MFT National Licensing Exam Questions & Correct
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All of the following are considered communication theorists EXCEPT:
A: Watzlawick
B: Satir
C: White
D: Haley - Answer C: White
White focused on meaning where communication therapists focused on behavior.
During a session with a couple a husband states to the therapist that his wife often nags and belittles
him. The therapist's intervention is to give the wife homework in which she is to only say positive things
to her husband and abstain from any negative comments. When she appears to be negative or belittling
to her husband he is to put his hand up and say "Stop". A feminist therapist would be critical of the
above technique because it:
A: Gives the husband more power
B: Appears to be hierarchical
C: Is therapist driven
D: All of the above - Answer D: All of the above
Feminists draw techniques from other schools of family therapy such as the Narrative approach, with a
sensitivity to those that are especially empowering and client driven. In this case, the therapist would
work together to question imbalances of power between members and the effects these imbalances
have on all family members. A feminist therapist might then work with the couple to develop new
stories using a collaborative approach.
Jose and Maria bring their son, Joe, to counseling because of poor academic performance and behavior.
A: externalize the problem
B: rearrange family members to imply alliance shifts.
C: use genogram construction to help the family identify family-of-origins patterns consciously.
D: coach the family on improving its problem-solving skills - Answer D: Coach the family on improving its
problem solving skills.
,The strategic family therapist defines the focus of treatment as the family and its interactive process,
paying particular attention to the family's process of problem solving.
During the process of treatment, Mr. Medieros recognizes how he was victimized by his parents, and
that past generations were also victimized by their parents. In recognizing this he began to see his
parents less as monsters and more as struggling human beings, themselves acting out invisible loyalties.
Therefore, he was able to block the trans-generational pattern of destructive entitlement and allowed
the positive transmission of relational resources. The process by which he earned entitlement by dealing
with his own issues with his own parents is called:
A: A family projection process
B: relational ethics
C: societal regression
D: exoneration - Answer D: exoneration
Exoneration is a process by which the therapist attempts to help the client see the positive intent and
inter-generational loyalty issues that motivate the behavior of members of previous generations.
Harmonious relationships are more difficult to achieve for gay and lesbian couples because:
A: they are more inherently pathological than straight couples
B: of shame
C: our society presents them with far more obstacles
D: they have more individual problems. - Answer C: our society presents them with far more obstacles
Mary feels threatened by the arrival of her baby sister so she pouts and becomes temperamental. When
Mary acts out this way, her father thinks she is regressing and tries to get her to act her age by punishing
and criticizing her. Father's harshness confirms Mary's belief that her sister is displacing her. The
therapist suggests that when Mary behaves this way, the father should ignore her. If this suggestion
worked, it would be a good example of:
A: positive feedback
B: first-order change
C: second-order change
D: negative feedback - Answer B: first order change
when only the behaviors or interactions when a system change, this is first order change, as opposed to
second order change, where the rule governing the behavior must change.
,A couple comes to therapy because their three-year-old daughter is "out of control". During the session
the wife begins complaining that her husband is never homes and she is left to deal with her daughter's
behavior.
An initial goal that a Structural Family Therapist working with this family might set is to:
A: inquire about inter-generational themes.
B: help the couple function together as a cohesive executive subsystem
C: hypothesize as to why the daughter is so "out of control".
D: look for disabling international sequences. - Answer B: help the couple function together as a
cohesive executive subsystem.
Minuchin believes that the most important of all the general goals for families is the creation of an
effective hierarchical structure. Inquiring about intergenerational themes is Trans-generational, look for
disabling interactional sequences is Strategic, and hypothesize as to why the daughter is so "out of
control" is Milan systemic.
A Milan-Systemic therapist would define the purpose of circular questioning as:
A: Learning more about differences in family members' perceptions of their relationships.
B: expanding on the notion of a reframe.
C: disrupting the multiple interactional sequences existing in the family.
D: an individualized prescription of an action or series of actions designed to alter the family's roles. -
Answer A: Learning more about differences in family members' perceptions of their relationships.
Circular questioning is a series of questions asked of one family member about another or about the
relationships within the family. Other answers can be eliminated as follows: Disrupting the multiple
interactional sequences - invariant prescription; Expanding on the notion of a reframe - positive
connotation; Individualized prescription of an action - rituals.
According to the communication theorists, the content aspects of communication is known as:
A: metacommunication.
B: report
C: request
D: an analogical message - Answer C: report
All communications have a report and command elements. The report element refers to the content,
while the command element refers to the relationship between the sender and receiver. Meta-
, communication is communication about communication. This term usually refers to the covert,
nonverbal message that gives additional meaning to an overt, verbal message.
Examples of an analogical or symbolic message are certain behaviors that may have a metaphoric
meaning for the couple.
Some research has demonstrated that there are certain common factors in successful psychotherapy.
Which of the following statements is correct?
A: Common factors in couple and family therapy are valuable, but not as valuable as selecting the best
research supported treatment model.
B: A common factor of at least .65 is necessary before we can conclude that an element of treatment is
effective.
C: It has been demonstrated that the common factor of 'systemic/dyadic reformulation of the
presenting problem,' can be as important that ideal choice of treatment model.
D: Common factors have been validated for general psychotherapy, but not for couples and family
therapist as yet. - Answer C: It has been demonstrated that the common factor of 'systemic/dyadic
reformulation of the presenting problem,' can be as important that ideal choice of treatment model.
The common factor components of therapy can be as important or more important to successful
outcomes, than other components such as experience of the therapist or choice of treatment model.
Blended families present unique circumstances for a therapist. Which of the following would be helpful
to a family therapist in facilitating discussion:
A: offering clear rules around how each parent should parent their non-biological children.
B: all of the above.
C: a reflecting team utilizing each family as a team in a fishbowl dialogue.
D: addressing the boundary ambiguity often found when merging families. - Answer D: addressing the
boundary ambiguity often found when merging families.
Boundary ambiguity: Children have simultaneous membership in two families, which can lead to loyalty
conflicts and guilt, especially when the relationship between ex-spouses is hostile. The couples need to
establish clear executive subsystem boundaries, which can be complicated by differences in the rules
that each spouse prefers and the movement of the stepparent from an outside position to inside the
family.
Solution Focused therapist hold the following to be a primary therapeutic goal:
A: Second order change
Answers Verified by Expert
All of the following are considered communication theorists EXCEPT:
A: Watzlawick
B: Satir
C: White
D: Haley - Answer C: White
White focused on meaning where communication therapists focused on behavior.
During a session with a couple a husband states to the therapist that his wife often nags and belittles
him. The therapist's intervention is to give the wife homework in which she is to only say positive things
to her husband and abstain from any negative comments. When she appears to be negative or belittling
to her husband he is to put his hand up and say "Stop". A feminist therapist would be critical of the
above technique because it:
A: Gives the husband more power
B: Appears to be hierarchical
C: Is therapist driven
D: All of the above - Answer D: All of the above
Feminists draw techniques from other schools of family therapy such as the Narrative approach, with a
sensitivity to those that are especially empowering and client driven. In this case, the therapist would
work together to question imbalances of power between members and the effects these imbalances
have on all family members. A feminist therapist might then work with the couple to develop new
stories using a collaborative approach.
Jose and Maria bring their son, Joe, to counseling because of poor academic performance and behavior.
A: externalize the problem
B: rearrange family members to imply alliance shifts.
C: use genogram construction to help the family identify family-of-origins patterns consciously.
D: coach the family on improving its problem-solving skills - Answer D: Coach the family on improving its
problem solving skills.
,The strategic family therapist defines the focus of treatment as the family and its interactive process,
paying particular attention to the family's process of problem solving.
During the process of treatment, Mr. Medieros recognizes how he was victimized by his parents, and
that past generations were also victimized by their parents. In recognizing this he began to see his
parents less as monsters and more as struggling human beings, themselves acting out invisible loyalties.
Therefore, he was able to block the trans-generational pattern of destructive entitlement and allowed
the positive transmission of relational resources. The process by which he earned entitlement by dealing
with his own issues with his own parents is called:
A: A family projection process
B: relational ethics
C: societal regression
D: exoneration - Answer D: exoneration
Exoneration is a process by which the therapist attempts to help the client see the positive intent and
inter-generational loyalty issues that motivate the behavior of members of previous generations.
Harmonious relationships are more difficult to achieve for gay and lesbian couples because:
A: they are more inherently pathological than straight couples
B: of shame
C: our society presents them with far more obstacles
D: they have more individual problems. - Answer C: our society presents them with far more obstacles
Mary feels threatened by the arrival of her baby sister so she pouts and becomes temperamental. When
Mary acts out this way, her father thinks she is regressing and tries to get her to act her age by punishing
and criticizing her. Father's harshness confirms Mary's belief that her sister is displacing her. The
therapist suggests that when Mary behaves this way, the father should ignore her. If this suggestion
worked, it would be a good example of:
A: positive feedback
B: first-order change
C: second-order change
D: negative feedback - Answer B: first order change
when only the behaviors or interactions when a system change, this is first order change, as opposed to
second order change, where the rule governing the behavior must change.
,A couple comes to therapy because their three-year-old daughter is "out of control". During the session
the wife begins complaining that her husband is never homes and she is left to deal with her daughter's
behavior.
An initial goal that a Structural Family Therapist working with this family might set is to:
A: inquire about inter-generational themes.
B: help the couple function together as a cohesive executive subsystem
C: hypothesize as to why the daughter is so "out of control".
D: look for disabling international sequences. - Answer B: help the couple function together as a
cohesive executive subsystem.
Minuchin believes that the most important of all the general goals for families is the creation of an
effective hierarchical structure. Inquiring about intergenerational themes is Trans-generational, look for
disabling interactional sequences is Strategic, and hypothesize as to why the daughter is so "out of
control" is Milan systemic.
A Milan-Systemic therapist would define the purpose of circular questioning as:
A: Learning more about differences in family members' perceptions of their relationships.
B: expanding on the notion of a reframe.
C: disrupting the multiple interactional sequences existing in the family.
D: an individualized prescription of an action or series of actions designed to alter the family's roles. -
Answer A: Learning more about differences in family members' perceptions of their relationships.
Circular questioning is a series of questions asked of one family member about another or about the
relationships within the family. Other answers can be eliminated as follows: Disrupting the multiple
interactional sequences - invariant prescription; Expanding on the notion of a reframe - positive
connotation; Individualized prescription of an action - rituals.
According to the communication theorists, the content aspects of communication is known as:
A: metacommunication.
B: report
C: request
D: an analogical message - Answer C: report
All communications have a report and command elements. The report element refers to the content,
while the command element refers to the relationship between the sender and receiver. Meta-
, communication is communication about communication. This term usually refers to the covert,
nonverbal message that gives additional meaning to an overt, verbal message.
Examples of an analogical or symbolic message are certain behaviors that may have a metaphoric
meaning for the couple.
Some research has demonstrated that there are certain common factors in successful psychotherapy.
Which of the following statements is correct?
A: Common factors in couple and family therapy are valuable, but not as valuable as selecting the best
research supported treatment model.
B: A common factor of at least .65 is necessary before we can conclude that an element of treatment is
effective.
C: It has been demonstrated that the common factor of 'systemic/dyadic reformulation of the
presenting problem,' can be as important that ideal choice of treatment model.
D: Common factors have been validated for general psychotherapy, but not for couples and family
therapist as yet. - Answer C: It has been demonstrated that the common factor of 'systemic/dyadic
reformulation of the presenting problem,' can be as important that ideal choice of treatment model.
The common factor components of therapy can be as important or more important to successful
outcomes, than other components such as experience of the therapist or choice of treatment model.
Blended families present unique circumstances for a therapist. Which of the following would be helpful
to a family therapist in facilitating discussion:
A: offering clear rules around how each parent should parent their non-biological children.
B: all of the above.
C: a reflecting team utilizing each family as a team in a fishbowl dialogue.
D: addressing the boundary ambiguity often found when merging families. - Answer D: addressing the
boundary ambiguity often found when merging families.
Boundary ambiguity: Children have simultaneous membership in two families, which can lead to loyalty
conflicts and guilt, especially when the relationship between ex-spouses is hostile. The couples need to
establish clear executive subsystem boundaries, which can be complicated by differences in the rules
that each spouse prefers and the movement of the stepparent from an outside position to inside the
family.
Solution Focused therapist hold the following to be a primary therapeutic goal:
A: Second order change
