ALLIANT COMP EXAM (MFT) 2026 QUESTION
AN ANSWER .
EXAM
1. You are working with the Nguyen family. The parents are excited to be coming
in so their son, Thomas, can do better in school. Thomas doesn't want to be
there and views you as just another adult telling him what to do. What is an
immediate clinical issue for you to address, and what is one way you address it?
A) Coping skills; assess what they've done so far that has and hasn't worked
B) Adolescent rebellion; work to contain Thomas' acting out
C) Split alliance; validating each person's perspective
D) Controlling parents; work to help the parents loosen their expectations of
Thomas
-VERIFIED ANSWER-: C) Split alliance; validating each person's perspective
2. Which of the following could be a thesis statement of the common factors
argument?
A) If the therapeutic alliance is strong, everything else will fall into place
B) Factors shared across various theoretical models are responsible for most of
the change in therapy
C) Since the therapeutic alliance is so important, there is no need to learn theory
D) The therapist is the most important variable in therapy
,-VERIFIED ANSWER-: B) Factors shared across various theoretical models are
responsible for most of the change in therapy
3. Which of the following approaches to theory would be most consistent with a
common factors approach?
A) Learning one theory in depth then moving onto another until you've mastered
as many as possible
B) Learning one theory in depth and staying loyal to that theory throughout your
career
C) Disregarding theory in favor of mastering the therapeutic alliance
D) Only learning theories that enjoy empirical validation
-VERIFIED ANSWER-: A) Learning one theory in depth then moving onto another
until you've mastered as many as possible
4. Which variables are thought to be common factors of effective therapy?
A) Client motivation, therapeutic alliance, client culture, therapist empathy B)
Therapist empathy, client motivation, use of a structured model, therapeutic
alliance
C) Client cognitive complexity, match between client and therapist culture,
empirically validated theory, therapeutic alliance
D) Therapist cognitive complexity, match between therapist and client
motivation, empirically validated theory, therapist empathy
-VERIFIED ANSWER-: B) Therapist empathy, client motivation, use of a structured
model, therapeutic alliance
,5. The meta-model of change outlined in the Common Factors text outlines the
following three clinical behaviors common to all effective systemic therapies:
A) Slowing down the process, therapeutic alliance, successful completion of
homework
B) Therapeutic alliance, standing meta, identification of family member's faults
C) Encouraging responsibility, successful completion of homework, slowing down
the process
D) Slowing down the process; standing meta; encouraging responsibility for one's
role in the interactional cycle
-VERIFIED ANSWER-: D) Slowing down the process; standing meta; encouraging
responsibility for one's role in the interactional cycle
6. All theoretical models of MFT use the following to help clients reach their
goals:
A) Emotional Regulation
B) Cognitive Reframing
C) Behavioral Shifts
D) All of the above
-VERIFIED ANSWER-: D) All of the above
, 7. The therapeutic alliance is thought to consist of all but the following: A)
Tasks
B) Bonds
C) Shared culture
D) Goals
-VERIFIED ANSWER-: C) Shared culture
8. The therapeutic alliance is especially critical during which stage of therapy?
A) Beginning
B) Middle
C) End
D) Equally important throughout
-VERIFIED ANSWER-: A) Beginning
AN ANSWER .
EXAM
1. You are working with the Nguyen family. The parents are excited to be coming
in so their son, Thomas, can do better in school. Thomas doesn't want to be
there and views you as just another adult telling him what to do. What is an
immediate clinical issue for you to address, and what is one way you address it?
A) Coping skills; assess what they've done so far that has and hasn't worked
B) Adolescent rebellion; work to contain Thomas' acting out
C) Split alliance; validating each person's perspective
D) Controlling parents; work to help the parents loosen their expectations of
Thomas
-VERIFIED ANSWER-: C) Split alliance; validating each person's perspective
2. Which of the following could be a thesis statement of the common factors
argument?
A) If the therapeutic alliance is strong, everything else will fall into place
B) Factors shared across various theoretical models are responsible for most of
the change in therapy
C) Since the therapeutic alliance is so important, there is no need to learn theory
D) The therapist is the most important variable in therapy
,-VERIFIED ANSWER-: B) Factors shared across various theoretical models are
responsible for most of the change in therapy
3. Which of the following approaches to theory would be most consistent with a
common factors approach?
A) Learning one theory in depth then moving onto another until you've mastered
as many as possible
B) Learning one theory in depth and staying loyal to that theory throughout your
career
C) Disregarding theory in favor of mastering the therapeutic alliance
D) Only learning theories that enjoy empirical validation
-VERIFIED ANSWER-: A) Learning one theory in depth then moving onto another
until you've mastered as many as possible
4. Which variables are thought to be common factors of effective therapy?
A) Client motivation, therapeutic alliance, client culture, therapist empathy B)
Therapist empathy, client motivation, use of a structured model, therapeutic
alliance
C) Client cognitive complexity, match between client and therapist culture,
empirically validated theory, therapeutic alliance
D) Therapist cognitive complexity, match between therapist and client
motivation, empirically validated theory, therapist empathy
-VERIFIED ANSWER-: B) Therapist empathy, client motivation, use of a structured
model, therapeutic alliance
,5. The meta-model of change outlined in the Common Factors text outlines the
following three clinical behaviors common to all effective systemic therapies:
A) Slowing down the process, therapeutic alliance, successful completion of
homework
B) Therapeutic alliance, standing meta, identification of family member's faults
C) Encouraging responsibility, successful completion of homework, slowing down
the process
D) Slowing down the process; standing meta; encouraging responsibility for one's
role in the interactional cycle
-VERIFIED ANSWER-: D) Slowing down the process; standing meta; encouraging
responsibility for one's role in the interactional cycle
6. All theoretical models of MFT use the following to help clients reach their
goals:
A) Emotional Regulation
B) Cognitive Reframing
C) Behavioral Shifts
D) All of the above
-VERIFIED ANSWER-: D) All of the above
, 7. The therapeutic alliance is thought to consist of all but the following: A)
Tasks
B) Bonds
C) Shared culture
D) Goals
-VERIFIED ANSWER-: C) Shared culture
8. The therapeutic alliance is especially critical during which stage of therapy?
A) Beginning
B) Middle
C) End
D) Equally important throughout
-VERIFIED ANSWER-: A) Beginning
