©BRIGHSTARS 2024/2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
LCSW Exam Section 3: Psychotherapy,
Clinical Interventions, and Case
Management. Exam Study Guide.
Principles for obtaining and providing feedback - Answer✔1. Feedback may be either verbal or
nonverbal, so social workers must take efforts to see what clients are trying to convey verbally
via their behavior and nonverbal cues in order to see whether interventions should be altered
2. When social workers involve consultants or others in the feedback process related to client
care, clients should provide consent
3. Social workers should ask for feedback in difficult circumstances-not just when circumstances
appear neutral or positive. It can be tempting to only ask for feedback from people who will say
something positive. Sometimes the best learning can be from those who will be critical. Talking
through difficult feedback in supervision is important.
4. Feedback is especially critical at key decision points (as when transferring or closing cases)
5. It is important to guard against influencing people to respond in a particular way-this may be
unintentional because a social worker may have more influence or power than the individual
from whom feedback is sought
6. Confidentiality should be respected if the informant wants it
7. Always be clear about why feedback is needed and what will be done with the information
8. Documentation of feedback is essential
9. Be aware that the feedback may be very different depending upon when it is solicited. It is
critical to realize how recent events may have influenced information received. Getting feedback
repeatedly at several different times may be needed to see if responses differ
10. A social worker must make sure that the communication method is appropriate. For a
younger person, texting, email, or an online questionnaire may work, whereas face-to-face
conversation may be needed for others. The language should be jargon-free and issues such as
language, culture, and disability may affect that ways in which people both understand and
1|Page
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Congruence - Answer✔Matching of awareness and experience with communication (verbal and
nonverbal); congruence is essential for the vitality of a relationship and to facilitate true helping
as part of the problem-solving process
Verbal and nonverbal communication techniques - Answer✔-Active listening
-Silence
-Questioning (open and closed ended)
-Reflecting or validating
-Paraphrasing and clarifying
-Reframing
-Exhibiting desirable facial expression (eye contact, warmth and concern, etc.)
-Using desirable postures and gestures (matching client, etc.)
One-on-One Feedback - Answer✔Method for feedback
An individual delivering feedback to another, face-to-face, is probably the most common form.
Such feedback needs to be delivered sensitively and according to principles of the profession
Intragroup Feedback - Answer✔Method for feedback
Individuals in a group provide feedback to the group and/or to one or more individuals within the
group. If the feedback is directed to the performance of the group, it can be particularly effective
Group-to-Group Feedback - Answer✔Method for feedback
This might take place between two groups that are working together. The feedback may go in
one direction or both. The feedback might be directed at particular individuals or at the group as
a whole
Consultative Feedback - Answer✔Method for feedback
An individual or group serves as a formal or informal consultant to another (usually to a group,
but occasionally to an individual). The individual or group receiving the feedback may be more
apt to accept and consider the feedback, given the expertise of the consultative entity, but has no
obligation to do so
360-Degree Feedback - Answer✔Method for feedback
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It involves feedback from all directions-supervisors, peers, subordinates, the community, and so
forth. The idea is that the feedback reflects multiple viewpoints and gives a complete picture
Empathic Communication - Answer✔-Establishes rapport with clients-empathic communication
is one means of bridging the gap between a social worker and a client
-Starts where a client is and stays attuned to a client throughout the encounter (being perceptive
to changes in frame of mind)
-Increases the level at which clients explore themselves and their problems
-Responds to a client's nonverbal messages (a social worker can observe body language and
make explicit a client's feelings)
-Decreases defensiveness and engages a client in processing and testing new information
-Defuses anger that represents obstacles to progress
The core of the helping process is.... - Answer✔acceptance of a client and the use of objective
feedback
Social role theory - Answer✔Terms that relate to role issues:
-Role ambiguity: lack of clarity of role
-Role complementarity: the role is carried out in an expected way (i.e. parent-child, social
worker-client)
-Role discomplementarity: the role expectations of others differs from one's own
-Role reversal: when two or more individuals switch roles
-Role conflict: incompatible or conflicting expectations
Transference - Answer✔Refers to redirection of a client's feelings for a significant person to a
social worker (i.e. attraction, rage, parentification, extreme dependence, etc.)
Countertransference - Answer✔Defined as redirection of a social worker's feelings toward a
client, or more generally, as a social worker's emotional entanglement with a client
Basic conditions for therapeutic process - Answer✔-There must be trust with a social worker
-Recognition that therapeutic process is a joint exploration
-There must be listening on both sides
-Accepting what is said in a nonjudgmental manner
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LCSW Exam Section 3: Psychotherapy,
Clinical Interventions, and Case
Management. Exam Study Guide.
Principles for obtaining and providing feedback - Answer✔1. Feedback may be either verbal or
nonverbal, so social workers must take efforts to see what clients are trying to convey verbally
via their behavior and nonverbal cues in order to see whether interventions should be altered
2. When social workers involve consultants or others in the feedback process related to client
care, clients should provide consent
3. Social workers should ask for feedback in difficult circumstances-not just when circumstances
appear neutral or positive. It can be tempting to only ask for feedback from people who will say
something positive. Sometimes the best learning can be from those who will be critical. Talking
through difficult feedback in supervision is important.
4. Feedback is especially critical at key decision points (as when transferring or closing cases)
5. It is important to guard against influencing people to respond in a particular way-this may be
unintentional because a social worker may have more influence or power than the individual
from whom feedback is sought
6. Confidentiality should be respected if the informant wants it
7. Always be clear about why feedback is needed and what will be done with the information
8. Documentation of feedback is essential
9. Be aware that the feedback may be very different depending upon when it is solicited. It is
critical to realize how recent events may have influenced information received. Getting feedback
repeatedly at several different times may be needed to see if responses differ
10. A social worker must make sure that the communication method is appropriate. For a
younger person, texting, email, or an online questionnaire may work, whereas face-to-face
conversation may be needed for others. The language should be jargon-free and issues such as
language, culture, and disability may affect that ways in which people both understand and
1|Page
, ©BRIGHSTARS 2024/2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Congruence - Answer✔Matching of awareness and experience with communication (verbal and
nonverbal); congruence is essential for the vitality of a relationship and to facilitate true helping
as part of the problem-solving process
Verbal and nonverbal communication techniques - Answer✔-Active listening
-Silence
-Questioning (open and closed ended)
-Reflecting or validating
-Paraphrasing and clarifying
-Reframing
-Exhibiting desirable facial expression (eye contact, warmth and concern, etc.)
-Using desirable postures and gestures (matching client, etc.)
One-on-One Feedback - Answer✔Method for feedback
An individual delivering feedback to another, face-to-face, is probably the most common form.
Such feedback needs to be delivered sensitively and according to principles of the profession
Intragroup Feedback - Answer✔Method for feedback
Individuals in a group provide feedback to the group and/or to one or more individuals within the
group. If the feedback is directed to the performance of the group, it can be particularly effective
Group-to-Group Feedback - Answer✔Method for feedback
This might take place between two groups that are working together. The feedback may go in
one direction or both. The feedback might be directed at particular individuals or at the group as
a whole
Consultative Feedback - Answer✔Method for feedback
An individual or group serves as a formal or informal consultant to another (usually to a group,
but occasionally to an individual). The individual or group receiving the feedback may be more
apt to accept and consider the feedback, given the expertise of the consultative entity, but has no
obligation to do so
360-Degree Feedback - Answer✔Method for feedback
2|Page
, ©BRIGHSTARS 2024/2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
It involves feedback from all directions-supervisors, peers, subordinates, the community, and so
forth. The idea is that the feedback reflects multiple viewpoints and gives a complete picture
Empathic Communication - Answer✔-Establishes rapport with clients-empathic communication
is one means of bridging the gap between a social worker and a client
-Starts where a client is and stays attuned to a client throughout the encounter (being perceptive
to changes in frame of mind)
-Increases the level at which clients explore themselves and their problems
-Responds to a client's nonverbal messages (a social worker can observe body language and
make explicit a client's feelings)
-Decreases defensiveness and engages a client in processing and testing new information
-Defuses anger that represents obstacles to progress
The core of the helping process is.... - Answer✔acceptance of a client and the use of objective
feedback
Social role theory - Answer✔Terms that relate to role issues:
-Role ambiguity: lack of clarity of role
-Role complementarity: the role is carried out in an expected way (i.e. parent-child, social
worker-client)
-Role discomplementarity: the role expectations of others differs from one's own
-Role reversal: when two or more individuals switch roles
-Role conflict: incompatible or conflicting expectations
Transference - Answer✔Refers to redirection of a client's feelings for a significant person to a
social worker (i.e. attraction, rage, parentification, extreme dependence, etc.)
Countertransference - Answer✔Defined as redirection of a social worker's feelings toward a
client, or more generally, as a social worker's emotional entanglement with a client
Basic conditions for therapeutic process - Answer✔-There must be trust with a social worker
-Recognition that therapeutic process is a joint exploration
-There must be listening on both sides
-Accepting what is said in a nonjudgmental manner
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