Behavioral health notes recorded by a mental health professional that document or
analyze the content and impressions of conversations that are part of private
counseling sessions; they are not part of the health record and do not contain
information such as diagnosis, prescriptions, treatment modalities, and test results. No
PHI, so not covered by privacy and security rules.
Sparkling Events
→ From narrative therapy, those events that exemplify the client's preferred outcome
rather than his/her problem saturated stories.
Feminist critique of circular causality
→ feminist main critique of the cybernetic concept of circular causality is that it makes
everyone responsible for everything and possibly, no one accountable for anything.
Neutrality position of the therapist can add further to an already unbalanced system.
(Goldner, 1988) by the implied acceptance of status-quo.
least likely advice a therapist would give to a man about to become a step-parent to his
fiancee's kids when he hasn't had kids before
→ assume parenting role immediately
content aspect of communication
→ report
Haley believed that normal family functioning includes all of the following
1|Page| GradeA+ | 2 0 0 2 5
MFT Exam Questions and Correct
Answers the Latest Update and
Recommended Version
Detouring
→ From structural family therapy, when two family members attempt to preserve their
relationship by defining their conflict as a disagreement about a third person, keeping
the focus on that person rather than themselves and their problem.
Circular Questioning
→ A technique for interviewing and hypothesis validation designed by the Milan systemic
group, based on Bateson's idea that people learn by perceiving differences. In this
technique, each family member comments on the behavior and interactions of two other
members. It is hoped that beliefs will become less rigid when members are exposed to
different perspectives.
→
→ learning more about differences in family members' perceptions of their relationships.
Haley
→ Strategic Therapy: developing of a specific strategy to treat a specific problem; use
of directives; the therapist takes responsibility for directly influencing clients
Prescribing the symptom
→ A paradoxical intervention that forces a client to either give up a symptom or admit
that it is under his/her control. The intervention - e.g., telling an overprotective father
to keep a closer eye on his child - is believed to unbalance the system so that a client
or family becomes more open to change.
→
→ Changing the meaning of a situation by the way it is perceived.
Transactional Analysis
1|Page| GradeA+ | 2 0 0 2 5
,2 0 2 4 /2025 | © copyright | This work may not be copied for profit gain Excel!
→ treatment that focuses on patterns of interaction with others, especially patterns that
indicate personal problems
Circular Causality
→ The view that causality is nonlinear, occurring instead within a relationship context and
through a network of interacting loops; any cause is thus seen as an effect of a prior
cause, as in the interactions within families.
The Narrative Construction of Reality
→ Jerome Bruner
Tickling the Defenses
→ Ackerman's phrase to provoke people to open up and say what's really on their minds.
intended to increase anxiety.
Olson's Circumplex Model
→ - Family cohesion = emotional bonding
→ - (Ranging from: disengaged, separated, connected, enmeshed)
→ - Family adaptability = ability to be flexible and change
→ - (Ranging from: chaotic, flexible, structured, rigid)
Rosa's Law
→ changed "mental retardation" to "intellectual disability"
Communication Theory
→ Originated by the MRI group, the study of the process by which verbal and non-verbal
information is exchanged within a relationship. Communication can be analogic which
has little structure, but is rich in content, or digital which is verbal communication
perceived and interpreted based on meaning. (see various types of communications:
Haptic; Kinesthetic; Paralinguistic; and Streptic).
1|Page| GradeA+ | 2 0 0 2 5
,2 0 2 4 /2025 | © copyright | This work may not be copied for profit gain Excel!
analogic communication
→ combination of nonverbal communication and context.
Who developed double bind theory?
→ Bateson
Bertalanffy's general systems theory
→ Any theoretical system of interest to more than one discipline; based on awareness of
the essential interrelatedness and inter-dependence of ALL phenomena - physical,
biological, psychological, social and cultural. (It transcends orthodox disciplinary and
conceptual boundaries.)
→
→ some concepts: process, structure and isomorphism
school of thought has recently emerged placing a renewed emphasis on language and
meaning, rather than a strict adherence to the more common theories of family therapy. This
school of thought is more pluralistic, crossing disciplinary boundaries while breaking free of
old paradigms. It views the therapist as part of the therapy process, rather than as an expert.
→ Postmodernism
Premature ejaculation treatment (5)
→ Behavioral therapy, cognitive therapy, educational approach, psychodynamic therapy,
squeeze technique
Family Therapists who believe that, if left alone, people will tend towards self-actualization
are primarily working from the
→ EFT perspective (because of humanistic roots)
1|Page| GradeA+ | 2 0 0 2 5
, 2 0 2 4 /2025 | © copyright | This work may not be copied for profit gain Excel!
In brief prescriptive therapy, termination occurs
→ when the agreed upon number of sessions is up
Psychotherapy notes
→ Behavioral health notes recorded by a mental health professional that document or
analyze the content and impressions of conversations that are part of private
counseling sessions; they are not part of the health record and do not contain
information such as diagnosis, prescriptions, treatment modalities, and test results. No
PHI, so not covered by privacy and security rules.
Sparkling Events
→ From narrative therapy, those events that exemplify the client's preferred outcome
rather than his/her problem saturated stories.
Feminist critique of circular causality
→ feminist main critique of the cybernetic concept of circular causality is that it makes
everyone responsible for everything and possibly, no one accountable for anything.
Neutrality position of the therapist can add further to an already unbalanced system.
(Goldner, 1988) by the implied acceptance of status-quo.
least likely advice a therapist would give to a man about to become a step-parent to his
fiancee's kids when he hasn't had kids before
→ assume parenting role immediately
content aspect of communication
→ report
Haley believed that normal family functioning includes all of the following
1|Page| GradeA+ | 2 0 0 2 5
