LCSW Exam: Therapist Development
Center 2025/2026 Exam All Answers and
Illustrations Given
A group for women experiencing depression has been meeting for 3
weeks. Several group members approach the group leader expressing
concern that another group member regularly interrupts and dominates the
conversation. What stage of group formation is the group most likely in?
A. Forming
B. Storming
C. Norming
D. Performing - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔The correct answer is B: Storming. During
this stage it is common for subgroups to emerge, like the one approaching
the leader.
A social worker has been meeting with a client for two years who is about
to graduate from college and move back to her home state. The client
wishes to continue therapy with the social worker via teletherapy. The
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,social worker is only licensed in the state the social worker resides. What is
the FIRST thing the social worker should do?
A. Decline to provide teletherapy because it is illegal to do so across state
lines.
B. Determine whether the social worker's state board allows teletherapy
acros - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔The correct answer is B: to determine whether the
social worker's state board allows teletherapy across state lines. If they do,
then we could do C after this (if the social worker's state board does not
allow this, then there would be no need to do C, which is why we would do
B first). A is incorrect because that is not a true statement as some states
do allow this. D is similarly incorrect because it does not acknowledge the
fact that some states do not allow teletherapy across state lines. (Even if
there is a longstanding relationship).
A social worker meets with a 22-year-old woman who reports she is
experiencing increased feelings of anxiety, agitation, and irritability. What
should the social worker do NEXT?A. Consider a diagnosis of
hyperthyroidism
B. Refer the client for a psychiatric evaluation
C. Complete a biopsychosocial assessment
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,D. Refer the client for a medical evaluation - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔The correct
answer is D, to refer the client for a medical evaluation. The client reports
increased feelings of anxiety, agitation, and irritability. Before doing
anything else, we want to discuss the need for a medical evaluation to rule
out a possibly underlying medical reason for her condition. While we aren't
expected to know any and every medical condition, we are expected to
know that a medical referral for new symptoms is best practice. A is outside
of our scope of practice; it wouldn't be our job to consider this specific
medical diagnosis, but to refer her to someone who can rule out this and
any other underlying biological cause for her symptoms. B is incorrect,
because while at some point we may make a referral to a psychiatrist for
medication, it is not what we would do FIRST. C could occur after we do D.
All of the following statements describe defense mechanisms EXCEPT:
A. Conscious behavior used by the client to protect the client from the
influence of the therapist.
B. Justifying actions or thoughts to make them seem acceptable when
unconsciously they are not.
C. Rejecting or attributing unacceptable aspects of one's personality to
another individual.
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STATEMENT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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, D. The process of protecting oneself from anxiety, feelings of guilt, or
undesirable thoughts. - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔The best answer here would be A. If
we look at the definition provided above we notice that B, C, and D all
incorporate various aspects of defense mechanisms. On the other hand, A
is discussing conscious behaviors or thoughts, whereas defense
mechanisms are on a more unconscious level. That is why as clinicians we
need to help client's identify the various defense mechanisms they may use
and bring them to a conscious level.
A social worker has been meeting with a 28-year-old woman for the past
six months to work on issues of depression and suicidal ideation. The
social worker observes that on days that she meets with this client, later in
the day she spends a lot of time thinking about death and her mood is
lower. What should the social worker do FIRST?
A. Use her emotional reaction to explore how the client's suicidal ideation
may be impacting those around her.
B. Seek supervision.
C. Begin meeting with an individ - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔The correct answer is B,
to seek supervision. A is inappropriate because we should not be using
countertransference (which is about our emotional reactions as the
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STATEMENT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
4
Center 2025/2026 Exam All Answers and
Illustrations Given
A group for women experiencing depression has been meeting for 3
weeks. Several group members approach the group leader expressing
concern that another group member regularly interrupts and dominates the
conversation. What stage of group formation is the group most likely in?
A. Forming
B. Storming
C. Norming
D. Performing - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔The correct answer is B: Storming. During
this stage it is common for subgroups to emerge, like the one approaching
the leader.
A social worker has been meeting with a client for two years who is about
to graduate from college and move back to her home state. The client
wishes to continue therapy with the social worker via teletherapy. The
COPYRIGHT©JOSHCLAY 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2025. COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 619652435. TERMS OF USE. PRIVACY
STATEMENT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
1
,social worker is only licensed in the state the social worker resides. What is
the FIRST thing the social worker should do?
A. Decline to provide teletherapy because it is illegal to do so across state
lines.
B. Determine whether the social worker's state board allows teletherapy
acros - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔The correct answer is B: to determine whether the
social worker's state board allows teletherapy across state lines. If they do,
then we could do C after this (if the social worker's state board does not
allow this, then there would be no need to do C, which is why we would do
B first). A is incorrect because that is not a true statement as some states
do allow this. D is similarly incorrect because it does not acknowledge the
fact that some states do not allow teletherapy across state lines. (Even if
there is a longstanding relationship).
A social worker meets with a 22-year-old woman who reports she is
experiencing increased feelings of anxiety, agitation, and irritability. What
should the social worker do NEXT?A. Consider a diagnosis of
hyperthyroidism
B. Refer the client for a psychiatric evaluation
C. Complete a biopsychosocial assessment
COPYRIGHT©JOSHCLAY 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2025. COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 619652435. TERMS OF USE. PRIVACY
STATEMENT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
2
,D. Refer the client for a medical evaluation - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔The correct
answer is D, to refer the client for a medical evaluation. The client reports
increased feelings of anxiety, agitation, and irritability. Before doing
anything else, we want to discuss the need for a medical evaluation to rule
out a possibly underlying medical reason for her condition. While we aren't
expected to know any and every medical condition, we are expected to
know that a medical referral for new symptoms is best practice. A is outside
of our scope of practice; it wouldn't be our job to consider this specific
medical diagnosis, but to refer her to someone who can rule out this and
any other underlying biological cause for her symptoms. B is incorrect,
because while at some point we may make a referral to a psychiatrist for
medication, it is not what we would do FIRST. C could occur after we do D.
All of the following statements describe defense mechanisms EXCEPT:
A. Conscious behavior used by the client to protect the client from the
influence of the therapist.
B. Justifying actions or thoughts to make them seem acceptable when
unconsciously they are not.
C. Rejecting or attributing unacceptable aspects of one's personality to
another individual.
COPYRIGHT©JOSHCLAY 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2025. COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 619652435. TERMS OF USE. PRIVACY
STATEMENT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
3
, D. The process of protecting oneself from anxiety, feelings of guilt, or
undesirable thoughts. - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔The best answer here would be A. If
we look at the definition provided above we notice that B, C, and D all
incorporate various aspects of defense mechanisms. On the other hand, A
is discussing conscious behaviors or thoughts, whereas defense
mechanisms are on a more unconscious level. That is why as clinicians we
need to help client's identify the various defense mechanisms they may use
and bring them to a conscious level.
A social worker has been meeting with a 28-year-old woman for the past
six months to work on issues of depression and suicidal ideation. The
social worker observes that on days that she meets with this client, later in
the day she spends a lot of time thinking about death and her mood is
lower. What should the social worker do FIRST?
A. Use her emotional reaction to explore how the client's suicidal ideation
may be impacting those around her.
B. Seek supervision.
C. Begin meeting with an individ - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔The correct answer is B,
to seek supervision. A is inappropriate because we should not be using
countertransference (which is about our emotional reactions as the
COPYRIGHT©JOSHCLAY 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2025. COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 619652435. TERMS OF USE. PRIVACY
STATEMENT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
4
