2 0 2 4 /2025 | © copyright | This work may not be copied for profit gain Excel!
MFT Exam Preparation Questions and
Correct Answers the Latest Update and
Recommended Version
If a therapist discloses PHI to unlicensed staff (who are trained in handling PHI, and the
training is documented-i.e. Admin assistant, etc.) for purposes of legitimate healthcare
operations, they are not in violation of HIPAA due to what rule?
→ Privacy Rule
What does the Security Rule describe?
→ Actual physical security measures that must be taken to keep PHI from being disclosed
unintentionally.
Abe comes to therapy because he is depressed and is out of work. Six months later he has a
new job and feels happier. He terminates therapy, but calls his therapist a few months later
saying that although he feels fine his wife is now depressed and won't leave the house. The
therapist would see this as an example of what kind of change?
→ First order change
This kind of change affects rules guiding behavior or creates a change in meaning. Example?
→ Second order change
There was a superficial change in the couple system, not a basic change in the structure and
functioning of the system is what kind of change. Example?
→ First order change
1|Page| GradeA+ | 2 0 0 2 5
,2 0 2 4 /2025 | © copyright | This work may not be copied for profit gain Excel!
Two dimensions of family functioning measured in the Circumplex Model developed by David
Olsen are...
→ Cohesion and adaptability
What does HIPAA's 'minimal necessary' principle under the Privacy Rule state? Example?
→ That no more information should be disclosed than is absolutely necessary to complete
the function being performed. I.e. a son's name being used in conversation to his mom
from a receptionist.
A statement such as "Men only do anger" might be used as an example in which of model?
→ Emotionally focused couples therapy
What is it called when therapists become more insistent in promoting their agenda for therapy
despite the families reservations?
→ Therapist resistance
The Structural School of family therapy utilizes a model of "normal family functioning" based
on what?
→ Family organization
In the course of therapy with a single-parent mother (age 54) and her adopted daughter(16)
who has a history of bulimia, the therapist reinforces with praise both mother and daughter's
success over the past week at not listening to bulimia. The therapist then asks the daughter to
make contact with the person in her life this next week who would be least surprised at her
success. This technique is called:
→ Historicizing unique outcomes
1|Page| GradeA+ | 2 0 0 2 5
,2 0 2 4 /2025 | © copyright | This work may not be copied for profit gain Excel!
According to Contextual Family Therapists, the four important dimensions of a family are:
→ Facts, individual psychology, family or systemic interactions, relational ethics
"Trustworthiness, ledger, merit, and multidirectional partiality" & "destructive entitlement,
personal interests, revolving slate, facts" include key concepts of:
→ Contextual Therapy
"Justice, balance between give and take, trustworthiness, horizontal and vertical relationships"
are dimensions of the Contextual model's __________ __________.
→ Relational ethics
Systemic therapy has been shown to be effective in the treatment of:
→ Encopresis and conduct problems in children
The philosopher Foucault exposed how various discourses within a society are...
→ dehumanized, objectified, and marginalized by various social groups who are in
power over the other groups
Research has shown that a successful predictor to a positive outcome utilizing Emotionally
Focused Therapy is:
→ How well established the therapeutic alliance is (particularly how engaged the
therapist is with the couple), especially the task aspects of engagement
When a Solution Focused therapist, working with a client presenting with issues around
overeating, asks "What would you not want to change regarding the way you eat?", they are
beginning to negotiate the _______-_______ ________.
1|Page| GradeA+ | 2 0 0 2 5
, 2 0 2 4 /2025 | © copyright | This work may not be copied for profit gain Excel!
→ First-formular task
The belief that the complaint is the problem, not a symptom of an underlying disorder, is a
therapeutic distinction made by which approach?
→ MRI approach
Oldest children tend to gravitate to leadership positions and youngest children often prefer to
be followers. The characteristics of one position are not "better" than those of another position,
but are complementary. This concept comes from the works of:
(Hint: NOT Bowen)
→ Toman
→ *Bowen applied Toman's work in his theory.
A young woman was hospitalized with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. During one of the family
therapy sessions, the daughter walked into the room and went toward her father to greet him.
The father stiffened, the young woman withdrew and the father said, "I thought that you'd be
happy to see me?"
A family therapist would consider this interaction an example of a (an):
→ Double bind
Consider someone in an important relationship where escape isn't feasible and a response is
necessary; when he or she receives two related but contradictory messages on different levels,
and yet finds it difficult if not impossible to detect or comment on the inconsistency, this person
is in a ____ ____.
→ Double bind
1|Page| GradeA+ | 2 0 0 2 5
MFT Exam Preparation Questions and
Correct Answers the Latest Update and
Recommended Version
If a therapist discloses PHI to unlicensed staff (who are trained in handling PHI, and the
training is documented-i.e. Admin assistant, etc.) for purposes of legitimate healthcare
operations, they are not in violation of HIPAA due to what rule?
→ Privacy Rule
What does the Security Rule describe?
→ Actual physical security measures that must be taken to keep PHI from being disclosed
unintentionally.
Abe comes to therapy because he is depressed and is out of work. Six months later he has a
new job and feels happier. He terminates therapy, but calls his therapist a few months later
saying that although he feels fine his wife is now depressed and won't leave the house. The
therapist would see this as an example of what kind of change?
→ First order change
This kind of change affects rules guiding behavior or creates a change in meaning. Example?
→ Second order change
There was a superficial change in the couple system, not a basic change in the structure and
functioning of the system is what kind of change. Example?
→ First order change
1|Page| GradeA+ | 2 0 0 2 5
,2 0 2 4 /2025 | © copyright | This work may not be copied for profit gain Excel!
Two dimensions of family functioning measured in the Circumplex Model developed by David
Olsen are...
→ Cohesion and adaptability
What does HIPAA's 'minimal necessary' principle under the Privacy Rule state? Example?
→ That no more information should be disclosed than is absolutely necessary to complete
the function being performed. I.e. a son's name being used in conversation to his mom
from a receptionist.
A statement such as "Men only do anger" might be used as an example in which of model?
→ Emotionally focused couples therapy
What is it called when therapists become more insistent in promoting their agenda for therapy
despite the families reservations?
→ Therapist resistance
The Structural School of family therapy utilizes a model of "normal family functioning" based
on what?
→ Family organization
In the course of therapy with a single-parent mother (age 54) and her adopted daughter(16)
who has a history of bulimia, the therapist reinforces with praise both mother and daughter's
success over the past week at not listening to bulimia. The therapist then asks the daughter to
make contact with the person in her life this next week who would be least surprised at her
success. This technique is called:
→ Historicizing unique outcomes
1|Page| GradeA+ | 2 0 0 2 5
,2 0 2 4 /2025 | © copyright | This work may not be copied for profit gain Excel!
According to Contextual Family Therapists, the four important dimensions of a family are:
→ Facts, individual psychology, family or systemic interactions, relational ethics
"Trustworthiness, ledger, merit, and multidirectional partiality" & "destructive entitlement,
personal interests, revolving slate, facts" include key concepts of:
→ Contextual Therapy
"Justice, balance between give and take, trustworthiness, horizontal and vertical relationships"
are dimensions of the Contextual model's __________ __________.
→ Relational ethics
Systemic therapy has been shown to be effective in the treatment of:
→ Encopresis and conduct problems in children
The philosopher Foucault exposed how various discourses within a society are...
→ dehumanized, objectified, and marginalized by various social groups who are in
power over the other groups
Research has shown that a successful predictor to a positive outcome utilizing Emotionally
Focused Therapy is:
→ How well established the therapeutic alliance is (particularly how engaged the
therapist is with the couple), especially the task aspects of engagement
When a Solution Focused therapist, working with a client presenting with issues around
overeating, asks "What would you not want to change regarding the way you eat?", they are
beginning to negotiate the _______-_______ ________.
1|Page| GradeA+ | 2 0 0 2 5
, 2 0 2 4 /2025 | © copyright | This work may not be copied for profit gain Excel!
→ First-formular task
The belief that the complaint is the problem, not a symptom of an underlying disorder, is a
therapeutic distinction made by which approach?
→ MRI approach
Oldest children tend to gravitate to leadership positions and youngest children often prefer to
be followers. The characteristics of one position are not "better" than those of another position,
but are complementary. This concept comes from the works of:
(Hint: NOT Bowen)
→ Toman
→ *Bowen applied Toman's work in his theory.
A young woman was hospitalized with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. During one of the family
therapy sessions, the daughter walked into the room and went toward her father to greet him.
The father stiffened, the young woman withdrew and the father said, "I thought that you'd be
happy to see me?"
A family therapist would consider this interaction an example of a (an):
→ Double bind
Consider someone in an important relationship where escape isn't feasible and a response is
necessary; when he or she receives two related but contradictory messages on different levels,
and yet finds it difficult if not impossible to detect or comment on the inconsistency, this person
is in a ____ ____.
→ Double bind
1|Page| GradeA+ | 2 0 0 2 5
